If You Want the Business, Ask for It! 5 Ways to Get the Sale

 

If you missed one of Stacey’s previous blogs or tips, visit her online.

Check out our Research on Influence in conjunction with the University of Northern Colorado HERE.

 

Stacey's Pix:

Podcast: Thriving in Uncertainty with Meredith Elliott Powell

 

 

 

 

5 Ways to Ask for a Client’s Business

 

Have you ever wondered why sales professionals spend countless hours growing client relationships throughout a sales cycle, but fail to close the sale?

It is because they fail to ask for the business.

As a sales professional, you have more influence in customer decisions than you think. If you have earned a consistent seat at the table, it means they trust you and what you have to say. The influence you’ve earned can push a customer to decide. But, if you fail to ask for the business, all that time and energy is left to chance.

Five ways you can leverage your influence to close the sale.

  1. Ask for their business.

The easiest part of the sales cycle should be closing the sale, but many are too scared to ask for the customer’s business. When they trust you and value your advice, you can influence their decision to act. Don’t be afraid to ask.

  1. Your solution is the best.

Customers can sense when you lack conviction and confidence. If you lack faith in the solution you propose, the customer won’t trust you. You must be so in love with what you do, and what you’re selling, that you feel guilty not asking the customer for their business.

  1. Don’t dance around.

When you ask for a customer’s business, don’t dance around the topic. When your client relationship is built on trust and credibility, the customer values what you have to say. Lay it out, then stop talking long enough for them to respond.

 

  1. Build momentum with each interaction.

Every interaction requires you to always be closing. Never leave a conversation without an agreement on what comes next. This will generate consistent momentum that leads to ultimately closing the deal.

  1. Don’t be afraid of “No.”

Are you so afraid of the word “no” that you refuse to ask for the “yes?” If so, go back through your sales cycle and identify possible gaps. If you have been consistent in building credibility and influence with the prospect, you shouldn’t be afraid to ask.

It’s not the job of the customer to close themselves. That is your responsibility. You’ll never know if you have earned their business if you fail to ask. Make the ask today!

 

Influence Research

 

Related Articles

3 Steps to Captivate Listeners with Stories

3 Steps to Captivate Listeners with Stories

I was sitting in my place of worship with my girlfriend, who has a five-year-old son, Zachary. Zachary, like any 5-year-old, loves to talk. However, he has no volume or filter control when he needs it the most. We're getting to the sermon portion, and Zachary decides...

Ditch Meeting Madness

Ditch Meeting Madness

No longer do we collectively gather in a conference room engaging face-to-face. Now, meetings are a collection of online and in-person attendees consuming and deciphering information at lightning speed. Meetings require engagement and interaction to make an impact....

Clear Calls to Action

Clear Calls to Action

Too many professionals lack the courage to state their desire with clear calls to action. They leave conversations without an obvious next step. I’m not just talking to sales professionals who want to close a deal. I’m talking to every leader who requires their team...