Start Strong, Check Well, Sell Better!

Hello and welcome to the show. I'm taking today's recording from my living room, so I expect to hear some interruptions from the neighbors, especially since I just discovered that one of my neighbors has, what are they called, these exotic birds with the big tails, Peacocks. I didn't know that you could keep exotic birds in a residential location. But anyway, the goal of this show is free business education, so you're not here to learn about my neighbors.

So if you're worried about these sorts of things, that's business education, then you're in the right place. And when you're done listening to the episode, please share, promote and talk about it so that Nigerians and your family members, you know, people both here and abroad can benefit from the questions that we tackle. They can do that by subscribing on Spotify, YouTube, Apple or any player of their choice. And if you dare listen, in particular have any sales and marketing questions, then bring them to me.

You can call, you can SMS, you can WhatsApp on 08064662140. So today on the show, let me see, let me get my notes. OK, So last time I promised you guys we're going to look at some closing techniques. It is not my favorite topic to look at, I must confess. And that's because when it comes to sales, you know, business, everybody just thinking sha, close, close, close, close, close. And because it's the most popular part of sales or the most popular techniques that people discuss, people often forget the other sales steps,

other techniques, other processes that come earlier that make it easier for you to close the deal. In other words, what I like to tell people is how you open the sale is much more important than how you close the sale. Let me repeat for some of you. The reason why you're finding it difficult to close the sale is because you opened it. You started it on a very wrong note. The way you start some of these conversations, there is no way you can close this thing.

This thing is destined to crash. This thing is destined to close, destined to go off point. This thing is destined to end up in ghosting. It is destined to end up in. I will call you back. Let me talk to my wife, you know, all those other things because you start the conversation in the wrong way. So even though we're going to be looking at closing techniques now, I am begging you, please go and look for ways, not just on,

not just on my own material. Because if whether you're listening on the podcast on YouTube, we have over 1100 free video and audio resources available here. So whether it's me or some other person, excuse me, I'm begging you, go and learn how to open the conversation. Well, if you open the conversation well, if you're talking to the right person, if the person has a need for your product or your service, and if you can make a convincing presentation or proposal to show how your product or service can fulfill those persons wants,

needs, desires, vision, whatever, excuse me, then the chances of you closing the sale go up. So please, closing is the most popular thing you will hear, but it is not why you should be spending all of your time doing this is a caveat. Please, there are other things that you need. Closing techniques are not the end all and the be all. The things that come in the beginning are more important 'cause that is what makes it easier for you to close.

You know how in so excuse me, in personal relationships, people talk about how a first impression is everything. It's the main. That's, that's just the idea basically. Poor first impressions, poor dynamics in the beginning. Those are the things that make it difficult to close the deal. Anyway, I'm hoping that I've drummed it into your heads. As for those of you who are newbies that yes, everybody will tell you about closing techniques, but closing is not the main, the main opening.

It's the main thing. So anyway, let's go into closing techniques now. These are some of the ideas that I shared with the former client of mine. He's based in Benin and he runs a store where they sell tech gadgets, computer gadgets, you know, lifestyle tech, all these sorts of things. And he has a sales team of three. Yeah, sales team of three. But of course, you know, sometimes, you know, somebody comes, somebody goes.

So I've spoken to I think like 4-4 or five of his associates, but steady there's three and there is one superstar in particular I know who's going to do do me very well then. Yeah. So these are some of the things that I shared with them. Now, the reason why I'm bringing up that context is because you're going to hear some closing techniques now that only work in certain kinds of scenarios. Remember, if you've been a long time listener of the show,

remember I keep saying that sales, you can split it up into two. You can split it into simple sales scenarios, simple sales context, simple sales situations, or complex sales scenarios, complex sales context, complex sales. You know, it's either simple or complex. So the kind of closes that you're going to use will be different depending on whether the selling situation is simple or complex. The kind of level of assertion or level of force or level of directness that we use will be different depending on whether it's a simple sales scenario or a complex sales scenario.

Now I can't over emphasize this because one of the reasons why you listen to somebody elses YouTube, you read somebody elses book and you came away with some 5-6 closing techniques and you thought man, this thing is going to double my business. And then you tried but in your business didn't double. It's precisely because of this background information that I'm giving you #1 you didn't open the sales properly, so there's no way this thing was going to close or #2 you're trying to use closing techniques that work best in a simple sales situation, but now you're in a complex sales situation trying to close.

