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Trang 1About the Author
Joe GirArd is one of those rare creatures: a
highly motivated man who can communicate his inspiration and attitudes to others For 12 straight years Joe sold more cars and trucks than any other salesperson More as an individual than most dealers sell in total No other salesperson has ever attained this title for more than one year, and not for both cars and trucks On January 1,
1978, Joe hung up his gloves and quit selling cars During his selling career (1963-1977), he sold 13,001 cars, all at retail Most of his time is now spent writing books, giving lectures, and sales rallies
How To Close every sale
By Joe Girard and roBerT l sHook
Power Points
from Peter Lowe
i n T r o d U C T i o n
Henry B Wilson said, “He who finds
dia-monds must grapple in mud and mire
because diamonds are not found in
pol-ished stones They are made.” Sales is a very
competitive field—it draws the best—and in turn demands
their best And while some people may have more natural
selling ability, there is no question that great salespeople are
made—not born So you constantly have to work on your
presentation, your product knowledge, and your close Joe
Girard was the number one automobile salesperson in the
world for fifteen straight years, and when he speaks, all of us
in sales need to listen So as you read this summary, I hope
that you’ll particularly note that:
• You are your company’s number-one product No
sale happens without you—regardless of the inherent
strength of your product So look the part, act the part,
and prepare for the part Although people are repelled
by cockiness, they are attracted to winsome
confi-dence
• You sell yourself first As Debbi Fields said, “You don’t have to be
superhuman to do what you believe in.” So believe in yourself—it’s
essential for sales success
• Conviction gives you power It’s crucial that you thoroughly believe
in your product or service The conviction of absolute certainty in
your product will give you confidence as you present and make
you convincing as you close Besides, as someone committed to
providing the very best for your customers, you must make sure
that you are presenting exactly that
Enthusiastically,
Closing a sale is the stage in the selling process where salespeople meet the greatest difficulty Joe Girard walks the reader through fundamental selling principles and experience-based insights guaranteed to help the reader sell any product or service These principles are grounded
on an important rule: becoming a successful salesperson requires learning how to sell yourself first This is because buyers “buy into” the seller initially before they do the product or service
volUme 75, nUmBer 87
G E t M o t I v A t E D S E M I N A r S P r E S E N t S
Peter Lowe is Founder & CEO of Get Motivated Seminars
Field-Tested, Can’t-Lose Techniques
to Win Lifetime Customers—and Make every Sale Stick!
The neT neT
F o r L e a d e r s a n d a c h i e v e r s W h o W a n t t h e F ac t s Fast!
F o r L e a d e r s a n d a c h i e v e r s W h o W a n t t h e F ac t s Fast!
Trang 2How To Close every sale
The CoMPLeTe SuMMAry
Principle one: understand why there is sales
resistance
Many individuals do not like being sold Nor do they particularly warm up
to salespeople
Poor public image of salespeople
There is a prevailing public perception that salespeople are unscrupulous,
scheming, obnoxious, slick and smooth talkers who simply want to get the
customers’ money
An “us vs them” selling relationship
Sales presentations and negotiations become contests between sellers and
buyers Here both parties become adversaries rather than teammates or
allies If the salesperson closes the sale, the seller wins while the buyer loses
If the buyer walks away from the transaction, the seller loses
Prior bad experience with salespeople
Most buyers have had their share of sales encounters with unprofessional,
manipulative, double-dealing salespeople
Salesperson’s insensitivity to customer time
Salespeople know that time is money but they understand it from their own viewpoint and not from the customer’s perspective Thus, some have difficulty respecting customer’s time
negativity in salespeople
Quite a number of salespersons have the habit of negative thinking They believe that prospects do not really mean to buy This negative attitude is likely to influence the sales transaction and relationship with the customer
Saying no is difficult for potential customers
People do not like to be in situations where they have to say no This is why setting a sales presentation is sometimes difficult
Principle two: begin with selling yourself
recognize that you are your company’s number-one product Salespeople must learn to make a difference with the prospect It is important that potential customers like and believe in the salesperson first
Sell the company’s reputation
This helps establish credibility for oneself particularly if the company name
is a familiar brand name Being associated with a reputable firm erases doubts about doing future business with a stranger
Successful salespeople believe in what they are selling
