If You Don't Close, You Lose

What would happen to your bottom line if your salespeople could close more sales right now? What would it mean to you and your net profits? Have you lost deals because your salespeople couldn’t close your customers? Where do you think these customers go when they leave your dealership? You think they go home to pop popcorn or watch reruns of Seinfeld? Have you lost your mind? They leave and go right to the next dealership and run into a professional who will not only ask for the order, but also have the skills to overcome the objections that come up. Listen to me; if you want to have your best year ever, then you need to field the best team ever. Did you know that 80 percent of the sales are made after the fifth time the salesperson asks for the order? Hello, you need to have at least five closes, don’t you?

 

How many do your salespeople have? “If I could, would you?” doesn’t qualify either; the lot porter can use that one, can’t they? That close is weak, because it depends on price. Anyone can lower the price. The whole idea here is to make gross, isn’t it?

Have your sales managers and salespeople write out as many closes as they have. Now have them actually write out the closes on 3 x 5 cards. Any closes that don’t make sense or are not perfect, have them rewrite the closes out until they are perfected. Make sure you share the closes with others; everyone will not know the same closes. Now have everyone role play these closes with each other in your training session. Make it fun and practice them until everyone is comfortable with them. If you’re serious you will buy them a small tape recorder and make everyone record their scripts (closes) until they are perfect and I mean perfect. Then take all the closes and have someone at the dealership type them up, laminate them and place them into a closing binder located on the sales manager’s desk.

This way, when a salesperson comes to the desk with a deal, the manager can look up any close and recommend one to the salesperson right on the spot. Why do you think they have playbooks in the NFL? Why do you think Peyton Manning is looking at film during the game? Why did he break Marino’s record of touchdowns? Why couldn’t anyone else?

I can tell you why; it's called practice. Have you ever thought about who controls your paycheck at the dealership? It’s your salespeople at the end of the day. They are deciding who can and who can’t buy at your dealership. Scary, isn’t it? Skills close deals, not price. Perfect practice means perfect execution, and imperfect practice means imperfect performance. With customers becoming more knowledgeable on products and services, the need to improve the closing skills of your salespeople is at an all time high, isn’t it?

 

Isn’t it sad to know that there are salespeople out there that don’t have at least 10 great closes to close their customers? Most salespeople only have a couple of closes. The real hitters that are selling 20 plus a month have a good dozen or so. They can use them at any given time. Why? Because they are always polishing their scripts. Do you have some rusty salespeople who maybe, with a little polishing of their skills, can shine again? Here are my best training tips on how to get your team to become the best closers:

I know it seems like a lot, but doesn’t it take a lot to be the best? I’m so sick and tired of listening to BTNA’S – what about you?

It stands for Big Talk No Action. I’ve trained thousands of people and most are looking for the easy way to success. There is an easy way to riches; it’s low investment with a high return. Are you ready for it? The Lottery.

John Wooden of UCLA said, “repetition is the mother of success”, that is why training people cannot be sacrificed. Yeah, all those ads – balloons, dog and pony shows, those special promotion people, newspapers ads, business development centers – are good, yet it will be your teams’ closing skills that will make a huge difference to your bottom line. If your team can’t close, that means they LOSE. The salesperson that can’t close is like a marathon runner who can't finish the race. Here is a great close for you and your team and a great skill to help you overcome the objection and close again.

 

Final Figures Close –

 

 

Well, there is one close to help you overcome an objection to close more sales right now. The key to riches is to master skills. Those who can’t master skills will plunge to a level called average, which is too easy to hit. Those that hit average hit it with amazing accuracy. That is not a place for you and your dealership this year. Your goal is to be number one, not number two. Isn’t second place, first place for losers? It’s up to you to improve your team’s skills, and it will bring you long-term success. If you’re looking for the easy way, buy a lottery ticket.

 

Until next time, keep asking and keep closing.

 

Vol 2, Issue 2