In our last Tip, we talked about the importance of identifying the decision maker in order to close effectively. Now that we know who the decision maker is, we need to figure out how to get a meeting with them. After all, it's hard to close a decision maker without a suitable forum.
There are many ways to schedule these critical meetings with decision makers, including:
As you think about what you will say to them to ask for a meeting, remember that they care more about themselves and their business than they care about you and your business.
Once you get your meeting scheduled, you need to develop a closing forum - a setting that lends itself well to a closing effort.
To lay the groundwork for the close, share your view of what they are trying to accomplish, your company's ability to be a strategic resource, and the outcomes you can create through your joint effort. If you can do this, you are ready to ask your optimal closing question!
As sales and relationship managers, we know it’s important to do our homework. We also know there is a lot to learn about our customer’s business and their needs. We could brainstorm for hours all the different things we would like to learn, which could lead to a few logical...
“How can we help?”
This question is one many salespeople ask, and it is both simple and complex. It is a favorite question for many people – all of whom seem to be well-intended. Yet in most situations, this is a poor question to ask. Why?
...
Many of us in sales and relationship management positions are looking ahead to 2023 and setting our goals – revenue, retention, close rate, margin on sales and retention, new logos (new customer commitments), share of customer wallet, etc. As we consider our targets, it’s critical to determine...
