9 Proven Closing Techniques to Use in Telemarketing
Image Source – Robert Owen-Wahl (CC Licence)
Every sales person would love to be able to make the perfect sales call, obviously. Unfortunately, there is simply no such thing.
But arguably, the most important thing you can do to improve your sales calls is improving your closing technique. The final few sentences that you say to your lead could make all the difference
So here are eleven ways to really make a lasting impression and make sure that you clinch that sale.
1. No pressure but
Classic selling techniques involve putting a little pressure on your prospective buyer.
High pressure lines are not necessary (or a good idea) but just a note dropped into conversation to remind the lead that time is limited can be particularly helpful (so long as it’s actually true).
Polite pressure lines often go something like this:
• ‘This is one of the last ones available at this price’
• ‘There’s a limited amount of time on this offer and I really don’t want you to miss out on this opportunity’.
This closing technique is effective because it doesn’t put unnecessary pressure on the lead; the ‘aggressive selling’ style is a thing of the past and if it’s unpopular face-to-face (which it is by the way) it’s unlikely to work online or on the phone!
2. To sum up
Have you ever thought about ending the call and letting your prospect get back to their day? Crazy right?
Maybe not.
Letting your buyer know that you know they have a life outside this sales call – enthralling as it may be – shows a sympathetic understanding of their needs as a person as well as a potential customer, and you’re more likely to get a positive response from them.
So if you sense that the prospect is just itching to end the call, beat them to it!
In doing so, you can end the call on your terms, by summing up what you’ve discussed and agreed so far. Even if you are not able to close the sale, this technique might at least leave the door open to call again later and rescue a sale.
3. Eager Beaver
This closing technique is a little bit presumptive – essentially, you act as if the deal is already done and dusted, and leave it to the prospect to stop you if they don’t want to go ahead.
Image Source – Sebastiaan Ter Burg (CC Licence)
You might use lines such as:
‘I’ll send the contract to you now and you can get back to me later, how does that sound?’
“Seizing the day”, can sometimes be a good idea as it helps keep up a positive attitude. Also, if you act as if the deal is done, it is difficult for the buyer to back track.
This technique works well if you know that your prospect is leaning towards a sale. But if they are not ready to be closed, this technique can push them further away – so be careful with it!
4. Is this the end?
Ending with a question is a good way of showing your prospect that you are aware of their needs – and that’s never a bad thing!
There are plenty of different questions that you can close with and all of them give your sales approach a different manner:
• How does that sound?
• So what do you think of that?
• Do you have any questions about what we’ve discussed so far?
• Shall we set a date to discuss this further?
Finding the question that works for you (and for each individual sales call) is important because potential customers and indeed current customers all love to be appreciated. Letting them know you’re aware they may have questions shows common courtesy.
5. Head on
Here’s a very obvious closing technique:
Ask the prospect to make an order!
That’s right, there’s no reason why you can’t just “address the elephant in the room” head on!
“So, [prospect’s name], would you like to make an order now?”
…is a classic line that has nothing catchy about it. You’re a sales person asking a lead whether they would like to do business.
There is often a belief in sales (and telesales especially) that you need to use clever tricks to fool the customer into thinking that it’s not a sales call.
But it is a sales call, and the prospect knows it. If you are speaking to a prospect who gets a lot of sales calls, they may well appreciate your candour and honesty.
6. This is the time frame
It can be helpful to agree a clear time frame with your lead. Not only does this improve your chances of doing further business with them, it sets out a clear picture to the lead.
Traditionally a sales call is slick because ideally you want to finish a deal before the client changes their mind. But prospects also need to know what’s actually going to happen if they make an order.
Make sure you explain to them:
• The information that you/they need right now
• How the process will work once they make an order
• What you are going to do in the near future
For example, you might want to explain to them that if they make an order, you will arrange with them a time when you will call back to discuss the next steps and getting started.
This sales technique shows the prospect that you are not going to vanish the moment they sign the order or make payment, but that you are actually there to provide good service and follow through on your promises.
7. On a positive note
Begin positive and end positive. The middle of the call is the time for sorting through the nitty-gritty technicalities but you should aim to end the call on a positive note. Sum up confidently with lines like:
• ‘Well thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me’
• ‘Thank you very much for your time, I think you’ve made a great decision’
• ‘I’ll be in touch very soon; it’s been great talking to you’
Image Source – Matt Jones (CC Licence)
Again, this is important if you have made the sale, but even more important if you have not, as ending the call in the right way can leave the prospect open for future selling. Which will make them more likely to talk to you if you call them again in the future.
8. Sneak attack
Dropping a decision for the buyer into the conversation can be a risky strategy but it can be very effective.
Traditionally sales calls follow a simple formula:
• Catchy introduction
• Facts and figures
• Smooth sum up
Changing the status quo and throwing the all-important question in early can change your lead’s assumptions. Although of course it also gives them the opportunity to say no before you have had a chance to show them the benefits of what you are selling.
This closing technique can be particularly effective when you are speaking to a lead who is naturally cagey and puts up barriers.
9. Just tell me why
Ask your lead:
‘Is there any reason why we can’t do a deal today?’
This is a very disarming question. It is a very honest question and as a result, it is hard for your prospect to simply say “because I don’t want to”.
9 times out of 10, the prospect will either say “no there isn’t” in which case, you’ve got a good chance of closing the sale…
Or otherwise, they will give you the honest reasons why they can’t make an order. In which case, you have the opportunity to deal with those reasons and potentially rescue the sale.
Conclusion
All of these closing techniques can work well, but the true secret to improving your sales technique is learning when to use them. Every call is different and using the right close in the right situation is a sure fire way to not only improve your results but to also get and keep satisfied customers!
Feature Blog Posts
- The Best Time To Make Sales Calls and How To Keep Your Prospects
- Sales Language to Avoid
- 5 Ways to Create a Successful Sales Team
- Sales Mistakes Experienced Sales People Still Make
- 9 Myths of Telemarketing That Simply Aren’t True
Andy Dickens
Andy Dickens is a veteran of IT Sales, used to leading by example. He is the CEO of Virtual Sales Limited (VSL) who offer telesales, telemarketing, lead generation and appointment setting services to B2b businesses. He previously was Sales Director EMEA for Red Hat and before that ran sales at Visio before it was acquired by Microsoft.