strategy & tactics
How to Close a Sale
How can salespeople increase close rates, and understand the factors that get in the way? Sales trainers Kevin Hallinan and Vincent DeStefano shared their insights during their KnowledgeFest presentations. WORDS BY ROSA SOPHIA
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ales trainers at KnowledgeFest Orlando tackled all the aspects of closing a sale, including assessing a client’s level of commitment, understanding the “why” behind a purchase and learning how a salesperson can look inward to discover how their own personal barriers might be getting in the way. Kevin Hallinan of Winning, Inc. said the salesperson needs to begin by finding out why the client is looking for something new. This will lead to discovering whether or not there’s a “pain” or displeasure involved. “Pain is a compelling emotional reason to do business,” Hallinan said. “Pain is emotional. What’s emotional about displeasure in a stock system? They might hear someone else’s new system, and they want that. If we focus on the gain, that’s okay—but if we focus on the absence of pleasure, that’s more compelling.” #1: Steer Clear of “Headtrash” Our own “headtrash” gets in the way,
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according to Hallinan, who taught a workshop called “Headtrash Removal Surgery” at KnowledgeFest, which focused on eliminating these blockages. Mindsets will either move us forward, or slow us down. Hallinan said how a person acts will determine the results. “Your attitude determines how you feel. Everything works in conjunction. Our beliefs determine our actions.” Life experiences and how we grow up will shape our beliefs and attitudes. “All these things create outlook. We choose our thoughts at the end of the day,” he said. “You choose to dwell on things, or you choose to move away from all that stuff.” He added that we can either choose an abundance mindset, or a scarcity mindset. “Abundance says, ‘If I don’t close this customer, there will be 10 more coming in.’ Our empowering beliefs help us succeed and make money. Our negative beliefs—headtrash—interrupts and costs us money,” Hallinan explained, adding that sometimes salespeople sell from their own pockets, thinking the customer will turned off by a high dollar amount.
“Let them decide, instead. People sell things every day that they can’t personally afford. It’s not up to me to decide if something is worth it. It’s up to the customer.” Hallinan encouraged attendees to consider their attitudes, confidence level, personal presence and their belief systems. An example of a “belief” would be when someone says they don’t have enough time to commit to networking. This, he added, is an example of “headtrash.” #2: Understand Your Client’s Motivation Salespeople should work on building a skill that will help them understand whether or not a client’s motivation is based on something real, according to Hallinan. “If there’s no pain, there’s no sale. Let’s figure out why people need our stuff. It’s about their reasons, not ours,” he said. When Hallinan meets with someone about sales or management training, he explained that he doesn’t begin by saying how good the training is. “Instead, I say, ‘I’ve talked to companies that struggle with inconsistent or ineffective selling results.’ I’m not describing what we do. I’m talking about the scenario that exists.” Clients, he added, may be disappointed in a factory sound system, or maybe they’re concerned about the safety of their families, depending on the solution offered. “Speaking in terms of the problem that will be solved will give you more business,” he explained. “It changes the conversation from the item, to the problem the item solves.” One of the most important aspects of the successful sale is listening, and Hallinan urged attendees to follow the 70/30 rule. “When you’re selling, talk only 30 percent of the time, and the way you accomplish that is by asking questions,” he said. “The more you talk instead of listening, the less likely you are to close the sale.” While a salesperson may feel passionate about the solution they’re describing, they might be talking so much that they don’t realize the client isn’t interested. “Really listen to them,” said Vincent
