How to Close a Sale

Whether you're a sales associate at a retail store or a small business owner, getting a customer to buy a product or service you have to offer means financial success for you and satisfaction for your customers. Anyone can sell a product or service, but making the most of a sale and getting customers to come back to you takes some practice and skill. Here are some simple steps to get you on the right track to being a good salesperson.



Steps
1. Greet and engage your customer. Even though you are participating in a business transaction, there's nothing wrong with befriending the person you will be selling to. Making a customer welcome will give them comfort in purchasing what you have to offer to them.


2. Qualify their needs. Spend as long as necessary qualifying a customer so that you sell them what they need. There's nothing worse than selling a product or service that the customer is later dissatisfied with. The best and most commonly used question in qualifying is, "What will you be using this for?"


3. Recommend the right product or service. It is important to understand how all of the products and services you have to offer work. By understanding this, you'll be able to offer the one that best fits your customer's needs. Be sure to offer as many *relevant* products or services that you have to enhance customer satisfaction. Offering is important in that it lets the customer know what you have. Even poorly executed offering is better than not offering at all. Through experience, you will be able to offer smoothly, but don't leave out the offering step even if you can't think of a graceful way of doing it!


4. Listen and watch for buying signals from your customer. Buying signals can be both verbal and non-verbal. Questions like, "How many do you have in stock?" or, "What colors does it come in?" are classic examples of verbal buying signals. Non-verbal buying signals (if you are dealing with a customer in person) should also help to indicate when to close a sale. An example of a non-verbal buying signal is the customer holding or using a product as if they already owned it.


5. Close the sale. Once you observe buying signals, stop selling and close the sale. A common mistake that can lose a sale is to continue to sell and offer products/services *after* the customer has already indicated that they are willing to make the purchase.

• Close by asking if the customer would like to make the purchase. This is the most simple and straightforward way of closing.
• Close by alternate choice. Questions like, "Would you like it in blue or grey?" put the customer in a situation where they are not given the option to refuse the sale. If they answer with either of the options you've given them, then you've made the sale.
• Close the sale by attaching accessory products or services to enhance the product they are interested in. "Let me get you [accessory] to enhance [product]." If they accept the accessory, then you've made the sale on the original product.

6. Follow-up. Good follow-up is essential to getting repeat customers. Offer to help the customer with any questions or concerns they have about the product or service you are selling after you've made the sale.


Tips

• If the customer does not give you any buying signals, use a "trial close" to see if they are interested in making the purchase. If they accept a close, then you've made the sale. Otherwise, continue to qualify them.
• Know your products and services. Nothing is better than being confident and knowledgeable about what you're selling to your customers.
• Don't be afraid to use some humor to break the ice, but know when to be serious.
• Take your time. Even if you or the customer is pressed for time, it's entirely necessary to offer everything they will need and properly qualify them.
• Even if you can't close a sale, still make the customer's experience a pleasant one. If they don't buy from you today, they may come back to you later.

Warnings

• STOP selling after the customer gives you buying signals. If you continue to offer them other options, they may become unsure about their purchase and end up not buying.
• If you're making a sale to a customer in person, look professional. There's no need to overdo your appearance, but looking presentable will make the customer more confident about buying from you.