If you're selling cars, the techniques you use be different than if you are selling. It was the most complex thing we've done. OK, last week we spoke about somebody who is selling payment processing for financial institutions, software that helps those sorts of things. Those situations are different. The way you're going to close when you're on a complex deal, talking to different people, trying to get them to get your your app, your mobile solution,

your website solution to help them process payments properly. The kind of clothes you use in that situation is not the same. If somebody comes here and the person wants to buy Okada or wants to buy KKR, it's different. OK, So that's the backdrop that we're talking about now. So these are closing techniques that can't work if you have a physical location that is a shop where you sell consumer goods and people are walking into you.

So just bear that in mind. These closes will work well in these kind of settings. In other words, if you run a business, like let's say you run an agency and you sell insurance and your peg to one of the Nigerian banks, perhaps not all of these closes are going to work in that scenario. So just bear that in mind. So now let's even define what closing is. First of all. Also, people think closing just means give me the money.

And in a sense, yeah, you can say that it's closing. Will you pay when I'm ready to pay? Yes. That is the close that we're all concerned about. But you will find out. If you've listened to all the episodes, then you already know. If you haven't, the more time you spend on my podcast, on my channel, you'll find out that in complex sales scenarios, closing means you're just getting the customer to take action one step at a time.

So closing doesn't necessarily mean give me the money. Closing just means getting them to take action, and in fact, that is the proper way I want you to look at it. Don't think of closing as collect the money, collect the payment, collect the deposit. Think of closing as get people to take action. If you look at it in that sense, you'll see that whenever you're having conversations with people, you're getting them to take conversations one small step at a time.

I always talk about my experience as a wedding photographer. People show up to the bridal fair. That's like a business Expo you're trying to close. Get them to drop their name, that you're interested, that they're interested. If they drop their name or phone number, good. Then the next thing is you call. You're now trying to close on the next step. You're trying to get them to come to your studio. You're trying to get them to agree so that you will go to their house or their office or whatever so you guys can talk some more and you guys can look at samples.

When you look at samples and you have made a proposal, it is then you're now trying to go for the ultimate close. But before then you can see that we have trying to be, we have tried to be closing small, small, small, small. Step one, collect number. Step two, arrange meeting. Step four, look at proposals. Step 5, Sorry, look at samples. Step 5, make proposal step stick Step 6. Collect your money so you can see close small, small, small,

small, small. That is the best way to look at closing. So the techniques that we're going to be talking about here are going to be tied into situations where somebody has come into the shop, they have looked at the every, every. They've looked at your garment, they've looked at your Bluetooth phone, they've looked at your wristwatch, they've looked at your whatever. But they just seem to be standing there and they're thinking or in one particular customer's case, remember I'm talking about people about a shop in Benin City.

There's one guy who came there and all the sales associates I confirmed from the three of them, they were ladies. They were shocked because the guy came to come and buy speakers and then next thing the person is talking about how Benny people are wicked Ishan people have cheated him. Something something something. The rant just seemed to came to to to come from nowhere and they were confused. So these things do happen.

You're having a conversation with somebody and it looks like you're going to be making progress. Next thing the guy just starts yanning some things like like where did this come from? Like, OK, Benny people, I've cheated you before. So how's this my problem? I'm not a Beenie person. The person that also shop is not been here. So like how we entered this matter. So where was I any bottom line? I'm just trying to say that the techniques that we're talking about now are ways to bring this conversation back on track and get the person to move on to the next step.

So if the person comes, like in this case, the person has looked at speakers and then the person starts talking about how Beenie people are wicked and Asian people have duping before, you are the one who has the responsibility for bringing this conversation back on track. Because if you just stand there and keep looking at the guy while he's ranting, how do you know that after the rant, he's not just going to say, you know what, let me just come back next week.

You have to gain control of the conversation. So closing techniques, these are what help. This is the focus of closing techniques. We're trying to get the customer to take action. We're trying to keep the conversation on point. We're trying to get people to take the next step that make it easy for us to close the deal. But Please remember what I said at the beginning, opening the conversation is more important than the closing.

How did you open? So please go and learn about opening and then pay attention to whether it's a simple or complex sales scenario. Because in the past, I've spoken about how in the open market, the market woman can tell you that, look boss, you've been pricing too much, you don't want to buy anything. I beg, come and go. Don't spoil my market. Come and go. Let somebody open market for me. That kind of closing is going to work because it's a simple sales scenario.

You've been there standing in front of the woman who is selling meat or selling a Gucci or whatever. You've been pricing for like 10 minutes. She needs to get this conversation going. So in that simple sales scenario, a closing technique for her can say, look, Bros, if you're not serious, I beg, just walk up, pass, let somebody come out open market for me. That kind of thing can get the conversation back on track, can get you to pay because it's a simple sales scenario.

