I believe you start closing from the first hello. If you do the job right all the way through then the completion of the business should be a fairly easy thing. Consultative sales styles work best at present – spend most of your time finding out what the customer wants, what they really need, what the situation is, what are the REAL drivers and decision makes.

On top of that I use a 5 step sales process. A chap called Neil Rackham did some research with over 30,000 individuals and found that if you can touch a customer in a meaningful way 5 time, you increase your chances of success 87%.

By meaningful I mean give value so that each contact leaves the impression of “interest person with useful stuff.” By the time you have made contact 5 times the relationship is formed and the business is much more likely.

If I did have a closing strategy it was one of assumptive closing – I just proceeded on the assumption I had the business!

Bill http://www.inspiredlearning.co.nz

Mike Tennent makes the comment that referrals from your worst clients can still be passed on – and this is true. It is dangerous to prejudge as we really do not know who those people are in contact with.

However I have found that they often know people very like themselves. So if they are picky and demanding, never happy etc, it is possible that their friends could be also.

If you have clients that you absolutely love, and that love you right back, why not focus on them and fill your data base with cool people that make your work life happy and profitable?

One thing I do enjoy about referrals is that you can get more of your best clients whenever you want them which gives you control over your business destiny.

I did like Mark Frenches observation about giving. He is so right.

You have to build a balance in the emotional bank account before you can take withdrawals by way of new business opportunities. Give and give some more – it cost nothing, takes no time, returns you plenty and is a great way to live! your life.

Simon Laurents comment about “50/50” was interesting. we work with a concept we call “emotilogical” – which recogmized that people work on an emotional and/or logical bases. We believe one very effective way to reach all people is to make sure that you always have an emotional and logical component in your conversations. It allows you to reach the client no matter which sort of person they are.

Cheers.

It is possible to engender trust in a single meeting but it requires skill and a fine taste for the emotional/mental makeup of the prospect in front of me. Either I just get the chemistry right or get it very wrong (probably about 50/50). However, almost invariably someone who is referred to us is largely sold on using our services already.