One Secret, More Sales
Yes it is true! You can actually increase your sales by using this one step bulletproof method to guarantee you an increased number of sales. This 1 step is something that 7 out 10 sales people don’t do, and it is the step that can make or break a deal. It is the one step that the majority of sales people avoid to take, simply because they are afraid that in doing so they will come off as pushy, and completely destroy the relationship they have been so hard trying to build with the potential customer.
Picture this: You are engaging with a prospect, you talk, you listen, answer questions, have a fantastic conversation over their needs and wants, everything looks good, and you are a step away from closing that deal. What happens next? Customer gets up, says “Thank you for your time” and away they go! Does this sound familiar? What went wrong?
YOU DID NOT ASK FOR THE ORDER! As previously mentioned, according to statistics 7 out of 10 salespeople are afraid of asking for the order. You need to always have in mind that you need to ask for the business, ask for the money! Customers know that it is your job to do so, and they are expecting you to do so. If you don’t ask for it, you will not get it.
Asking for the sale is what will seal the deal and put the verbal discussion in a contract. Lean into it, and ask for the sale with a positive attitude and expectation. “Ask as if you expect to get a YES” (Canfield J, 2005). If you don’t ask for it, the customer won’t do it for you. The best statistic to remember when it comes to asking for the order is that “We loose 100% of the sales we didn’t ask for” (Zig Ziglar).
Why is that though? Why are we afraid of asking for the sale? There are four main reasons why sales people won’t ask for the sale:
They have no confidence in the product or service
They have no confidence in themselves
They don’t see the value in the product or service
They are afraid of rejection (How to overcome fear and ask for the order will be covered in a later blog post)
On a closing note, remember that you have nothing to loose and everything to gain by asking. Even in the bible it says “Ask and it shall be given to you” (Mathew 7:7), so what’ stopping you? Next time you engage a prospect and you have managed to build the bridge, simply ask for the order.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. I hope you have found it helpful and useful. All feedback and comments are welcomed, so please leave your thoughts below.