But if you are selling cars or if you are selling real estate, you cannot tell somebody like look Bros, I beg, if you don't want to buy Walker Pass, let's somebody come out open market. I think it's not going to work anyway. Let me head straight into the techniques. Since we're already at 12 minutes, let's see what else. But one thing to you guys need to know is this before you close, make sure you have done need analysis.

Need analysis is the part of the conversation in the beginning where you try and figure out what does the person want? What do they need? Do they have a problem? What vision are they going after? Because you need to be sure that your product or service can meet these needs. Because if you've not done the analysis and if there is no congruence there, if what your product does cannot match fulfill supply, you know, meet those needs, there is no way that you can close this deal.

I repeat, there is no way that you can close this deal. The example I give is of people who walk up to me in traffic and because I'm wearing a plastic watch they start showing me all the fancy stuff without doing needs analysis. I only wear plastic wristwatches and I only wear water resistant plastic watches. It's just my thing. There is no way any of you can give me, I mean, even when I'm a confirm big boy and you know, my container has landed, I have all the money in the world.

You cannot get me to buy anything else except if you go and talk to your wife. Sorry, talk to my wife and get her to pressurize me that maybe our wedding anniversary is coming up. Maybe like that kind maybe like 50 years or something. You can go and talk to my wife and she can emotionally blackmail me. That look, you know what you know, I've tolerated you wearing plastic wristwatches for the past 50 years. So you know, our day is coming up.

So, you know, for me, just wear this golden wrist watch. I look nice. So if you go through that angle, yes, it will work. But you can't get me to buy one of those wristwatches because need analysis. There's a person standing here who has no need for your product or service. So this is the stage one of the things I would need to be paying attention to. So make sure you have done good need analysis before you try to close.

Then also try and get feedback during the conversation to check understanding and to be sure that you guys are on the right page. This is this is what in traditional selling environments we call trial closes. Trial closes are when you ask some small, small questions just to be sure. Am I on track? Are we, are we on course? Are we vibing? Are we on the same page? Are we making progress? Because The thing is, if you're not making progress now, it is best to know now before you start trying to collect the money.

If there's a problem, figure out what the problem is now and solve the problem before you now tell them, OK, here's my account details. Go and pay. So trial closes as simple things, very, very simple questions like is this what you are looking for? Is a simple question is this what you're looking for The person says ah yes, it is exactly what I'm looking for in your mind you now know OK, we are on course I cannot be moving the conversation forward or I

can now say that OK bro so since what you're looking for how far now these contact details just transfer this thing we can deliver to you tomorrow before 12 noon. But you see the trial close came first. Is this what you're looking for? It doesn't have to be fancy. Something very simple. Another one, Does this suit your blah blah blah very well? It's a simple question. You sell chairs or yourself throw pillows or something.

So does this. Oh Madam, does this suit the decor that you already have in the house? It's a trial close. If she says yes, we now know that we can get the conversation moving. If she says no, this one does not suit the decor in my living room. You now know that. OK, you now need to ask more questions about what kind of decor does she have? What is her sense of style? What kind of fabrics does she like? What kind of material?

What is the color of the wall? What is the color of the chair? What is the color of carpet so that you now know which other through pillow you're going to recommend to her. So you see why trial closes are really, really good and doesn't have to be anything fancy. Does this suit your XYZ? Well, Madam, now you know, simple then is this something you see yourself using? So very simple. Try clothes like all these watch people.

You say, Oh, boss, I have the this, I have the that. Do you see yourself wearing this kind of correct wristwatch? I said, I know I'd never wear that kind of thing. So I have bras. Why? Now you're a big boss. Now you shouldn't be wearing plastic and you see, but now you're now doing need analysis. You said, Bob boss, you're a big boy should not be wearing this kind of plastic wristwatch now, blah, blah, blah, you know, use you know, from there and engage me in a conversation.

You will now get to find out why I do not like metal wristwatches and why I only wear plastic. And with that knowledge, you will now know that OK, I'm talking to a guy who is never going to buy a Rolex, but inside my shop I have was this one called this Casio? I can't remember. This Casio wristwatch is fantastic, Very big, big, big big wristwatches. Looks like the watches that mountain climbers should wear G shock. I have Casio G shock internal thermometer, external thermometer can check BP is water resistant.

You can throw it in the Atlantic Ocean. Nothing will happen to it. You know, you now know that. OK, maybe this is the kind of what I should bring for this kind of guy, you see, But from doing the trial close, is this something you see yourself using? Is this something you see yourself wearing? You now know that Oh, OK, what I'm showing this person is not blending, is not matching, is not clicking with the situation. I need to go back to the drawing board, back into my bag, back into the shop or back into my inventory and I'll present something else to the person.

