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Don’t “close the sale” – all you have to do is ask for it.

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Seems too simple. Just ask.

In most cases to get the sale – at some point you must ask for it. “Yes, Jeffrey,” you say, “but when do you ask? What’s the perfect time to ask?”

How do I know? No one knows that except you. I can only tell you it’s a delicate combination of the prospect’s buying signals, and your gut feeling.

How and what to ask are easier to define than when. Since the “ask” is a critical part of the sale, you’d better be prepared with a number of options for the how and what part.

Important note: Here’s what never to ask: “What will it take for me to get your business?” or “Where do I need to be to get your business?” Those are insult questions. Great salespeople figure out what it takes, and then do it.

More important note: Many salespeople are “ask reluctant.” If this is you, just realize the worst that can happen when you ask is that the prospect says “no” – which to any good salesperson means “not yet!” Big deal. Ask you chicken!

Here’s the WHAT and the HOW.

How do you ask for the sale? Here are 7.5 ways…

1. Ask – What’s the risk? When you ask the prospect what risks are associated in doing business with you, real objections may surface – or – (and here’s the best part) there are usually none that come to mind. You say – “Well, Mr. Johnson, when would you like to start not risking?” and the sale is yours.

2. Ask – When is the next job? If you’re making a sale where there are lots of opportunities (printer, supplies, temp help, construction, graphic design) you only need to get one job (order) to prove yourself.

3. Ask – for an indirect commitment. Could you arrange your schedule to be there at delivery? How many people will need to be trained? When can we set up training? (This is the assumptive position, explained in-depth in an earlier article.)

4. Ask – What’s preventing it? Is there anything preventing you from doing business with us? What’s in the way? What are the obstacles?

5. Ask – Is that the only reason you’re hesitant? If there’s an obstacle or objection ask – Is that the only reason? In other words, Mr. Johnson, if it wasn’t for (objection) then we could…

6. Ask – or communicate creatively – Go to the 5¢ & 10¢ store (pretty much dates me doesn’t it) and buy some plastic fence and a few plastic (rubber) people. Wire one person to the fence that most resembles (or would be non-offensive to) the prospect. Send it in a box to the prospect — and include a flyer declaring it’s “National Get Off the Fence Week.” Tell the prospect he’s been thinking about it long enough – and what better time to get off the fence, and place an order than during this special celebration week? Tell him he’ll be helping underprivileged salespeople all over the world by getting off the fence and placing an order. Create some laughter. Have some fun. Make some sales.

7. Create an offer so good that you can end by asking “fair enough?” “Mr. Johnson, I don’t know if we can help you or not – but if you bring your most important examples to lunch on Friday – if I can help you, I’ll tell you. And if I can’t help you, I’ll tell you that, too. Fair enough?” Here’s another – “Mr. Johnson, give me a trial order and let me earn your business. If it’s not everything I claim and more, you don’t have to pay for it. Fair enough?” (“Fair enough” should always be accompanied by a “can’t say no deal.”)

And when all else fails:

7.5 Ask – with humor – “Mr. Johnson, I finally figured out what it will take to get your business – all you have to do is say yes! The more adventurous salesperson will add – “When would you like to do that?”

Most important note: Ask for the sale when the mood is right. The worst possible place is in the prospect’s office. Best place is a business breakfast, lunch or dinner. Next best is your office. Next best is a trade show.

The rule of thumb is: ask early, and ask often. The best way to master the skill is – practice in front of someone who can say “yes.”

OK – That’s how and what to ask. When to ask is next week.

Reprinted with permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer.

About the Author

Jeffrey GitomerJeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, Customer Satisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyalty is Priceless, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, The Little Black Book of Connections, The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way, The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching, The Little Teal Book of Trust, The Little Book of Leadership, and Social BOOM! His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to more information about training and seminars, or email him personally at [email protected].

