Here are six tips that can improve the closing ratio among your salespeople:
- Become more aggressive. Emphasize how your products or services save time, cut costs and increase productivity. If you take this route, you can stand out from your competitors who may be taking a more defensive, protective position in a slow economy.
- Keep a watchful eye on the competition. It’s never a good idea to assume that they’re sleeping. They may be making moves which could cost you customers.
- Use value-added techniques to give yourself an edge. Separating your company from all the rest in your industry is more important than ever. Try to think like a customer to discover what you can do to dramatize your uniqueness.
- Be a good ambassador. Tough times can cause anxiety. Try not to let it show. Negative messages spread quickly and may hurt your image with customers. Emphasize good news.
- Concentrate on the basics. Your single most important job is to get and keep customers. The best way of doing this is to help your customers solve their problems better than anyone else. Don’t assume you have all the answers. Learn what each customer means by “better.” Then adapt your product or service so that it’s perceived as “better” in the eyes of your customers and prospects.
- Concentrate on consulting. Customers don’t usually look for quick solutions during difficult economic periods. Tailor your products or services to meet precise needs. This means taking more time to be helpful, understanding and supportive of your customers.
Adapted from the book “Who Stopped the Sale,” by Richard Libin, president of Automobile Profit Builders, Inc., a sales consulting firm based in Natick, MA.
