George Burns is quoted as saying, “ The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending; and to have the two as close together as possible.” Helping the customer to buy is like having that attention getting sermon. Then the congregation leaves, they actually act on the word of the sermon.

Why are sales so often lost?

Is it because of the product or service? Not from the research.

Does it have anything to do with the buyers fears? Often it does.

The number one reason sales get lost is because the salesperson doesn’t ask the customer to buy!

In the workshops I do, I often ask participants, “what are some words you can use to describe a salesperson?” Words captured on a flip chart might be, “pushy, dishonest, unethical, out for himself,” and the list goes on.

Maybe some people who sell harbor this belief about themselves. If so it can hinder your fulfilling your role which is after all to get the sale.

The buyer likely has a similar perception. It’s normal for the buyer to be fearful; they likely have some experiences with unscrupulous salespeople along the way.

When a salesperson comes from a place of confidence and congruency, the only next logical question from them to the prospect is something like, “And when would you want to start?”

Have you earned the right? If you have determined the client needs your offer, if you have listened to their wants, if you are talking with the decision maker and if your presentation is in a way that matches their decision making style, let your confidence carry you in the rest of the way. Close the gap between the beginning and the end. Ask the client for their business.

Ending tip: Regardless of how long your typical sales cycle is, you want to always be asking for some sort of decision along the way. In earlier sales training this might be called a trial close.