CLOSING THE SALE
(January/February 2003 Issue)

Here's a brief but sweet tidbit that is designed to help you close more sales. Whether you're in private practice offering a full career consulting package, or simply offering part, like testing or resume preparation, this tip will work well.

Traditionally, the sales process goes in these three steps,
1) Listen to find the customer's need,
2) make a presentation showing how you can meet those needs -- focusing on benefits more than features, then
3) you give the price and handle 'stalls' and 'objections' in the close.

This system works, but it puts you at the mercy of the customer because you have no leverage. Once you've presented, you've shot your wad. That almost puts you in the 'begging' position at the end -- an arm wrestling contest trying to close the sale. If you can "hold off" giving a presentation until you have a buying signal from the prospect, you'll have more leverage. They're eager to hear your presentation so you can use that eagerness as leverage, "I'll give you my presentation," you say, "but I want to know, first, that if it solves your problems, that you'll buy."

Here's a different model that can give you that type of control of the sales process. Instead of 1-Listen, 2-Present, 3-Price and Close, you can change the sequence.
Try 1-Listen, 2-Price and Close, 3-Present.

What?? Close a sale before making a presentation? Yes!

The key phrase you'll need to do this is, "What's at risk if you do this alone?"

You see, in Career Consulting and Resume Writing, it's not a matter of IF they're going to get another job or promotion, it's a question of are they going to do it alone or (hopefully) with your help. It's not like buying a car or couch or software training -- things you can decide to do without. When someone's in the career change market, they're going to make a change one way or another. You want them to use you to help them do it better.

The key perception change you want, then, is not "Wow, how much will this cost me?" But, rather, "Wow, how much is this going to make/save me?"

Let's examine this, first, in the context of a sale of a whole package. You've spent time listening to the person's woes, pointed out the things they're not doing as well as they should. You now say, "Well, Mr. Prospect, it's time for me to tell you how we work together, what's involved on your part, what's involved on mine. I'll go over the sequence of things we'll work on and give you some rough time frames for getting our task accomplished on the way to getting you to your new job. Before I do that, though, I wonder if you've given any thought of what's at risk if you continue to do your job/career search alone? Can you tell me your thoughts about that?

Don't describe your services until the prospect can "justify" the need for help. The need for help is based on their problems/pains, not on your services. If s/he can't justify your help, it’s not worth making the presentation, is it? No one's going to buy something if they can't point out the value.

Go for specifics. [Their response] Ask, "Hmmm, that's true, isn't it? Tell me, what do you think the actual financial risks might be of doing it alone? How much money over the next 3-5 years might be at risk if you keep managing your job/career search the way you've been doing it?

When you get a number, you can quote your price. Say, "Hmmm. Well the fee to work with me is $_____. If you thought I could lessen the risk in the areas you just spoke about, does that fit with your budget?

Again... if they don't have two nickels to rub together, why spend 30 minutes telling them what you do? They can't buy it anyway. This goes for smaller packages, too: like a resume.

1.) Listen How well is your present resume working for you?
--What would you like to change on it?
--What have you tried so far and has it worked?
--etc.
--etc.

Once you've established that they're not happy with it, don’t go into what you'll do to fix it -- yet! Instead, say, "Well, if you thought that you could get a better response from a resume worked out with an expert, what do you think you could gain from that?"

"Hmmmm and what's a risk if you do it alone?"

2.) Price and Close
Do you think that there's as much as, say, $1000 at risk to keep a less than terrific resume? Well, my rates for handling the resume with you would be $450 --how does that compare with your budget?

3.) Present Once you have the prospect clear about the risks of doing it alone, then make your presentation. If the presentation is clear enough and the prospect sees that you can actually deliver "better than on your own" services, the sale is already made!

Listen, Present, Price and Close? No.

Listen, Price and Close, Present!!

Jack Chapman is author of:
Negotiating Your Salary: How to Make $1000 a Minute
He is a career consultant in private practice and runs ongoing support and training teleconference sessions for career consultants in private practice.
He can be reached at 847-251-4727 or jkchapman@aol.com.