Successful Fundraising: getting chosen over the competition

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Your important nonprofit or exciting startup helps the world be a better place. But now you’ve got to raise money. You’ve created a terrific pitch deck, have a highly competent management team and terms, and have identified donor prospects with major gift potential. You’ve designed a multi-channel approach to build relationships with small investors to excite them to becoming large investors. Why aren’t you raising all the funding you deserve?

  • It’s not you, your message. or your organization;
  • It’s not the strength of your relationship or who you ‘know’;
  • It’s not the market, your competition, your return potential or your marketing materials.

Somehow your investors must choose between investments that seem equally promising.

Criteria vs. Content

Ultimately, investors choose opportunities based on their own idiosyncratic choice criteria; your marketing efforts may be entering the wrong way, with the wrong goal, offering the right data and asking the right questions at the wrong time.

Investor funds are not sitting there waiting for you to show up, no matter how compelling your information or terms. You may be requesting funding that:

  1. is earmarked for something else;
  2. needs stakeholder buy-in;
  3. may be outside their internal goals, relationships, strategy, or agreements.

Sadly, as an outsider, you have no access to their hidden or historic arrangements or political mind-fields. And asking them about their criteria will only get you the obvious answers. The more successful choice is to first, collaboratively, discern their values-based, unique decision/choice criteria and then offer the exact pitch to match it. After all, most pitch decks and requests for funds will sound somewhat similar. If nothing else, your ability to facilitate a collaboration will set you apart from the competition.

Alignment Criteria First

Decades ago I realized the difference between choice criteria (personal, idiosyncratic) vs content (data). As a sales professional on Wall Street I was frustrated with the seeming gap between what I thought prospects needed (my solution, of course) and their willingness to buy. Once I started up a tech company in London and became The Buyer I realized the problem: before any decision to buy or fund, investors use an idiosyncratic set of choice factors familiar only to them.

As a Buyer, before I bought anything I had to align my values-based criteria with my team’s often divergent and – conventional choice benchmarks aside – subjective, criteria. Whether we met before a vendor meeting or afterwards I learned to never ignore this team alignment: our vibrant conversations always brought more considerations to the table than I would have considered myself; sometimes we discovered as-yet-unforeseen fallout that needed to be handled prior to any action.

And then the problem with marketing materials. As a sales professional they were a tool to exhibit the data I believed relevant; as a buyer they were biased by the facts the presenters wanted me to know, but often missed my unique buying criteria.

I used this realization to change the course of my own selling and fundraising; I first uncovered and discussed decision criteria and then matched my pitch content accordingly. Rather than designing pitch material based on what I thought they wanted to know, I designed flexible materials that made it easy to fit my content into their choice criteria.

Buying Facilitation®

As a result of my findings, in 1985 I developed a decision facilitation model and guidelines for designing presentation materials for my sales staff. With my new realization as a buyer, my Asperger’s systems- thinking brain, and some testing, I coded the path of internal/group decision making and invented Buying Facilitation®, a generic, ethical, facilitation tool that expedites decision making and choice.

I’ve been teaching and writing books on Buying Facilitation® as a front-end to the sales model ever since. Used in fundraising, Buying Facilitation® helps investors determine all aspects of their choice criteria while encouraging win/win collaboration.

NOTE: Investors and buyers go through this process anyway – with you or without you. You can either use Buying Facilitation® to facilitate choice more efficiently (even during your presentation) or just keep smiling and dialing until you find the low hanging fruit who have finally gotten their ducks in a row.
Buying Facilitation® works on the following assumptions:

  1. Outsiders (sellers, fundraisers, etc.) can never understand the behind-the-scenes, idiosyncratic criteria used to decide. Each group has their own unique sets of rules, beliefs, values, vision they choose from;
  2. Until the idiosyncratic choice criteria are factored, no decision to buy or invest will be made;
  3. Information is only relevant when it fits into defined idiosyncratic initiatives and parameters.

