The Secret to Closing Deals

Everyone in sales is looking for the edge that will help them close more deals. Unfortunately, most people want the easy way out so they spend their time looking for short cuts and silver bullets which will miraculously deliver huge commission checks. This is why so many questions I get include statements like, "what's the trick," or "can you tell me the secret of. . ." It is also why so many salespeople are duped into buying into seminars and products that promise to deliver these secrets of selling only to find that there really is no secret. Sales, like athletics, requires training, education, persistence, practice, and a winning attitude. That is the real secret.

Universally, though, there seems to be an unyielding desire to learn the secrets of closing. From superstitions to an endless stream of cheesy scripts, closing, much like putting in golf, is shrouded in mystery. And there is no shortage of "experts" who are quick to claim that they have the one, true secret for "closing the deal every time." There was even a time in my life when I would wear my lucky close-the-deal tie to closing appointments.

Now what I'm about to share with you is a secret that has been guarded by the Knights of the Sales Round Table for thousands of years. It has been passed down from generation to generation - given only to worthy sales professionals who have sworn an oath to use this powerful secret wisely and guard it with their lives. But now, for the first time, I'm going to reveal this secret to the world. But before going further, I need you to you to solemnly swear on Jeffrey Gitomer's Sales Bible to use this information to earn a higher income, to become sales rep of the year, to go on your president's club trip, to get promoted, and to provide a great lifestyle for your family.

Now get your note pads and pens ready. Here it is. The silver bullet, the real secret, the magic closing pill:

Ask for the business. 

Yep, that is the magic pill. Just ask. Ask for the appointment. Ask for the next step. Ask for the decision maker. Ask for the business. Ask!

Right now you are either laughing because the answer is so obvious, or you are pissed off because you feel like I tricked you. If you are mad, please forgive me, I was only trying to make the point that we have a tendency to over complicate simple things. The fact is, if you are having a hard time getting the next appointment, getting to decision makers, or closing the deal, 9 out of 10 times it is because you are not asking. Why don't we ask? Because 9 out of 10 times we are afraid to hear "no." "No" stinks and it is in our nature as humans to avoid "no" at all costs. So, we don't ask.

However, because it is fear that keeps us from asking for the business, rather than admitting our fear and working to overcome it, we blame our failure to close on everything else. We blame our product, our company, the economy, our sales manager, and our luck. Instead of owning up to our shortcoming we look for secrets, tricks, silver bullets, and turn to cheesy closing scripts that make us and our prospect feel even worse. Instead of facing our fear of "no" and asking anyway, we hide behind justifications like not being too pushy or bad timing. And because of all of this our self-esteem deteriorates, our belief in ourselves suffers, and ultimately we don't reach our true potential as sales professionals.

Getting past the fear of "no" isn't easy. But the first step is to at least acknowledge that your fear is real. Look, I've been selling for 20 years and have been incredibly successful at it, yet today I still have to remind myself that "no" won't kill me.

Once you admit that you fear "no" you can then begin to pay attention to your behavior in front of prospects. Learn to anticipate the anxiety that comes right before asking for the deal. Then practice overcoming your fear by asking for what you want. When you fail, and you will fail, don't put your head in the sand a pretend it didn't happen. Instead, acknowledge your failure, get back up, and on the very next call ask for the business.