Using a Closer

"Well then, how about an order?"

A young salesman had called on the same client twice a month for two years. Sensing he was close to his first order, he brought his boss with him. The junior salesman reviewed price agreements, credit terms, and product specifications with the client. He kept asking the customer if everything was approved, whether they were satisfied, and if there were any other questions. All of the answers were positive, but the salesman just couldn't pull the trigger. Finally, the manager lost patience and blurted out "Well then, how about an order?" The customer's response was "What took you so long to ask?"

The customer was obviously ready to buy and the young salesman's reluctance to close was only raising suspicions in the client's mind. If the manager hadn't stepped in, the sale could have been lost.

However, using a more senior person as a "closer" is a poor selling model: the salesperson should feel adequately equipped, trained, and empowered to ask for the business.

ACTION POINT: Ask for the business, even if it feels uncomfortable. Research has revealed that customer rank asking for their business as the sixth most important reason for doing the deal.