3 Questions Won the Sale

Posted by Ann Barr in Closing the Sale | no responses

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They started as tiny plants – just a few years ago – and then they grew and grew until they were tall trees. Her neighbor was concerned that they might topple onto his garage, so … on a cool evening in October, a tree-removal specialist knocked on the front door at Shelley Sterling’s house in Burlington, Ontario. She had asked for a quote on cutting down these two trees in her yard and this led to an interesting experience that illustrates the use of several very effective sales tools and three questions that closed the sale.

The Customer’s Viewpoint

Shelley Sterling sells imaging parts and supplies to resellers and is one of the best salespeople I know. She is usually in the role of a sales representative, but that evening in early October she became the customer.

After her experience, Shelley sent me an e-mail describing what had happened, and her e-mail is too good not to share. With Shelley’s permission, here is what she wrote:

“I called a tree-removal company from a flyer that I had seen. He came over last night and as I showed him the two birch trees I wanted a quote on cutting down, he said,

“‘We will take them down and remove them for $200.’

“Then he asked, ‘How does that sound to you?’

Shelley said:

“Ann, I smiled because he was using the trial close that you described in one of your books, but it really worked – it allowed me to vocalize my concern.

“I said, ‘Well, actually I feel these trees are on the small side and that price sounds a little high.’”

How He Won the Sale

“He then came back with:

“‘Oh, did you want the stumps removed too?’

“(Making me feel like the $200 he first quoted was a good deal.)

“Then he essentially asked for the order by saying,

“‘Do you want me to write you an invoice up right now and get this all taken care of?’”

(A good direct close.)

Shelley said, “Yes,” and the tree specialist had his order.

As Shelley wrote in her e-mail, “It’s not easy to sell to a salesperson unless you do it right.”

Are You Missing Opportunities?

If you are not using trial closes or checking questions, you may be missing out on some golden opportunities. Instead of using a direct close and asking for the sale before knowing how the prospect feels about your sales presentation or your products, use a trial close to get feedback from the client and “test the waters.”

How can you do this?

Example: After your prospect expresses an interest, but hesitates and doesn’t place an order, you can say:

* “We can start your auto-ship program next month and you will receive four cartridges every other month. Does that sound like a good plan for you?”

or

* “We can ship these products out today and you will have them tomorrow, how does that sound to you?”

As Shelley said, the trial close used by the tree-removal specialist allowed her to “vocalize her concern.”

So, if your prospect expresses a concern, you can address it and then move on to a choice or direct close.

Try using a checking question – at least once a day – before you ask for the order. Chances are, you will increase your sales and the trial close will become a habit for you.

About The Author

Ann Barr is a telesales marketing success coach with a passion for teaching. She loves helping people who are starting out in new telesales careers and working with experienced sales reps who are looking for new ideas and tips. In addition to presenting monthly e-classes, she writes and edits direct-mail marketing letters and emails for clients. Sign up today for Ann’s free Weekly Sales Tips and get marketing tips and ideas to increase your sales!