An excellent salesperson is one hundred percent convinced about the product or service he is carrying The salesperson believes that it is the best value of its kind It is an added advantage for the salesperson to show and let prospects know he is using the same product or service
Turn positive thinking into realistic thinking
Believe that one can sell to every prospect remove any form of negative thinking
Visualize
Picture one’s self, completing the sale, the client signing the order form and handing over a check payment remember, what is visualized becomes reality
Create a winning self-image
A positive self-image influences other people believe to believe in you
By Joe Girard and roBerT l sHook
Principle one: understand why there is sales
resistance Page 2
Principle two: begin with selling yourself Page 2
Principle three: assume the sale Page 3
Principle four: know how to read buying signals Page 3
Principle five: handle objections effectively Page 4
Principle six: learn how to overcome
procrastination Page 4
Principle seven: control the sale Page 4
Principle eight: understand the different closing
techniques Page 5
Principle nine: create a sense of urgency Page 5
Principle ten: avoid overselling Page 6
Principle eleven: go all or nothing Page 6
Principle twelve: prevent buyer’s remorse Page 6
Principle thirteen: remember sale begins after
the sale Page 7
C o n T e n T s
Trang 3Know everything about the product, company
and competition This helps create confidence
during the presentation and negotiation while
stirring a positive self-image Being unprepared
can only create feelings of distraction, anxiety,
and guilt leading to a poor self-image and a
waste of valuable client time
Create an appearance of success
Look professional A professional appearance goes
beyond clothing It covers the entire spectrum of
office design and space, transportation, etc
Make the prospect feel important
Let the customer feel the salesperson’s sincerity
When a prospect feels important, he is likely to
give the business to the caring salesperson even
if that salesperson’s proposal was originally a
second or third option
Sell on your own turf
Invite customers to your office if this is an
option Use the office venue to sell one’s self
subtly For example, walk the customer through
the office space and walls lined with framed
pic-tures of citations, newspapers and articles, etc
acknowledging your firm’s accomplishments
and good reputation
Bring a sense of humor to the
sales presentation
Nonetheless, use humor at the right time to
relax and make the prospect feel comfortable
Use humor wisely, with a lot of discretion and
caution, as well as good taste
Allocate a budget for gifts
Give prospects and customers relatively
inex-pensive gifts to make them feel how important
they are
Be sincere and honest
Make clients feel that one can be trusted Do not
make promises that cannot be kept Avoid false
flattery visual signs of sincerity include
estab-lishing eye contact when speaking to prospects
as well as listening while giving them a
com-plete, undivided attention
Make the customer feel good
about the entire transaction
Do not make too much of a profitable deal that
the client would not want to engage in repeat business
Principle three: assume the sale
Make the assumption that people who listen to sales presentations are interested enough to want
to buy the product Thus, throughout the sales presentation until the sale is closed, keep assum-ing that the sale has been made Here’s how:
Make subtle statements that assume the sale
When the prospect objects, ask for the specific reason and address the objection once it has been substantially answered, assume the sale and make another attempt to close
offer the prospect a choice of actions that he can take
This indicates assuming the sale For exam-ple, “Do you want the red or blue model?” or
“Would you prefer your package delivered by freight or by air?”
Provide the prospect an opportunity to experience the product or service
When selling a car, ask the customer to sit behind the wheel When selling jewelry, slip the ring onto the customer’s finger, or assist her in trying on a necklace
use the right words that assume the sale
Use when instead of if For example, say, “When
you own this car.” Use we and let us This way, the prospect does not feel being left alone to make a major decision
Assume the sale on repeat orders
Continue to give your satisfied customer out-standing service
Principle four: know how to read buying signals
Misguided salespeople believe that knowing how to read buying signals is a natural talent that cannot be taught on the contrary, learning how to read buying signals is an acquired skill
observe the tangible
Look at people’s buying habits For example, a prospect who wears expensive jewelry and fine clothing may likely be a potential buyer of the most expensive car model
Avoid stereotyping
Buyer habits may be grounded on lifestyle pref-erences For example, some prospects visiting a car showroom may not look like they have a lot
of money Surprisingly, they may pay in cash for the most expensive model!
