Closing Techniques!

Customer: Kannan, everything is fine. But it’s going to take time.

Me: How much time, Sir?

Cust: Don’t know. I am meeting the board. It will take some time.

Me: When should I follow-up with you?

Cust: In a month or two, maybe.

Me: Sure Sir. Will do. Is there anything that I can do for you now?

Cust: Nothing. I will let you know if anything.

What do you think about the above conversation?

A quick background: I had submitted a proposal after following all the steps in the sales process. The customer has the need, authority & money as well. But it still takes time.

I took my Manager for a call to meet this prospect. He came out of the meeting and said that this prospect will never buy.

But I proved him wrong.

I won that order. But only after couple of months and it happened only during the next financial year.

You can do nothing in such cases to expedite the process. But you need to ensure that there is no slip between the cup and the lip.

@Shari Levitin says: “When a prospect says “it’s going to take time”, you ask them how much time. Then tell them you will follow-up with them then. But ask them this one question: If we fast forward to April [assuming that’s the future date given by the prospect], what objections will you have then? The prospect is likely to come up with his only objection. Now you have got a commitment on time and the only objection.”

If you can counter that objection, the deal is yours. When that future date comes, of-course.

In the above story, when the prospect was ready, I had to re-assure our commitment and overcome the only objection he had. Then, I won the deal.

I had a long standing relationship with this client.

Happy Selling!

#b2bsales #closing #kkrocks #objections #velocity #forecasts