The most important component in a successful close

Posted: July 3, 2013 | Categories: Sales

Have you ever seen a situation where a big deal is ready to close and things fall through in the “11^th hour”?  It happens way too often.  Why?  Yes, we could have been weak and ineffective in our closing techniques.  Even if we are the worlds best closer, we would have a tough time closing if we have not understood up front exactly what the prospect wants and why they want it.

Last week I received an email from a client.  We’ll call him Jack.  He had just gotten word that he has lost a $400,000 deal he thought was in the bag.  It was supposed to be a “done deal”, a “lay-down hand”, a “bird’s nest on the ground”.  (Ever had one of those?)  During the post mortem, Jack had mentioned that the prospect had decided to go with a vendor he had worked with before.  Jack knew the prospect was getting a bid from another vendor and he knew they had a good relationship.  I asked Jack, “If he was so happy with the other vendor, why was he asking for a bid from you?”  Jack didn’t know.  He hadn’t asked.  His reason was fear of offending.  Had he asked, he could have found some valuable information that could have enabled him to create a gap between the old vendor and Jack’s company.  He may have also determined that this prospect was getting another bid so he could squeeze a better deal out of his old friend.  We don’t know.  In sales, we need to get this information.  We need to ask!

 Does anyone remember Apollo 13?  I do.  It was a bold launch that defied superstition.  (Who cares if it was #13?)  Apollo 13 had a beautiful liftoff, and the journey had a terrific beginning.  They even cancelled the first set of mid-course corrections because the flight was going so perfectly.  Shortly thereafter, a major explosion occurred that resulted in the loss of a huge chunk of their power source.  Desperation, determination, great teamwork, and brilliant minds brought the Apollo team home safely (but not comfortably) home.

As expected, the NASA research team did a complete analysis of the situation after the incident.  They determined the cause:  During the production of the module, they changed the electrical system from a 6-volt to a 12-volt.  They made a mistake and forgot to change the wiring to accommodate the upgrade.  That means that the flight of Apollo 13 was destined to have problems before it every got off the launching pad.  Just like the lost sale Jack had, must of the fate was determined in the beginning.  They should have double checked their work before the launch.  We should do the same when selling.  Carefully crafted questions will enable us to find out what the prospects wants and why they want it.

Management expert Peter Drucker wrote, “Errant assumptions are at the root of every failure”

The next time we plan for a sales call, let’s prepare our questions to get the vital information we will need if and when we are ready to close.  This will enable us to be more in step with the prospect and increase our ability to be in there with them side-by-side as we move towards gaining their commitment. (Closing)

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