Get the prospect to experience the product or service, and then observe
When the prospect becomes a participant rather than a spectator, a host of buying signals comes about
Be a good listener
outstanding salespeople are excellent listeners
A professional salesperson understands how the prospect thinks and feels by listening
SuMMArieS
SuCCeSS
Bibliographic information Title: How To Close Every Sale: Field-Tested, Can’t-Lose Techniques to Win Lifetime Customers—and
Make Every Sale Stick!
Author: Joe Girard and Robert L Shook
Publisher: Warner Business Books; Reissue edition (June 15, 2002)
iSBn: 0446389293
Pages: 208
For Leaders and Achievers
Who Want the Facts…Fast!
Peter Lowe: Founder and CEO Tamara Lowe: Executive Vice President
— P u b l i s h e d b y —
Get Motivated Seminars, inc.
4710 Eisenhower Blvd., Suite B-5 Tampa, FL 33634
Trang 4observe prospects in social environments
Study the prospects’ egos
Individuals with big, healthy egos take risks People with low self-esteem
and weak egos often do not take risks and will hesitate on making
expen-sive purchases because they are afraid to make a mistake
Principle five: handle objections effectively
Salespeople must understand that objections are expressions of interest
This means that when prospects raise objections, the salesperson must
grab at the opportunity to state why the customer must buy Here are some
tips to handle objections:
Weed out false objections from real objections
For many reasons, people provide false objections rather than say why they
really do not want to buy Unless one knows the real objection, a
salesper-son will have difficulty overcoming the true objection of the prospect
never back a prospect into a corner
Avoid putting clients on the defensive
overcome the six most-common objections
1 “i cannot afford it”
Many times when prospects say they can’t
afford it, they only think they can’t or they
may have not actually seen the product’s
real, outstanding value on the first, offer a
low-priced alternative or financing scheme
on the second, break down the cost on a
monthly, weekly, daily and even hourly
basis to reveal how economical the product
or service is
2 “i want to talk it over with my spouse”
The best way to handle this objection is to make sure all the decision
mak-ers are there for the sales presentation
3 “i have a good friend in the business”
Emphasize how the prospect can better himself with the sale and how his
friend, if he is truly a friend, will appreciate the good deal
4 “i want to shop around”
one way to handle the objection is to start a file on competition and subtly
slip in information on negative reviews about a competitive product in the
prospect’s mind Another is to advise the prospect on the bait and switch
technique where dealers or providers publish a low price but when the sale
is closed, the customer is advised of unavailability of stock and prodded to
buy a higher-priced model
5 “Leave me some literature and i will get back to you”
This means that the salesperson has not convinced the prospect enough
Thus, provide the prospect more compelling reasons to buy the product This
may include more attractive features, greater benefits, financing terms, etc
6 “i do not want to buy your product because … (host of reasons)”
Isolate the objection to one main, specific problem and provide the solu-tion to the prospect’s problem
Answer the objection and close the sales
once objections have been satisfactorily addressed, move on Leave the prospect the impression that the salesperson’s role is to provide valuable information so that the customer can make an intelligent decision
Principle six: learn how to overcome procrastination
one of the most unsettling objections faced by many salespeople is the
“I-want-to-think-it-over” objection In this scenario, the prospect simply does not want to make a buying decision This is not because the prospect objects to the company, product or salesperson but it is largely because the prospect is afraid of making the wrong decision The prospect lacks the confidence to make the decision Likewise, the prospect does not see the merit of making the decision immediately
help the prospect make the decision
Emphasize how they can benefit with the product or service and how it represents good value for money
help the prospect make the proper buying decision
If procrastinators lack the confidence to make the decision without con-sulting with a third party, make a complete presentation to the third party
Set the stage for avoiding procrastination by subtly letting the prospect know beforehand that a decision
is expected
Stress how time is valuable to the prospect and seller
Appeal to prospect’s ego
Understand the prospect’s opinion of himself Make him feel important so that he will feel embarrassed not to make a decision when the time comes
use a quote or deliver the right words of wisdom at the appropriate time
often, the right quote can motivate a prospect to make a decision Pick and choose quotes that are appropriate for the occasion, and the procrastinator For example, here’s one from George Patton: “No decision is difficult to make if you get all the facts.”
