Let’s talk about closing the sale.
As an experienced Sales Team Leader, you know the close is the easiest of the 12 Pillars of Persuasion to execute!
The close of the sales presentation brings all the pieces of the puzzle together. All the work your salesperson has done up to this point will be rejected or rewarded in a few short minutes. If the agent has done a sloppy job, even the perfect prospect will “stall.”
There is a difference between having the prospect move forward willingly as opposed to dragging them along. The minute any resistance is felt from the prospect, the salesperson must stop to determine what they may have missed.
By answering the 21 qualifying questions as presented in Pillar #6, the prospect moves closer to a buying decision. The salesperson now acts as a guide toward acquiring a specific single property. One should never try to close a sale before a choice of a specific residence is made.
It’s difficult to understand how a prospect can state this property is exactly what they want, yet when the time comes to commit and sign, they hesitate. Keep in mind this is typical of most people because the majority of individuals are not decision makers. In fact, of the four DISC behavioral styles, only the “D” behavioral style has the ability to be decisive, and only 12 percent of the population have “D” the behavioral style. This means most people not only lack a natural capability to make a decision, but they also resist making them. A better understanding of how the decision-making process works can help your sales agent move the prospect forward.
The close still requires a lot of control by the prepared sales agent.
Pillar 7 - Taking a property off the market - sets the stage for the close. Once a salesperson hears something like, “Well, how do we do that?”, they should proceed by saying:
“We can proceed with a simple reservation agreement and a small deposit, which officially takes the unit off the market for 24 hours protecting you from other buyers.”
If the prospect asks, “How small of a deposit?”, respond with:
“Whatever is comfortable for you.”Pause to allow the suggestion to sink in for a minute.
“This will protect you 100% once I get the PAPERWORK approved by my manager. It is non-binding, will take the pressure off, and will protect you 100 percent from anybody else stepping in and purchasing the property for 24 hours.
"Can you help me fill out this reservation?
If any hesitancy occurs with signing the Option/Reservation form, it is time to get the prospect face-to-face with a manager.
“Mr. Prospect, let's see if Mr. Manager is available to help protect this option for you. We don’t want somebody else stealing this out from under you, don’t you agree?" (Pause)
"If that happens, we both lose!” Lightly nod.
What happens if you are working with a prospect remotely? When the prospect confirms they are interested in taking the unit off the market, the salesperson should state:
“We can proceed with a simple reservation agreement and a small deposit, I will email you the paperwork immediately with instructions on how to make a deposit. I will need the scan of a signed reservation agreement returned immediately with wire confirmation. This will protect your interest in this unit until the purchase agreement is ready.
"Timing is everything!
Analysis Paralysis will kill the deal! A salesperson’s job is to help the prospect sense the URGENCY and SCARCITY. Once they select a property, an agent’s job is to trigger their EMOTIONS with fear of loss.
With time and practice, your salespeople will come to enjoy closing sales, but until they’ve seen it done numerous times, they will need their manager or the help of a senior sales team member.
