Riding the "Close Wave"

Here in San Diego, California, surfing is more of a religion than a hobby. With some of the best surfing locales in the country, we're a beach culture. Unfortunately for me, balance and coordination have never been my strong points - and I tend to burn within 15 minutes in the sun.

That being said, I can still appreciate a good surfing metaphor. In this article, sales trainer Charles Fellingham gives you the details you need to ride the wave to closing the sale.

"As a former surfer I remember the euphoria of timing the paddle to the approaching wave and finding the right moment to stand, ride and celebrate on the shore, says Fellingham. "Setting up the sales close is much the same. Salespeople become great closers when they find their timing to lead the process through to the close. If we do it right, we can create our own wave and easily maneuver a commitment, not a wipeout."

1. Control the process
We are all taught to control the sales process from beginning to end. You do this by keeping the dialogue on the sources of value that are most important to the buyer. (Price, Quality, Risk and Support). When sales people control the process from beginning to end , they have the most powerful closing statement at their disposal, "...Here's what we need to do next."

2. Setup the Close
The final close of any sales effort is the summary of how the product or service satisfies the client's specific needs and the benefits derived from its use. An effective summary is a point by point description of the solution and benefits to the essential parts of the client's issues. Each is point is followed by a trial close or test for agreement for each point and its benefit. Affirmative responses move the process forward.

3. Appeal to Logic
We all make decisions based upon logic but we move to action based upon emotion. As sales people we have appealed to logic throughout the sales process by attaching sources of evidence to each value statement (fact + benefit + evidence). It is then time to appeal to the emotional side.

4. Appeal to Emotion - Visualize the Benefits
This method creates a sense of urgency in the mind of the buyer. After the summaries and trial closes the final close is set up by asking the buyer to visualize enjoying the benefits of the product or service. You will have to craft this visualization and describe it to the buyer. If you know them well enough to hit their "why" with precision, you will win. When delivered effectively the closing statement, "...here's what we need to do next..." is a natural follow on.

5. Know the end game
The moment buyers commit is emotionally rewarding for the salesperson. Yet it is important to keep our wits about us because there is still work to be done to complete the sale through negotiation. Securing the buyer's commitment in writing is essential and, where a contract is involved, knowing the details of the completion of the deal is a must. Clumsy execution at this point can cause doubt and has been known to squash the deal. Know your process to signature well and make this a smooth and positive experience to the buyer, and a clean ride to shore for you.

"The best surfers I have known have complete control of the ride," says Fellingham. "They anticipate the subtle changes that their environment presents and make adjustments accordingly. So, when you find yourself in the end game: create the wave, stay agile to sudden changes and celebrate on the beach."

Charles Fellingham is a former surfer, a certified Dale Carnegie Instructor and Sales Trainer for the Forum Corporation of Boston. In addition, he is Founder of www.QAlias.com, a personal branding tool for personal web search optimization. You can also find his writings on www.PersonalBrandsOnline.com