Treat Yourself Close and Think it Over
Strategy: Use the “treat yourself” close if they are on the fence.
Earlier, you read about the contrast close by the suit salesperson. When it came time to decide how many suits, if any, he used this close:
- If you are like most people, you look after everybody else’s needs first, before your own. I’ll bet you haven’t treated yourself to something you’ve wanted for a long time. Why don’t you be good to yourself today and buy one? After all, you deserve it!
Strategy: Confront client for a decision to move forward.
The moment of truth: you’ve spent 1 1/2 hours presenting your product. You presented the benefits, demonstrated the strength of your company, answered the objections effectively, showed the testimonials and finally asked for the order.
The response is, “I’ll have to think it over.”
Most buyers use this as a stall tactic or because they are afraid to reject you. The fact is, less than 20% of the people who say, “I’ll think it over” ever buy. That means 80% won’t. Yet salespeople are notorious for keeping alive that 80%. They stay on their call sheets, remain in their tickler file and they literally waste their time going after dead business.
Don’t you be one of these people. Your time is incredibly valuable. The moment-of-truth close weeds out the 80% and creates pressure for the prospect to commit today.
Closer: Mr. Prospect, I appreciate the amount of time we have spent together today, because time is extremely valuable. I also know that 80% of the people who say, “I need to think it over” are really nicely saying, “No.” I certainly do not want to waste any of your time. Are you seriously considering buying our service?
Prospect: No. (Ask why, deal with objections and close.)/Yes. Closer: Well, rather than waste any more time of your time; let’s wrap up business today.
(If you don’t get a “yes,” schedule a decision:) Would 24 hours be enough time for you to arrive at a positive decision?