Using Buying Facilitation® first enables collaboration through the full range of systemic decisions necessary for buy-in and choice; THEN customized content must meet their specific criteria.

Presenting with Buying Facilitation®

Here are a few tips:

Your first job is to be a consultant (even on cold calls or group meetings) to facilitate decision making. Otherwise, you’re offering data into a black box of unknowns. Stop trying to have a ‘relationship’ or gather and share data up front; money goes to those opportunities that first match their hidden criteria regardless of how likeable you are.

  1. On your first calls, use Facilitative Questions to help whomever you speak with (yes, even the associates and gatekeepers) recognize how they choose, and achieve consensus for, new investments. This is not a simple Q/A session, as much of their decision making criteria is unconscious. Even if they usually fund projects like yours, they still need agreement to choose which of the available choices to give their finite dollars to.
  2. Still on the phone, use Buying Facilitation® to help your Communication Partner figure out how to help his/her team prioritize areas such as management, industry fit, partnership issues, and communication. If you have a great solution but don’t meet other criteria you may not get funded. Or you might. It’s a roll of the dice. And again, asking about these rather than facilitating the Other’s answers will get you biased answers from the person you’re speaking with which may not represent the entire group.
  3. Work toward getting the full Stakeholder group to your presentation if possible, or your data will be ‘lost in translation’ when they discuss it later with the absent associates.
  4. Face-to-face visit: Pitch/present in accordance with what was discovered prior to the meeting. Marketing materials must be developed to cover any possibilities and used appropriately. So if the group deems Communication a #1 criteria, you’ll have a slide on Communication ready to go.
  5. Collaboratively discuss how your situation matches the investor’s criteria; where it’s lacking see if you can figure out, together, how to mitigate the fallout.

NOTE: if you’re in a group pitch situation, do #1-3 as your opening gambit. It still must be done before you proceed with your pitch.

Ultimately, there is one important question to ask yourself: Do you want to pitch your solution? Or help investors give you money? Two different activities. And you need both.

About the Author

Sharon Drew Morgen is founder of Morgen Facilitations, Inc. (www.newsalesparadigm.com). She is the visionary behind Buying Facilitation®, the decision facilitation model that enables people to change with integrity. A pioneer who has spoken about, written about, and taught the skills to help buyers buy, she is the author of the acclaimed New York Times Business Bestseller Selling with Integrity and Dirty Little Secrets: Why buyers can’t buy and sellers can’t sell and what you can do about it.

To contact Sharon Drew at [email protected] or go to www.didihearyou.com to choose your favorite digital site to download your free book.

What would Ben Franklin think of the Ben Franklin close?

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The Benjamin Franklin Close (also known as “The Balance Sheet Close”) is one of the classic old time sales tactics used to “close a sale.” Never heard of it? Shame on you – not enough sales training.

The scenario is this: You’ve made your presentation, but the prospect is on the fence, and won’t make up his or her mind. You’ve tried everything, but can’t get them to budge.

Then you say, “You know Benjamin Franklin was one of our wisest citizens, wouldn’t you agree, Mr. Johnson?” (Get prospect’s agreement) “Whenever he was faced with a decision — and he had some pretty big ones back then – he would take a plain piece of paper, draw a line down the middle and put a plus (+) on one half, and a minus (-) on the other.”

“In his genius he discovered that by listing all the positive elements on the plus side of the paper, and the negative things on the minus side, the decision would become obvious – pretty sound concept, agreed?” (Get prospect’s agreement)

“Let me show you how it works. Since you’re having a tough time deciding, let’s list the benefits – some of the reasons you may want to purchase. Then we’ll list the negatives. Fair enough?” (Get prospect’s agreement)

Now you list every good thing about your product or service. Get the prospect to say most of them. What the prospect says will be the main points of interest to him. Take your time to develop a complete list. THEN YOU SAY – OK, let’s list the negatives, and hand the pen to the prospect, and push the list towards him. Don’t say a word. Usually the prospect can only think of responses having to do with price or affordability.

