Are your sales closing questions doing the job you need them to?
In theory, sales closing questions are that little bit of magic that guarantees your prospect turns into a customer. In reality? It’s not always that easy. An overall strong sales strategy is what gets you to that moment when everything comes together for a deal.
From a business perspective, that just makes sense. Imagine a company like Ford without the ads, without the incentives, without product innovation, then deciding every December that they needed to worry about yearly revenue. It wouldn’t work. Generally speaking, sales is a long-term game. That could be month after month and year after year, as in the case of a company like Ford. Or it could be from the initial contact with a prospect to closing the deal over the course of a phone call. “Long-term” doesn’t necessarily have to do with the amount of time you invest in the process; it’s about the mindset. It’s about starting strong and following through until you get to those sales closing questions.
In other words, don’t assume that a list of sales closing questions will save the day. That said, the right questions can help you close a deal when you’ve been working hard to build a relationship, to build trust, and to focus on the person you’re talking to. What, exactly, are those questions? Here are some to get you started.
With features like whisper coaching and automatic emails, Call Logic is your one-stop solution for all of your auto dialing software needs. Check out a free demo today!
7 sales closing questions you can start using right now
Before we get into the questions, bear in mind that these are templates you can customize to your specific situation. Selling a vacation club membership, for example, will necessitate different approaches than selling business insurance. So be sure to personalize these questions to your situation. You’ll have much better outcomes that way.
1. How much is your current problem costing you?
Remember, in sales, your goal is to solve a problem. And those problems all have a cost, whether it’s money, time, security, or something else. As an example, Call Logic uses real-time scrubbing to avoid contacting numbers on the Do Not Call list. Fines for calling those numbers can be particularly high, so our version of the question might go something like, “How much are you paying in fines to the FTC every year?” Or perhaps, “How often do you worry about calling a wrong number and getting fined by the FTC?”
Once you have this information, you can tailor the rest of your close to showcasing the value of your offer.
2. I believe Solution A and Solution B would both reduce or eliminate that cost. Is there one that you feel fits your needs better?
This type of question accomplishes two things. To begin with, it gives your client control of the situation to an extent, putting you in the position of a trusted advisor. Secondly, with two solutions to their problem, they have options and can ask you more about them or give you a direction in moving forward.
Incidentally, your two offers could be completely different products or services, or they could be different levels of the same service. The point is that you’ve increased your chances that the customer will move forward.
3. Is this a solution that makes sense for your business?
Recap the problem, the solution, then ask. Simple. “I know you’re understandably worried about the Do Not Call List and compliance. Call Logic is TCPA compliant at all service levels, and you get free training. Does that seem like a solution that makes sense for you?
4. If you’re interested in this service/product, what would you like the next steps to be?
Again, you have a question that’s pulling double duty. The answer gives you insight into the level of interest and brings possible objections to the front. Additionally, this is an easy way to figure out if there is someone else who makes decisions (and if you should try and talk with them).
5. What do you need help with?
Again, you’re taking on the advisor role and discovering how your client wants to move forward. What roadblocks can you remove? What information can you share?
6. What concerns do you have that we haven’t talked about yet?
Whether you want to admit it or not, your prospect likely has some objections. Money, timing, user-friendliness, company buy-in, and reliability are all potential culprits. If you don’t know what the concerns or objections are, you can’t address them. Get them out in the open where you can do something about it.
7. Can we work out the details and get you started?
Ask for the sale; it’s okay. By the time you ask this, it should be no surprise to anyone. And it directs your customer to officially take the next step.
Additional sales closing tips that make your offer more attractive
Use “we” whenever you can. Build that relationship and team mindset. Instead of, “How can my product help you increase your sales?” try, “How can we work together to increase your sales?”
Follow through. Always. If you say you’ll follow up next Wednesday, make sure you do it. Sometimes it’s those little details that can make or break a sale.
Sell the benefits. Features are great, but they don’t solve problems.
Avoid the hard sell. That may have worked once upon a time, but people are wise to it, and no one wants to feel like they’ve had a service or product pushed on them. Even if you do make a sale that way, you probably haven’t won a long-term customer.
As you work towards your sales closing questions, remember to think about the big picture. In most cases, you aren’t after a one-time deal; you’re trying to build a relationship that is lucrative for you and beneficial for your customer over time. The right close is simply one part of that.
Are you looking to keep your team focused and on message? Call Logic’s cloud dialing software can triple call rates, keep your team focused, and even features a whisper coach feature to train new team members on sales calls. Schedule a free demo today!