Close More Sales With These 11 Quick and Easy Tips

There are hard ways to close more sales—and then there are easy ways. If you’re looking to make some simple changes to your selling strategy that will have a big impact on your bottom line, it’s time to emulate the most successful salespeople out there.

The following 11 sales tips are quick, easy and powerful ways to increase the number of sales you close. Implement these now and watch as your sales strategy dramatically improves:

1. Drop the enthusiasm. The old-school sales technique of acting overly cheerful and enthusiastic just doesn’t work anymore. In fact, it actually sabotages your chances of connecting with prospects and gaining their trust. Drop the enthusiasm and adopt a more genuine, low-key tone to start closing more sales.
2. Focus on your prospects. It might sound obvious, but most salespeople don’t focus on their prospects nearly enough. You’ll stand out from the competition if you stop focusing on your product or service, and instead spend all your time focused on your prospects, their needs, and their deepest frustrations.
3. Share best practices. You have an amazing bird’s-eye-view of what’s going on in your prospects’ industry. Use that perspective to share best practices with your prospects, and you’ll quickly find that they want to talk to you and learn from you. Once you’re perceived as an expert in the industry, you’ll be able to set more meetings and close more deals.
4. Ask questions about challenges. Few salespeople understand the importance of asking prospects about their key challenges. Try asking, “What is the biggest challenge you’re facing right now?” All prospects want to find solutions to their problems, so they’re likely to open up to you if you ask questions like these—and you’re far more likely to ultimately close the sale.
5. Learn the cost of those challenges. If you can get a prospect to articulate what a challenge is costing them, then you can immediately create value. Once your prospect shares their key challenge, try asking, “What would you say this challenge is costing your organization?” The answer tells you—and, more importantly, your prospect—exactly what your solution is worth.
6. Establish a budget. Once your prospect has articulated what their key challenges are costing them, it’s time for you to ask, “What could you see yourself investing in order to solve these challenges?” When you allow your prospect to lead with what they’re willing to invest, you’ll stop hitting them over the head with a price and start closing more sales.
7. Be willing to walk. If you’re not willing to walk away from a prospect, then you’re at a huge disadvantage. That’s because 50 percent of the prospects you come across simply aren’t a good fit. Maybe they aren’t facing the challenges you solve—or they simply don’t have enough money for your solution. Don’t be afraid to walk away from those who aren’t ideal prospects.
8. Get commitment before presenting. If your prospect isn’t committed to solving the challenges they have, then there’s no point in presenting your solution. Close more sales by focusing only on those who have displayed that commitment.
9. Give three options in every proposal. If you’re only presenting one option to prospects, then you’re losing sales. Instead, give three options in every proposal, ranging from a lower-end solution to a premium option with all the bells and whistles. This has two advantages. First, you’ll close more premium sales than ever before. Second, you’ll provide context to the purchasing decision, so your prospect won’t feel the need to shop around and compare prices.
10. Always schedule a next meeting. Close every meeting by scheduling the next one. This is incredibly easy, yet salespeople fail to do this all the time. Don’t just say, “I’ll call you next week,” because things fall apart without clear next steps. No matter where you are in your sales process, always schedule the next step before ending a meeting with your prospect.
11. Ask for introductions at the point of sale. There’s no better time to ask existing customers for introductions and referrals than right after closing the sale. They’re excited about working with you and will be eager to connect you with others. Even if they don’t introduce you to someone right away, you’ll plant a seed and get them thinking about others who would be equally as excited to learn of your solution.

About the Author:
Marc Wayshak is the bestselling author of two books on sales and leadership, Game Plan Selling and Breaking All Barriers, as well as a regular contributor for Fast Company, Entrepreneur Magazine and the Huffington Post Business section. As a sales strategist, Marc created the Game Plan Selling System to revolutionize the way salespeople, entrepreneurs and companies approach selling. Marc’s sales strategy is based upon his experiences as an All-American athlete, Ivy League graduate, startup entrepreneur and years of research, training and selling. He holds an MBA from the University of Oxford and a BA from Harvard University. Get his free eBook on 25 Tips to Crush Your Sales Goal at GamePlanSelling.com. You can call him at (617) 203 – 2171 or email him at Info@MarcWayshak.com. (Twitter: @MarcWayshak)

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