In theory this sounds like a good way to close a sale.

The big problem with the Benjamin Franklin Close – it’s old world selling that not only doesn’t work, it annoys the prospective buyer. Try that close on someone who has ever taken a sales course, and it’s an insult.

The reality of the sale is – the prospect has already made up his mind – he’s just not telling you.

So, should you just forget it and never use the Ben Franklin Close. Heck no – just use the Ben Franklin principle in a different way. Do what Ben would have done – figure out a new way and a better way, and use it.

Here’s a powerful new way to re-use the classic Ben Franklin Close close:

Use it on yourself – before you make the sales call.

  • Use it as a preparation tool.
  • Use it as a strategizing device.
  • Use it to get ready to make a big sale.

Get a plain piece of paper (or your laptop), and draw a line down the middle of the page.

on the plus side…

  • List the prospect’s main needs.
  • List the questions you want to ask.
  • List the benefits and main points you want to be sure to cover.
  • List one or two ideas you’re bringing to discuss.
  • List one or two personal things in common to discuss.
  • List the decision makers.
  • List why you believe they will buy.

on the minus side…

  • List the reasons why the prospect may not buy – and your responses.
  • List the obstacles you may have to overcome.

Now you’re ready to make the sale, and Ben helped you.

If you use the Ben Franklin Close on yourself, before you go in to make the sale, then you can ask the buyer intelligent closing questions. For example, questions that might lead with the phrases – What are the major obstacles…? Or, What would prevent you from…? Or, Is there any reason not to proceed with…?

That’s a Ben Franklin close that Ben would be proud of – the one you prepare for yourself. You close yourself before you make the sale. Wow!

Try this new version of an old classic. Ben would be proud of you. So would your boss.

I think it was Franklin who said, “A close in time saves nine – objections,” but history has distorted it for the people who knit. Pity.

Free GitBit – If you would like a few famous Ben Franklin quotes that will inspire you, motivate you and help you see the obvious in a new way go to www.gitomer.com and enter BEN FRANKLIN SELLS in the GitBit box.

Reprinted with permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer.

About the Author

Jeffrey GitomerJeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, Customer Satisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyalty is Priceless, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, The Little Black Book of Connections, The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way, The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching, The Little Teal Book of Trust, The Little Book of Leadership, and Social BOOM! His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to more information about training and seminars, or email him personally at [email protected].

Are You a Monday Morning Quarterback?

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When I was growing up, I spent many joyful Sundays watching football with my father. At the end of every down, we relished critiquing the coach’s play calling – if it had failed – by boldly claiming we knew the plays that would have saved the day. We reenacted this ritual every week and even carried “our” game’s analysis through Monday morning breakfast. By the time we finished our discussion, we were self-acknowledged geniuses who, unquestionably, deserved a coaching spot on any National Football League roster. Unfortunately, since that’s not how play calling works, we found ourselves relegated to the role of “sage” after the fact.

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About the Author

Bill BartlettBill Bartlett is author of The Sales Coach’s Playbook: Breaking the Performance Code (Sandler Training / 2016). Bartlett is an experienced Sandler trainer who plays an important role in Sandler’s worldwide organization and is recognized as a business development expert specializing in executive sales training and sales productivity training. He currently heads a Sandler training center in the Chicago suburb of Naperville, IL.

For more information, please visit https://www.sandler.com/resources/sandler-books/coaching.

I’d rather have no advice than bad advice.

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I can’t help it. I read some bad sales advice today and I gotta say something. I’ll try to keep it positive, but my tongue is already bleeding from biting it.

The title read: When sales calls stall.

Every salesperson has experienced that barrier in one form or another, so I wondered what this “expert” had to say.

NOTE WELL: I try not to read current sales material because I don’t want to copy, or be accused of copying someone else’s work or ideas.

