Sales professionalism 11
By: Dr. M. Shehab
All rights reserved to the writer
Now we are about the last step of the call which is closing. Every step that has gone before should focus on one objective to close. Good sales person (medical rep) is a good closer and poor medical rep is a poor closer.
Sales person must use ABC role in closing means; Always Be Closing. He must pick the suitable opportunity to close the sales. Sales person must know how and when to close. Some salespeople do not get around to closing or do not handle it well. They may lack confidence, feel guilty about asking for the order or fail to recognize the right moment to close the sale.
Sales person should listen to his customer well; learn how to identify the buying signals. Buying signals is a strong, positive customer response indicating that he is ready to buy. Buying signals may be verbal or non-verbal.
Verbal buying signals like some words or comments customer said during the call like; I like your product, it sound good to me , the packing is very nice…etc.
Non-verbal buying signals like leaning forward, eye contact, nodding…etc. This will be discussed in details in communication skills.
Sales person can use a trial close when he is unsure about something or when customer agrees with all points in the presentation or when he sees buying signals.
Salesperson can use one of several closing techniques may be direct or indirect. Direct close; through asking customer whether he needs and how many he needs. We said it as AFTO (Ask for the order) or for medical rep AFTP (Ask for prescription).
Indirect close is to run around your customer like to let him choose between two positive alternatives (either or close). Example for this is to let you customer choose the payment method (credit or cash) or choose between using small size packs or large size.
Third method in closing techniques is summary close that you summarize all product’ benefits you agree with customer and ask for sales.
When your customer doesn’t know his exact need you can use step by step close that you help him in decision making and support it.
The salesperson may offer the customer special reasons to close, such as a lower price or an extra quantity at no charge (bonus, offer) this type is called incentive close.
Remember that every method of closing techniques can be suitable for one customer and not suitable for the other so we will explain it in details in customer style session when we discuss communication skills.
One of the main advantages of personal selling as marketing communication tool is closing ability that it is best way is to use sales people rather than any other type like advertising, public relations and sales promotion.
Remember in closing that; you don’t ask you don’t take. You must take commitment from your customer. This commitment is non-sign contract between you and him.
The role of sales person or medical rep not only to close but also post call follow up where the sales person follows up his customer to ensure satisfactions, follow up his commitments and scheduling the follow up call.
Follow up also include post call analysis where salesperson must analyze the call to determine what went wrong for correction and what went good for future use. He must follow up his customer analyze the situation of the call and decide where he can start the next visit. Some type of recoding is very important in this step.
Now we finish all stage of the sales cycle; pre-call (prospecting, planning), Call (Approach, probing & presentation, objections handling, close) and post call (analysis and follow up).
Inshallah in the next article we will discuss communication skills and its role in sales person’s job and how he can cope with customers’ styles.
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