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Sales & Customer Service
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Getting from the Call to the Deal
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ARTICLE March 4, 2009 |
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Zig Ziglar’s book titled The Secrets of Closing the Sale was the first book on sales techniques to ever make the New York Times Best Sellers List. That was in 1985. Now over 20 years later, the book remains one of the most powerful and trusted guides to getting to the sale.
What is it that has made Ziglar’s book so influential more than two and half decades after it was published? Isn’t boosting sales just about calling more people and pushing them harder to buy?
According to Ziglar, and his millions of readers, the answer to both is no. Instead of resorting to high-pressure, hard-sell techniques, Ziglar takes a more thoughtful, customer-focused approach to closing a deal.
Here are a few principles drawn from his book.
Find out what the client wants or needs.
“You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want..."
Long-term, profitable sales relationships don’t come from telling the client to buy something. And they certainly don’t come from pressuring the client into buying. Those approaches might work for a one-off sale, but in the long run, you’ve probably just made and sale and lost a customer.
Effective sales relationships come from finding out exactly what the client wants/needs and then putting your effort into making it happen for them. That might even mean referring the prospect to the competition once in a while when they offer something you cannot. That kind of commitment to service pays off in long-term sales and strong referrals – both priceless facets of a successful sales relationship.
Be passionate about what you’re selling
“For every sale you miss because you're too enthusiastic, you will miss a hundred because you're not enthusiastic enough..."
If you love the product or service, that will come through in every call you make and every meeting you attend. If you don’t love what you’re selling, and you want to be successful at selling, you have only two choices:
- Learn what makes the product exceptional and valuable to clients, and focus your energy on those points.
- Find a different product to sell.
Decide on the target in advance
“A goal properly set is halfway reached.”
You will not succeed in sales unless you have your goals clearly defined and follow them. According to Ziglar, “You can choose to set goals and realize your potential. Or you can choose not to set them.” The latter will result in failure. But it is your choice.
So how do you set goals for sales? The steps he identifies for sales are the same he recommends for all other aspects in life:
- Write them down
- Put a date on it
- Identify obstacles
- Identify who you need to work with – people and/or groups
- Figure out what you need to know and where to get that information
- Design a plan of action to take you to your goal
- Write down what’s in it for you
Look at yourself through their eyes
“Statistics suggest that when customers complain, business owners and managers ought to get excited about it. The complaining customer represents a huge opportunity for more business.”
Make sure your business is meeting your client’s needs. Your clients should never have to adjust their behavior to meet your company’s needs.
For example, having a complicated, multistep ordering and check out process might make it 10 times easier to track sales, keep tabs on inventory or pull product.
So what?
Ziglar teaches that you and your company need to focus on what makes the process better/easier/clearer/faster/less stressful for your customer! Not the IT department or shipping staff. Not you as the salesperson. Not the company president. You cannot close sales when the shopping or ordering or invoicing process is tedious or confusing for the customer!
Look at your sales process through their eyes. Ask questions about their experience. Listen to their complaints and act, never using the excuse that “this is the way we’ve always done it” to justify hanging on to things that don’t work for the customer.
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