So try how closes another one between A&B. Which would you prefer? This lets you know where it is that you're heading. Like take for instance, my wife, she's doing we're currently doing sister locks. They're dreadlocks, but they're tiny ones. So don't look like the big Bob Marley ones, you know, like the ones that when you see, you know, OK, this person smokes Igbo. So it's not that kind of Igbo dreadlocks. The wife is doing the tiny, tiny one.

But in the concert consultation with the beauty specialist, eventually we had to get to that stage where the lady asked between sister locks and micro locks, which do you prefer? Oh, by the way, until we go on this journey, you know, for me, I just thought dreadlocks was dreadlocks. I didn't realize that there's sister locks, there's micro locks, then even the dreadlocks that Bob Marley has, the one that looks like Dada, even that one is different that different kinds of locks.

Man, this thing is, it's complicated. Now you see the reason why you have to be the subject matter expert before you can sell. So if somebody like me, now you put me in a hair salon, they want me to sell effectively. You know, I don't know that world, I won't be able to sell well. But if you're in that world, you've been in the business, you know the difference between sister locks, micro locks and Dada, you know, and the different kinds of dreadlocks should be able to sell well.

But anyway, so yes, with my wife eventually had to get to that scale to to that side that so 1 moment. OK, let me see how I do this. OK, this one I'm going to try. I hope this experiment works. I'm going to pause the recording here, go and take a phone call and then I will come back. But bottom line, what I was saying about my trial closes, yes, we have to get to that stage where we ask, OK, between A&B, which would you prefer?

If the person says B, we now know that we're making progress now we're heading in the right direction. We now know what other things to present and we now know how to move on, how to close the sale. But if the person says neither A nor B, you see from trying to get feedback from doing a trial close, you can see now that OK. What I was thinking, the way I was going is I'm not even there at all because I presented A or B.

The person said I don't like it, The person said I don't like B. So you can see how all these preliminary things make it easier for you to close the deal in the future. If you never stop to ask the person between A&B which do you prefer and you just carry on the conversation. You now trying to get the person to pay. The person will never pay because the person has seen option A and option B, maybe C&D and the person didn't like any.

But you didn't try and get feedback. You didn't try and do any trial close. So you don't even know that what you have put before the person is unsuitable or is undesirable. So you don't know or people hope you're beginning to see how is all the preliminary things the one that come before, before that determines how the deal is going to end. Then let's see what else. So is there anything else you would like to add that's also a good trial close.

Somebody says no, no, no, no, OK, we can't proceed to payment. The person says, oh, and do you have this and this? OK, no problem. It's good. They're adding more things to the bag. There's possibility of you making more money. Another trial close. How do you feel about, you know, XYZ? How do you feel about leather couches? How do you feel about wristwatches? How do you feel about that? Are dreadlocks? How do you feel?

You know, these questions you just they give you, they give you feedback, Sir, you now know that OK, we're moving on. We're not moving. So it's really, really important. So do track closes, do some trying to get some feedback because if we're not moving, it's best to know now that this thing is not moving. I'll fix it now so that by the end we now said, OK, this is my account number, just transfer 1.2 million to my OPA account.

You know, that is how it make easier for you to collect your 1.2 or your 6.7 or your 400K or your 10K or whatever the amount is from all these preliminary processes. Now let me try this great experiment, see if I can pause this recording, take this call and then come back. If it works, then the podcast will continue. If it doesn't work, then you know, after this, this will be the end of the episode. Then the next one, the next episode that follows will be me continuing.

So I'll be right back. OK, I'm back. The thing actually worked. That's good. So now I know that I have options in the future if I need to pause midway into the recording. But the problem is I actually have another engagement. So I have to cut right now. But at least I'm hoping I've been able to get guests to understand that look, closing is important, but it's not the end all and be all. Before we close, we need to make sure we have dealt with some fundamental things before we close the deal.

We need to make sure that we opened the deal in the right way, we handled the conversation in the right way, and we have a proper understanding of the customer's needs that once or the vision that they're trying to fulfill. Then we also have to try and do some small track closes. Track closes just means I'm trying to get feedback. Are we on the same page? Are we vibing? Are we in agreement? Do you like what you see? Is it making sense?

Are you following, you know, all those simple, simple questions that try and get us to understand that. So is this what you're looking for? How do you feel about between A&B? Would you prefer, you know, all these small, small questions that ones I will let you know that OK, these are showcase that you're showing them they like this, they don't like that or this card that you're showing them they like these kinds. They don't like that kind because if you don't figure out all this, it impinges, it affects your ability to be able to close in the future.

