Using
a Trial Close
You’ve been
working
with your customer over the past few weeks. After two on-site
meetings and several follow-up
phone calls, you provided them with a recommendation that you
felt was a good fit and delivered a solid proposal. Things have
been going smoothly… is it time
to close?
One of the easiest
closes to use is also the safest and “gentlest” closes. It is called
the Trial Close. Rather than pressuring
the customer into making a decision, it allows you to test the
waters by asking
the customer if she is ready to sign the deal. In essence, the
customer will be asked to make a decision but you will also have
the opportunity to massage your proposal if
the customer is not quite there. It leaves them a temporary
out while you determine what is left to seal the deal.
Three of the most logical times to utilize
a trial close include:
- When a customer shows a sign
of approval of your recommendation
- After you have stated a major
benefit that can be dovetailed into a close
- After effectively
handling an objection that the customer has stated is an obstacle
to closing the
deal
So… the trial
close is delivered in the form of a question. When you encounter
one of the aforementioned scenarios, it is time to use a trial close.
Customer: “This really does look like
what we’re looking for.”
Sales Rep: “Shall we go ahead and draw
up an agreement in order to schedule an on-site visit?”
As you can see,
it’s very simple. It asks for the sale without knocking the customer
over. Many customers won’t even know what hit them.
Here are some other questions
you can use:
“Does
this make sense?”
“When
would you like to have the licenses sent to the IT department?”
“Would
you like to have our contracts department draw up the paperwork?”
“Given
that we can decrease your expenses by 20%, does it make sense to
move forward?”
“When
should we send out the installers?”
“What
would you like to do next?”
“Is
it worthwhile to start the process of having the first shipment
sent out?”
“Are
on the same page with this proposal?”
“Can
you see the benefit of rolling out this system internally?”
“Is
now a good time to have the paperwork sent over?”
“Do
you feel the proposal, as it is laid out, will make sense for your
organization?”
“Where
do we stand?”
“Would
you like me to provide you with a final enterprise license agreement?”
Think about
some of your
target accounts and how you might be able to use a trial close
effectively. Some sales
professionals like to come up with one or two “favorite” questions
that they can use with their clients. Make the transition smooth
and effortless to transition
from the sales process into the close.
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