Principle seven: control the sale
The salesperson must take charge of the sales process, not allowing sales presentations to get out of hand—that is, lacking in direction and leav-ing customers flounderleav-ing and remainleav-ing indecisive This means that the salesperson must assume the role of authority in the process Here’s how:
“Salespeople must understand that objections are expressions
of interest.”
Trang 5Sell with intensity
Focus on the prospect singly without any distraction
hold all calls during a sales presentation
This makes the prospect feel important and helps the salesperson keep the
momentum
Make the sales presentation a fact-finding session
that encourages a two-way conversation between the
buyer and the seller
It is a myth to think that salespeople control the selling process when they
out talk the prospect, not allowing the potential customer to speak on the
contrary, encouraging a dialogue helps determine the prospect’s needs and
creates an atmosphere of sincerity and real desire to help the prospect
Act with authority by demonstrating appropriate stock
knowledge and expertise
When the salesperson is not ready to quote a price,
avoid quoting
Even if the prospect asks for it The seller must ascertain that the prospect
understands the value he is getting for his money before the quote is made
Principle eight: understand the different
closing techniques
Knowing the different closing techniques allows the salesperson to choose
from a spectrum of possible closes resulting in the one appropriate close
Here are some great closes:
Assumptive
The seller expects the prospect to buy and proceeds to write the order
Assumptive statement and question
The seller makes an assumptive statement and closes the sale with an
assumptive question For example, “I definitely recommend that you buy
these two dress shirts because they go perfectly with your new suit Now,
which of these three ties do you want to go with your suit?”
Minor-major
Help the prospect go through a series of easy, minor decisions, the total of
which add up to the final major close For example,
• “Would you like to handle the payments monthly, quarterly or annually?”
• “Is it okay to use your home address for the billing?”
• “Would you spell your wife’s first name for me?”
• “You do want her as your beneficiary? Please make the check to the
company for this amount right here.”
Little mistake versus big mistake
Here the prospect is told that it is a big mistake not to buy immediately but
under the worst possible scenario only a minor mistake to do so For
exam-ple, an auto mechanic points out, “If we do not install a new starter this
minute, in a matter of time you will have flywheel damage, which means removing the transmission to make that repair Then, instead of looking at
a three hundred dollar repair bill, we are talking about a lot of extra labor that could run to as much as twelve hundred dollars.”
Choice of three
Provide the prospect no more than three choices For example,
“tell me ma’am, which of these three monthly payments would you feel most comfortable with?”
Compromise
When all other objections except price have been eliminated and the prospect has not made a decision, offer a compromise For example, “I understand how tight your advertising budget is, so rather than go with the half page, let us go with the quarter page.”
don’t keep it a secret
Never be too proud to let people know how much their business is appreciated For example, “Look Jerry, I won’t keep it a secret I want your business.”
Ben Franklin
When confronted with a difficult situation, the salesperson and the client can write down everything that is favorable about the sale under a “yes” column, and then write down everything unfavorable under a “no” col-umn of course, the “no” column should be shorter
hard to get it
This close is grounded on the insight that people want things that they can-not have, or have difficulty to acquire Thus, the salesperson’s role is to help the prospect get it
“Sell it with love”
Capitalize on a strong emotional appeal For example, closing the sale by appealing to the prospect’s love for his family “Wow, how lucky your wife will
be to get this on her anniversary! I wish my husband would buy me one!”
