Whatever Happened to the Close?
By: T.J. Tedesco
For: High Volume Printing
Published: June, 2001

After a talk I recently gave on the West Coast, I casually asked three salespeople what it takes to be successful. One young woman said, “active listening.” A forty-something said, “solutions management” (whatever that means). An older man said, “closing skills.” I pressed him for more information. He told me he’s been selling graphic arts services for 40 years and laments that young people seem to have forgotten how to ask for the order. He’s right.

Sales managers of yesteryear focused on the close. Today, they focus on activities. No doubt, activities are import. Maneuvering around gatekeepers is more difficult now than in the past. New sales hazards include voice mail, job insecurity and lack of access to key business influencers. Nonetheless, successful print sales careers still depend on gathering relevant information, crafting win-win relationships and sticking to fundamentals … like “the close.”

If the phrase “the close” conjures up images of used car shyster salesmen types, consider “always ask for the order” instead. Of course successful printing sales careers depend on creating, growing and maintaining solid business relationships. But, good closing skills are critically important too. Don’t think of asking for the order as high pressure; instead, it’s simply doing your job, which presumably is to get profitable work into your company.

Back To Selling Basics
No matter how long they’ve been selling, most salespeople need to continually relearn the art of the close. I’m amazed how many salespeople brag about two-hour long conversations. When challenged whether these extended chats lead to identifiable sales accomplishments, invariably they say something about “building relationships.” Get-to-know-you conversations are certainly appropriate once in a while, but a lot of reps overdo them. Salespeople are paid for writing business, keeping production machines busy and providing leadership. I’ve witnessed countless lunches, conversations and time-consuming rounds of golf go nowhere. Sales reps need to swing conversations to business, get quotes and close sales.

Whenever you tap the resources of your company for a quote, at least ask for the order. Even if the job isn’t live, ask if they intend on using your number for their planning purposes. Then, follow up to find out if and when it’s going live. If it is, ask for the order. Folks, this ain’t rocket science.

Some salespeople disguise their closes with ineffective sentences like, “We will do a good job for you on this project.” If your prospect responds, “I’m sure you would,” what kind of commitment have they just made? You got it – absolutely none. Customers and prospects want sales reps they can count on. In our industry, buyers want their jobs to safe and their business lives made easier. Simply put, sales reps that don’t trust themselves enough to close sales don’t deserve to win print buyers’ confidence.

What holds us back? Maybe we were taught it’s impolite to ask for things as children. Maybe it’s to protect our egos in the face of rejection. Maybe it’s some other barrier. Whatever it is, GET OVER IT. If you can say what you do and do what you say, you’re failing your team by not letting prospects and customers know you want their work. Your coworkers, employees and family all lose when you don’t close sales.

The Mechanics Of Asking For The Order
Before asking for the order, make sure you’ve done all the appropriate legwork. You should know the key business influencers, where they belong in their organizational structure, with whom they interact and the basics about their company’s business and competitive situation. You need to know your customers’ specific goals for all the projects you’re bidding on. You should seize every opportunity to “decommoditize” work. If there’s a firm delivery date, you must know that you can produce the job on time while meeting quality expectations. You’ve got to be ready to make your customer’s life easy.

After quoting a job, try to ask for the order in person. If you can’t, do it by phone. Avoid one-way communication devices like faxes or e-mail unless it’s the only way your prospect wants to do business. Don’t script a close. Effective salespeople work in their own voice and avoid scripts because they understand the need to preserve their uniqueness and individuality. If in doubt, think of the last telemarketer that called you.

Customers want to be heard. Salespeople who are effective listeners create a distinct competitive advantage for themselves. When it’s time to ask for the order, try to summarize the buyer’s concerns and point out appropriate benefits. If done right, a summary close will get people nodding their heads all the way to “yes.” Here’s how a summary close may sound:

“Ms. Prospect, you’ve mentioned how critical your June 29 deadline is. In addition to your printing needs, you have many other responsibilities that must happen to make your conference a success. Just to be clear, let me repeat what I’ve heard. You need A, B and C done by June 21. The June 29th delivery date is a must. I have done D, E & F at our company to ensure that this date will happen. Do I have it right? (Listen to answer.) I understand your needs, our price is fair and you can count on us. Ms. Prospect, may I have the order?”

Another approach is the alternate advance close in which a question is posed with two acceptable answers. The classic alternate advance question is a mother asking a child, “Would you like broccoli or peas for dinner?” Either answer is fine. In the business world, an example of an alternate advance close may be this:

“Mr. Prospect, you’ve told me our turnaround time, price and quality meet your needs. Would you like your proof on Friday? Or, would Thursday make life easier?”

Once a preference for either day is communicated, all a sales rep has to say is, “Great! Just OK this paperwork and you can count on it then.”

One last point is hard for the loquacious types. After you ask for the order, don’t fidget, say, or do anything until your prospect responds. This holds true if you’re face-to-face or on the phone. (If face-to-face, make great eye contact as well.) Even in the unlikely event that he or she sits in silence, don’t budge until you’ve heard an answer. Does this sound like a hard sell to you? On the contrary: It’s a courteous sell because people shouldn’t rush, interrupt or finish other people’s sentences.

A High School Experience
Here’s a lesson I learned during my teen years. A girl in my high school class had it all. “C” was fun, drop dead gorgeous and had Ivy League smarts. I’m sure many people wanted to ask her out but couldn’t muster the courage, and I was no exception. Before I knew it, the Senior Prom was right around the corner. Shortly before the big event, I asked C to go as my date. Her answer went something like this: “I would have loved to, but you’re too late. I didn’t think anyone else would ask, so I’m going with ‘T’.” The lesson? Asking for the order isn’t enough. Timing is also important.

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Some sales coaches specialize in “the close.” Before working with this type of trainer, make sure they’re familiar with relationship-based service industries like ours. Some closes are appropriate for event-type industries (i.e., durable goods, luxury items or cemetery plots), but are too “sharky” for the printing industry. Bottom line: Train your sales force to ask for the order. Call me. I’ll show you how.

T.J. Tedesco is a “hands-on” marketing, sales, coaching and training consultant to the post press industry. He is the author of Binding, Finishing & Mailing: The Final Word, and Win Top-of-Mind Positioning, both published by GATFPress and available at Amazon.com. T.J. can be reached at (301) 294-9900 or tj@growsales.com.