6 of 7: Should I Buy? Moving Your Prospect to Close

• July 21, 2020

Closing the sale is plainly and simply asking for the business, confirming the sale or the achievement of a “desired outcome.” It is the ultimate moment of truth. Are we doing this or not? The closing comes in many forms and it may bring anxiety to the sales professional. Human nature may involve a certain fear of rejection. Who wants to be told no, or they are not being selected? If you have engaged with all of the steps of the Mindful Sales process, and your potential customer is aligned with your product or service, closing should be a natural and stress-free part of the process. Whether or not you are selected is something you can learn from. Keep your dignity throughout both winning or not winning the business, and this will be rewarded in the future (think referrals, etc.).
If you consider the previous example of purchasing a home, our realtor asked trial close questions as we walked through each room. “How do you like the kitchen?” “Do you see yourself entertaining in the backyard?” “These cabinets are dated; however, you could easily paint them or maybe change them out. Does that sound like something you would be interested in doing?” After completing the walkthrough, she attempted to close the sale by stating, “It sounds like you really liked the location, the general condition and the overall layout of this home,” and then she asked, “Would you like to make an offer on this home?” The answer was easy. “Yes,” we replied. If we could get the home at the price we were willing to pay, we were ready to complete the purchase. After two rounds of negotiation with the seller, we arrived at a mutually agreeable price, and we purchased the property.

How to integrate mindfulness into this step:

The trial close/close step is commonly believed to be the hardest step of the sales process. Therefore it is a huge opportunity for you to infuse mindful practices. In Holly’s book, Mindful Leadership The A to Z Guide for Stress-Free Leadership, she provides a mindful leadership practice and coloring mandala for every step of the Mindful Sales process. The corresponding mandalas for the “T” in Trial the “C” in Close are Trust and Center, respectively. As you grow your mindfulness practice, trust and continuously refer to the seven steps and you will be guided on what to do, what not to do, and how to move to the highest and best outcome of every sales exchange.

Eric Szymanski is a C-Suite Network Advisor and an award-winning co-author of Sell More, Stress Less: 52 Tips to Become a Mindful Sales Professional.  He is an American hospitality industry professional with extensive sales & marketing leadership experience. Eric has demonstrated success in leading high-performing sales teams through planning, implementing and monitoring actionable sales and marketing plans at hotels and resorts of all sizes, including city-center, convention district, airport and attractions areas. He has a proven track record of success at all levels through the achievement of both individual and team goals for several 1st tier, globally recognized brands such as Disney, Marriott, Hilton & Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

Throughout his career, Eric has created authentic, world-class experiences while volunteering at all levels in several meetings industry associations. In 2018, Eric was recognized with the top individual sales award in the convention sales division at The Walt Disney Company. In 2002, he was recognized as Caterer of the Year by the Orlando, Florida Chapter of the National Association of Catering Executives. He is an avid runner, choral music performer & father of twin daughters who entered college in the fall of 2019. Visit www.MindfulSalesTraining.com for more on how you can work with Eric.