So I'm going to wrap up today's episode here. Then when we come back tomorrow, we're going to continue from closing techniques proper now. These are some of the things that we're going to look towards assumptive closes as I'm too close is when you just assume that or more everything is pure, everything is cool. Let me just carry on and see if this deal is going to close. That's how I like to do things. I like to assume that this thing is going to close, but it's not for everyone.

So we're going to explore assumptive closes and there's the direct close. In fact, those one of the babes from this my client, the sales associate and the big she directs are very direct. So it's something I used to try and caution how that look direct closes are good. You know where you ask the person look, I pain or not, the problem is just if you don't lay a good level of rapport, if you don't do need analysis well and you just go for a direct close,

the person will feel insulted. Like what is this? Like what the hell? See this small girl, she thinks I don't have money. You know, these will not become complicated. You know, direct closes as we just ask somebody upfront, are you buying or not? So now let's see what else benefits close. That is where you talk about the benefits of the things and then from there leading to the close, we're also going to look at alternative choice closes.

That is either or close. So that is where you try and close the deal by. It's also similar to that trial close that we looked at, which is between A&B, which you prefer. That's also a way of trying to close the thing. If the person prefers B, we're now leading the person down the B options. So those are alternative choice closes. Also going to look at urgency and scarcity closes. Everybody knows that nature because we see it all the time by now for 50% discount, you know, Black Friday promo ends today, you know, so all those are urgency, scarcity closes.

And then there's the take away clothes. I now had to advise that sales girl because this one also is a very direct close. The take away clothes like I'm backfire, so I had to advise her as well. So tomorrow these are some of the closes that we are going to look at. So if you want to check Google or check YouTube, you know, please go and do that for familiarize yourself. So by the time we're listening to you are listening to tomorrow's episode, everything will just be flowing.

So we're looking at assumptive closes, direct closes, benefits close, alternative choice closes, urgency and scarcity closes and then the take away close. Now are there other kinds of closes? Yes, closes were closes plenty closes from now until the end of the world, different kinds of closes. So don't think you're ever going to come up with an exhaustive list. I just picked these ones because I thought they would work well in the context of a retail location where people are coming in and inquiring for specific products.

I also included some of these take away urgency and altern, sorry, take away urgency and then direct close because I see this is the benefit of having a coach talk you guys through some of these things from the warehouse flowing with the sales associates. I was beginning to get a sense of who is who. This kind of girl, this is how she likes to talk. This kind of woman, this is how she likes to flow. This kind of young lady, this how she got, she likes to flow.

So some kinds of clothes work best with some people, some temperaments, some situations. And so I included some of these there because I noticed that one of the sales associates in particular is she's very, very direct. You know, that's a thing. She's a very nice, you know, pleasant young lady who is very, very direct. The problem with his direct closes is just that, you know, you don't lay the groundwork. Well, somebody would get insulted.

I feel insulted. Yeah. She mentioned that it had happened in the past. Someone just lasted like, what the hell is? Well, looking at me as if I don't have money and it's because my car is like, this was because I'm dressing like this, these bastards. And then the person will leave and go and buy from another shop. I will make a point of coming back to even show you that look, not only did I buy this thing, I bought 4 because you guys were thinking I don't have money.

See, see here's the thing, I bought the thing. Cash, no credit, and then walk away and say get out you bastards. So just to prove a point. So yeah, let's just be careful with the more direct closes. So these are things that we're going to talk about tomorrow. And while we're talking about them, remember the backdrop. There are differences between simple sales scenarios and complex sales scenarios. So there is a very strong difference.

So like that's the reason why the Agusi lady can look at me and tell me like look boss, as if you don't want to buy anything. So please walk up us, Please be going, let somebody open my market. Please don't bring bad luck for me this morning. If you're not buying, please come and be going. That can work as a close precisely because it is a simple sale situation. It's not going to work or it might not work only depending on how you handle it, if you're selling computers or if you're selling insurance or if you're selling cars or if you're selling houses.

So always remember when you're looking at closing material, stop thinking as if there's one close that will work in every single scenario. No, different closes, different scenarios, different situations for different products, for different kinds of customers, for different kinds of relationships that you have with them. So that is all for today. Let me run before I'm late. And yeah, so if you've got any sales and marketing questions,

then bring them to me. You can call, you can ask them. So you can WhatsApp me on 08064662140. Thank you very much for your time and attention. I'll catch you there, listener, at the next episode.