How would you describe the concept of “CLOSING”?
- Is it the culmination of your sales efforts
- Is it a time to celebrate, because, you have a new customer
- Is it a time to move your focus, towards your next prospect
- Does it mean that the sale is over?
I want you to wrestle with this few questions for a moment.
Once you feel that you have wrestled with these questions, enough, I will answer each of those questions in turn.
1. Is it the culmination of your sales efforts?
Well I guess that the whole point of canvassing a prospective customer, is found in when you become their new supplier –
“OR IS IT“?
Yes of course, you will supply them with your product or service, but you must mentally see yourself as much more than a mere vendor – you must see yourself as a
“SUPPLY PARTNER”
When you change the narrative and the way you see your relationship, with your customers, everything changes.
Vendors are mere suppliers of products or services, in exchange for a financial consideration
Whilst, “SUPPLY PARTNERS” are there for the long haul, constantly looking for ways to Add Value to the Relationship. They are constantly exploring, looking for innovative ways to integrate into their customers businesses.
2. Is it a time to celebrate, because, we have a new customer
Yes, of course, we celebrate every win.
The difference I want you to create in your mind is as follows:
- Yes, be excited and celebrate the win, but do so by showing the customer with additional VALUE.
- See every new customer, not as a Vendor-ship, but Rather as a long term mutually beneficial PARTNERSHIP
- Start from day one to try to find innovative ways to INTEGRATE into your customers business
This change in your approach to every sales, changes the way you see it:
You no longer see yourself merely “Closing a Sale“
Instead
You see yourself “OPENING a PARTNERSHIP”
3. Is it a time to move your focus, towards our next prospect
Yes, of course, we need to always have a full sales pipeline, so we need to keep uncovering new prospects. This is especially true, if your role, is purely one of acquiring new business.
The change I would ask you to make here is as follows:
- Keep your eye on the new ball and ensure that you invest sufficient time into each Supply partnership
- Supply partnerships, require a lot more attention than do mere vendor-ships.
- Build a multi-channel communication strategy to support effective communication with all new and existing customers
4. Does it mean that the sale is over?
The answer to this is a very definite NO, unless your sales role, is purely one of acquiring new business.
The crucial change you need to make in the way you view any sale, is as follows:
- View every closed sale, as the beginning of a new long term mutually beneficial supply partnership
- Look for innovative ways to become an additional resource to all your customers, so that you can effectively integrate into their businesses.
- Create a schedule that includes deploying a multi-channel communication strategy, so that you can ensure that your customer feels engaged at al times
- Consistently, find innovative ways to keep adding value or said differently – “APPRECIATING YOUR CUSTOMERS“
- Create a schedule, which will ensure that you do enough to consistently create an unforgettable customer experience
