Gaining commitment
Every business manager will agree with me that the principle mission of a salesperson is to gain commitment from the customer. Some are too direct and never create a connection with the client.
They end up with a short sales career and contribute to the profession’s bad reputation. Others listen, connect and build relationships with their clients. They instinctively know how to gain commitment and close the sale.
Last week I was in Ottawa for business and needed a room to stay overnight. After researching on the web for downtown hotels I called a respectable 4-star establishment that caught my eye. The reservation agent was polite, gave me information about the hotel, offered me different room options, packages and prices, but never asked me to reserve. Was he afraid that I would say no? Didn’t he want my business?
Did you know that 62% of salespeople fail to ask for commitment? Gaining commitment may be to make a further appointment, start a trial period, visit another part of the business, try free samples, reserve, send a proposal or a service agreement…in other words, advance the sale. Identifying the goal is the objective, so you need to know what you want to achieve, what you want the potential client to commit too.
How do you gain commitment? By setting a specific action, at a specific date and time with a specific objective. Example: I will call you Tuesday at 1:45PM to look over the proposal together. Will that work for you? Remember to always be positive, professional and brief.
There are many techniques that one can use to gain commitment:
Assumptive attempt: Assume client is ready for next step & attempt to move forward
I will send you a proposal including a recap of what we have talked about by the end of the day. How does that sound?
Choices: Have the client choose between multiple options
Which date would you prefer to hold your event, May 20th in our Magnolia venue or June 27th in our Rose venue?
Quid Pro Quo: Confirm that if you can meet certain criteria, the client will move forward.
If we do allocate more room space for your event, will that confirm your event at our hotel?
Urgency: Create urgency by letting the client know that there is limited availability of the product or time restrictions.
We are almost sold out for the dates that you are looking for. Should we make a reservation together?
Remember the best way to gain commitment is by using your competitive advantage, what your company does best. It allows you to establish credibility & tone. It’s an opportunity to differentiate your product or service from those of your competitors.
Be aware that closing the sale is not the same as gaining commitment. We don’t really want to ‘close’ the customer, we want to gain commitment and open the relationship, rather than close something.
This will make a big difference in your attitude and response as the conversation goes on. A sales person that tries to close the sale too early in the relation is actually more concerned about moving items off the shelves than actually helping the potential client.
If you are at the end of the sale cycle and feel that your client is willing to confirm the sale, here are some examples to go about closing the sale:
If you feel that your client as a strong willingness toward your product or service, you may move forward with a direct close:
Based on what we’ve discussed, which approach suits you best?
Is there anything else to address before we proceed?
If you rather feel that your client is only half willing to commit, try a trial close. It tells you where you are in the sales process and when to ask for the sale:
How does what we’ve talked about sound to you?
How do you feel about the payment terms?
Finally, if you are uncertain and think that he has a low willingness to commit, I suggest a summary close. What this does is prove you have been listening and understand the real needs of the prospect as they have been describing them. It builds your credibility as well as your knowledge:
So as well as our Getaway package, you are getting free access to the internet, our whirlpools, complimentary drinks at the bar, plus our VIP client satisfaction guarantee. And of course, we will be sending a gift certificate at your address so you can present this gift to your wife.
If at the end you still get a no, don’t forget to never take it personal. The client is not saying no to you; he is temporally saying no to the product or service offer!
Business Development and Training Director
j.charbonneau@signaturecanada.ca
Phone: 438-870- 3087
www.signaturecanada.ca
They end up with a short sales career and contribute to the profession’s bad reputation. Others listen, connect and build relationships with their clients. They instinctively know how to gain commitment and close the sale.
Last week I was in Ottawa for business and needed a room to stay overnight. After researching on the web for downtown hotels I called a respectable 4-star establishment that caught my eye. The reservation agent was polite, gave me information about the hotel, offered me different room options, packages and prices, but never asked me to reserve. Was he afraid that I would say no? Didn’t he want my business?
Did you know that 62% of salespeople fail to ask for commitment? Gaining commitment may be to make a further appointment, start a trial period, visit another part of the business, try free samples, reserve, send a proposal or a service agreement…in other words, advance the sale. Identifying the goal is the objective, so you need to know what you want to achieve, what you want the potential client to commit too.
How do you gain commitment? By setting a specific action, at a specific date and time with a specific objective. Example: I will call you Tuesday at 1:45PM to look over the proposal together. Will that work for you? Remember to always be positive, professional and brief.
There are many techniques that one can use to gain commitment:
Assumptive attempt: Assume client is ready for next step & attempt to move forward
I will send you a proposal including a recap of what we have talked about by the end of the day. How does that sound?
Choices: Have the client choose between multiple options
Which date would you prefer to hold your event, May 20th in our Magnolia venue or June 27th in our Rose venue?
Quid Pro Quo: Confirm that if you can meet certain criteria, the client will move forward.
If we do allocate more room space for your event, will that confirm your event at our hotel?
Urgency: Create urgency by letting the client know that there is limited availability of the product or time restrictions.
We are almost sold out for the dates that you are looking for. Should we make a reservation together?
Remember the best way to gain commitment is by using your competitive advantage, what your company does best. It allows you to establish credibility & tone. It’s an opportunity to differentiate your product or service from those of your competitors.
Be aware that closing the sale is not the same as gaining commitment. We don’t really want to ‘close’ the customer, we want to gain commitment and open the relationship, rather than close something.
This will make a big difference in your attitude and response as the conversation goes on. A sales person that tries to close the sale too early in the relation is actually more concerned about moving items off the shelves than actually helping the potential client.
If you are at the end of the sale cycle and feel that your client is willing to confirm the sale, here are some examples to go about closing the sale:
If you feel that your client as a strong willingness toward your product or service, you may move forward with a direct close:
Based on what we’ve discussed, which approach suits you best?
Is there anything else to address before we proceed?
If you rather feel that your client is only half willing to commit, try a trial close. It tells you where you are in the sales process and when to ask for the sale:
How does what we’ve talked about sound to you?
How do you feel about the payment terms?
Finally, if you are uncertain and think that he has a low willingness to commit, I suggest a summary close. What this does is prove you have been listening and understand the real needs of the prospect as they have been describing them. It builds your credibility as well as your knowledge:
So as well as our Getaway package, you are getting free access to the internet, our whirlpools, complimentary drinks at the bar, plus our VIP client satisfaction guarantee. And of course, we will be sending a gift certificate at your address so you can present this gift to your wife.
If at the end you still get a no, don’t forget to never take it personal. The client is not saying no to you; he is temporally saying no to the product or service offer!
Business Development and Training Director
j.charbonneau@signaturecanada.ca
Phone: 438-870- 3087
www.signaturecanada.ca
Julie Charbonneau
Signature Canada is a leader in training employees to deliver legendary customer service while increasing sales. Since 1986, Signature’s unique training methodology has provided a measurable ROI for our customers, compelling them to return year after year.