From the eyes of a secret shopper
Do your front line employees have what it takes to guarantee your survival? If they aren’t using trial closings, are they really focused on closing?
This type of closing is the most under-utilized strategy in selling. As important a role as it is in closing the deal, the power and the value of trial closings are surprisingly often overlooked.
I’ve heard it said that trial closes to closed sales are what quizzes are to final exams, and I couldn’t agree more. It’s a measurement of how prepared your prospect is for the close and it creates the stepping stones that get you there.
I’m betting that many of the people who read this article don’t know what a trial close is. Is that you? Trial Closings are questions you ask after you have presented a feature and benefit that gauge the prospect’s interest. You’re not asking the prospect to make the decision to commit to anything. You’re simply asking for feedback and seeking confirmation.
Not only does it assist you in gauging the temperature of your prospect, but it gives you the opportunity to overcome any objections that may not have come up otherwise. Trial closings flush out the prospects thoughts and feelings, as you effortlessly build rapport at the same time.
If you’re not using this method, you run the risk of losing the sale when you attempt a close prematurely. Once a negative response is given during the close, people can feel compelled to defend it, and you may have lost the opportunity to overcome the objection.
Another bonus is that it eliminates the reluctance that many salespeople experience when asking for the sale. It’s a lot easier and more natural to do because hopefully you’ve gotten lots of little agreements along the way, and more often than not the close occurs naturally and effortlessly without any threatening questions or unexpected surprises.
The moment of decision is difficult for most people and you are helping your prospect make decisions about what is important. Your trial closing questions are not high pressure sales. You are merely asking for an opinion or feedback.
Trial closings early and often will allow you to adjust your presentation as needed so that you can close the deal and you’ll quickly see that a good “trial closer” will in fact close more deals.
Are you or your salespeople using this skill?
Grande & Associates, LLC 