Follow the leader
There are more followers than leaders Thus, prospects will buy after learn-ing that prominent people have made the purchase
Principle nine: create a sense of urgency
The prospect must be given a reason to buy the product or service imme-diately otherwise, to fail to provide a compelling reason leads to the pros-pect’s procrastination Prospects must be sold in anticipation of a future need and not just a present need Here are some ways to create sense of urgency:
use the limited offer
Make an offer that is good for a limited period
“The prospect must be given a reason to buy the product or service immediately ”
Trang 6use the line “Buy before the price increases”
However, use the line only when the price increase is certain to occur Do
not misrepresent
use the “Clock is always running close” statement
reference the prospect’s age, time, etc For example, create a sense of
urgency to buy recreation homes among the elderly After all, they deserve
a life after the many years of sacrifice
Sell the one-of-a-kind product
Selling a unique product or service that is not readily available creates a
sense of urgency when it is time to close the sale
Create an “auction” scenario and sell to the highest
bidder
Create an environment where a group of buyers needs to make an offer to
acquire the desired product For example, when selling a desirable
prop-erty, offer it to at least ten prospects Set the bottom price and begin the
bidding Sell the house to the highest bidder
Timing is everything
Continue to stress the value and gain of buying today and not tomorrow
Principle ten: avoid overselling
Listen to the prospect Do not oversell or one may likely convince the
pros-pect out of the sale Here are some ways to avoid overselling:
Avoid the “fear of rejection” mindset
Some salespeople cannot take the prospect away from the stage of sales
presentation to the closing largely because of the fear of the prospect saying
no It is important that a salesperson must have healthy self-esteem and
believe the prospect will buy
do not confuse the prospect with unnecessary details
Avoid information overload recognize that the prospect does not need to
have an overflow of stock knowledge about the product or service before a
decision can be made Identify the prospect’s needs and focus on how the
product or service appropriately matches her need
Give the prospect breathing space and period of
silence
Provide the customer sufficient time to think and process information
before the close
use the sales close, “have you sold yourself yet—or
should i continue to tell you more?”
Close the sale when you receive a positive reply to the question Continue
to present and try the close once again after an initial negative reply
Principle eleven: go all or nothing
This means that a salesperson must stack the cards in favor making sales closes within the first sales presentation versus closing during callbacks There is a greater chance to close a sale at first presentation
do not let the prospect join the callback club
A callback club is a non-exclusive club of prospects who say that they will callback after thinking it over A good salesperson does not give the pros-pect a chance to join the callback club otherwise he faces disappointment
of a possible lost sale
understand the law of diminishing return
The first presentation is always the best opportunity to close the sale because the facts and the momentum are present This is also the best time the prospect feels the strongest need for the product or service The greater the lapse of time, the less chances of closing the sale The prospect then cools off
use the line, “i am sorry but i do not make callbacks”
This emphasizes that the best time to make the buying decision is during the first presentation
Go for the big orders
Sometimes small orders are impractical It is best to generate orders large enough to make the work worthwhile Create the scenario for big orders For example, “I’ll book you for one economy class ticket, Phil Now, what auto rental company do you prefer? Which lodging would you like to stay
at …?”
no single prospect can make or break a salesperson
Bearing this in mind helps the salesperson put pressure on prospects with-out fear of losing the sale
Keep the best interest of the customer in mind
High-pressure selling techniques are not bad when they do not unsettle prospects but instead help them to make up their mind
Principle twelve: prevent buyer’s remorse
There are cases when after the sales close, prospects feel that they have made an impulse purchase or they may have been duped into a buying situation Prevent the buyer from moving into this stage, enough for the customer to cancel the order remember a canceled order is not a sale Here’s how to keep buyer’s remorse in check:
“Create an environment where a group
of buyers needs to make an offer to acquire the desired product.”
Trang 7“Pull Quote.”
Say “thank you”
A courteous thank you must be automatic with every sale Make the
cus-tomer understand that he or she made a good buying decision
Say congratulations
For example, “You made an excellent decision Congratulations.”
use the line “you are lucky”
Address this statement to the person or family accompanying the buyer
do not take the money and run
Do not head for the door after the order has been placed Show the buyer
that only his best interest is in mind Sell one’s self again after the sales This
reduces customer’s chance to go into buyer remorse Moreover, a
salesper-son generates referrals in the process
Get the customer involved immediately
Make sure the customer takes immediate possession of the product or service
Quick follow-up
Keep in constant touch with the customer Phone them or when possible
stop in to see them a day or two later
Check why the prospect bought from you
Listen to the client as he states the reasons why This process helps
elimi-nate buyer remorse, affirms client belief in the salesperson and provides the
seller with more insights to effective selling
Principle thirteen: selling does not end after
the sale, it is only the beginning
outstanding sales service must not be a whim, restricted to a limited
num-ber of people
• Successful salespeople are committed to providing outstanding sales
service to customers
• represent a company committed to serving customers
• Give the customers so much service that they will feel guilty thinking
about doing business with somebody else
• Keep in contact with customers, building solid relationships in the
process
• Always be prepared when facing the customer