It started with the usual sales dialog: you have a meeting with a prospective customer, they’re hot, hot, hot, for your product or service, they ask for a proposal, you quickly oblige, and a week later you call the hot customer, and they have evaporated. Won’t return your calls or emails.

What to do?

Get ready – here comes this guy’s (name withheld) expert advice:

He recommends every manipulative “sales technique” from implying urgency, buy today or the deal goes away, to getting creative (whatever that means – no explanation or examples given), to use intrigue, to connect (no explanation or examples given). He advises: be prepared like a boy scout, appeal to a higher authority, assume all is well and they are just busy, use the admin as an ally, and a bunch of sales talk mumbo jumbo that any seasoned executive or their assistant would smell like a skunk that hasn’t bathed, and laugh at you. And oh by-the-way, NEVER take your call again, let alone buy from you.

This is why this type of approach to a reluctant or otherwise busy buyer will NEVER work…

FIRST: The prospect is not returning your calls for a reason. Wouldn’t it be important to find out why? If you could discover that, it would help your next 1,000 sales calls.

SECOND: Why did you ever offer a proposal without making a firm face-to-face follow-up sales appointment in the first place? This is one of the most powerful – yet mostly overlooked – elements of the sales cycle.

THIRD: Stop trying to sell. Stop trying to be cute. Stop trying to be manipulative.

FOURTH: For goodness sake, stop trying to butter up the admin or executive assistant. These people are smarter than your lingo and loyal to their employers, not you.

FIFTH: The salesperson (not you of course) did a lousy job in the presentation, left some holes, never discovered the prospects real motive to purchase, was subjected (relegated) to a proposal/bidding process, never followed relationship-based strategies, was more hungry for the sale and the commission than to uncover what would build a relationship. You didn’t connect – you didn’t engage. Why are you blaming the prospect for not calling you? Why don’t you take responsibility for doing a poor job, and taking a lesson? Not a just a sales lesson, a relationship lesson.

POINT FIVE CAUTION: Maybe their daddy decides, and you never met daddy let alone know who he is. Maybe someone else higher up the ladder told your prospect “NO,” and your prospect is embarrassed, or doesn’t care, to tell you.

SALES REALITY CHECK: In sales you have ONE CHANCE. One chance to engage, one chance to build rapport, one chance to connect, one chance to be believable, one chance to be trustworthy, and one chance to meet with the real decision-maker. One chance to differentiate yourself, one chance to prove your value, and one chance to ask for (or better, confirm) the sale.

BAD NEWS: If you miss your chance, or blow your chance, recovery chances are slim. OK, none.

Not being able to reconnect with a prospect is not a problem, it’s a symptom. And it’s a report card on how well you’re doing. Or not doing. How well the relationship is going. Or not going.

GOOD NEWS: Lost sales and sales gone wrong are the BEST places to learn.

BETER NEWS: If you make a firm commitment to meet a few days later – not by phone – to meet face-to-face, you have a better chance of discovering the truth,

BEST NEWS: Once you get to TRUTH, you have a chance at SALE. Or better stated, you will have created the atmosphere where someone wants to BUY from you.

Sales techniques are increasingly becoming passé. So are the people that stress using them, rather than emphasizing the relationship and value based side.

I grew up selling, and I grew out of it.

If you have lost a connection, or if a hot prospect evaporates, or refuses to call you back or respond to you, the WORST thing you can do is try a sales technique. Why don’t you try something new? Try being honest. No, not just with the customer, with yourself.

I promise that a harsh self-discovery lesson may not help you reconnect with who you lost, but it’s connection insurance for the next thousand. Take a chance. It’s the best one you’ve got.

Reprinted with permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer.

About the Author

Jeffrey GitomerJeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, Customer Satisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyalty is Priceless, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, The Little Black Book of Connections, The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way, The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching, The Little Teal Book of Trust, The Little Book of Leadership, and Social BOOM! His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to more information about training and seminars, or email him personally at [email protected].