Closing a sales deal over the phone is a big thing, and because they’re so crucial, they’ve developed a mystical aura around them.
They’re nothing to be afraid of, though, because, with the appropriate phone sales strategy, you can always close the deal and drive it home. A nine-step closing call sequence that has worked for us for years is listed below.
How to Make a Sale Over the Phone
1. Give everyone on the call a warm welcome.
When making a sales call, the first thing you should do is have everyone on the line introduce themselves.
During the call, I prefer to have everyone identify their name, title, and any specific goals they wish to accomplish. If you need to add some levity to the situation, have a lighthearted dialogue, but don’t let it go on too long as it will distract you from the task at hand – sealing the deal.
2. Keep commonalities to a maximum of two minutes.
Spend no more than two minutes creating rapport if you’re starting the talk light-heartedly to get everyone’s attention.
Try to talk about topics you share in common with the other people on the call. If your prospects are located in a place you’ve visited, you can give a personal narrative, or if you attended the same institution or university, you can mention that as a shared experience.
However, keep it short so you don’t get too involved in non-business concerns, since this could jeopardise your ability to seal the deal if you’re talking to busy executives.
3. Ask a question to start the conversation.
“So the purpose of our call today is to get you started with RisePath,” we generally say. “What are our options?” It’s a risky move, and many salespeople are hesitant to be so forthright, but it’s critical to be honest. It’s crucial to be transparent since you’re doing a commercial transaction at the end of the day.
Despite the fact that you scheduled it as a closing call, the outcome of the entire call is dependent on your prospects’ response. Either they’ll say, “We’re fine to go, but we just have a few last-minute questions,” and you’ll be good to go.
Alternatively, they may reply, “There are a few things we need to work out,” in which case you’ll need to adjust your plan and perhaps spend the conversation providing a value proposition to seal the deal.
4. Make a schedule.
“The rest of our chat will involve answering any last-minute questions, clarifying how the closing process works, and setting you up for onboarding once the contract is signed,” you can say if your prospect has indicated they’re ready to close.
If the question you just asked makes you think your prospect isn’t ready to buy, you might tell them you’d want to spend additional time addressing their questions and providing a value offer. However, you are not obligated to do so. You’re wasting your time if your prospect isn’t ready to buy this week or this month. Reintroduce the contract into the pipeline.
5. Create an onboarding schedule.
If your prospect is ready to move forward, go over the details of getting started, including how they’ll pay for your product and how onboarding and deployment will operate.
You’ll also want to inform them about the customer success manager (CSM) handoff, which occurs when the transaction is done and the prospect is assigned to a CSM who will onboard them and assist them in using your product or service.
6. Address any objections.
A sales objection is a concern expressed by a customer in response to something that prevents them from purchasing from you. Last-minute objections frequently arise during closing calls, so it’s critical to be prepared to answer them.
When faced with an objection, the most important thing you can do is listen. This will assist you in fully comprehending the issue and determining how to appropriately respond to and counter the objection.
A pricing objection is the most prevalent sort of sales objection, and even the most ready-to-buy prospects can make one. For example, if a prospect says, “This may be a bit too expensive for us,” you may respond with, “I’d love to go over X’s features and how it will help you handle X,” allowing you to create another value proposition that differentiates your company from competitors.
It’s a recommended practice to welcome objectives and make time for them during the conversation if you want your customers to close. You can make room for them by asking, “Do you have any questions regarding X?” or “You appear to be concerned about X.” What are your primary concerns right now?
7. Work out a price.
You’ve probably already discussed the price with your prospect before the closing call. Regardless, it’s possible that your prospect will bring up a matter for discussion.
There will be some back-and-forth in these conversations, as you approach each other with concessions you’re both prepared to make. You should have already determined the price of your reservation so that you are aware of your negotiation parameters. Many potential customers don’t need a discount to get started, so don’t offer one if you don’t have to. Allow them to choose a number and proceed from there.
If you do decide to negotiate, make sure you speak with the decision-maker or someone with the financial authority to approve a deal. You’ll waste your time if you negotiate with the wrong person, and you’ll be at a disadvantage if you give too much away.
8. Go over the purchasing procedure again.
This phase may not be applicable to you because not all prospects go through a thorough procurement or legal evaluation procedure. However, if procurement and legal are involved, make sure you know exactly what your prospect needs and set a deadline for the process to be completed.
9. Get going.
If everything went well during the conversation, you and your prospect should be ready to sign a contract and begin the onboarding process.
Make sure that everyone is on the same page. Reiterate everything you talked about on the phone and add, “Okay, so we’re on the same page here.” I’ll email you a contract, and you’ll need to return it by [agreed-upon deadline].”
You should also return to the CSM handoff at this point. You can either ask the CSM on the call to give a brief introduction so that they can establish rapport, or simply inform them that a CSM (name) will contact them to assist them with the onboarding process.
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