Salesmanship is a critical skill necessary for all fitness professionals to master. Whether you like it or not, much of your livelihood will depend on whether or not you can “close the deal.” And just like any other skill, you can always improve on your ability to sell others on you and your services.
Here are 6 unique sales tips that will improve your salesmanship:
1) Know the difference between a prospect and a client. A prospect is someone who is interested in learning more about you and your services. A client is someone who has made the commitment and hired you by paying you money to train them.
2) It’s NEVER a sale until you have the money in your hand. That is why it is imperative you obtain payment before the meeting has ended. Too many things could happen to make the prospect change their mind if they haven’t committed any money to becoming physically fit. When money exchanges hands only then does the prospect become a client.
3) Be sure you set a distinct consultation time when you are trying to sell them your services. In other words, don’t try to “sell on the fly.” If you know it takes you a minimum of 45 minutes to close a sale then be 100% certain before the meeting starts your prospect has allotted that amount of time in their schedule. It’s your job to make sure they know exactly how long the meeting is going to take. Never assume anything. People are extremely busy and the last thing you want is for your prospect to leave before you have had a chance to close your sale.
4) Create a list of questions to ask prospects to determine whether or not they would make a good client. You don’t need to meet with every single prospect who in interested in hiring you. If you don’t feel someone would make a good client, someone who would become a “walking billboard” for you, then feel free to turn them away. Your time is too valuable to spend talking to people who aren’t serious about doing what it takes to get the results they claim they want.
5) Find out what your prospect wants to achieve and then explain to them how you can go about helping them achieve that. NEVER abdicate your expertise by allowing them to pick a training package based on price alone. When you present several options and ask your prospect to choose it is the same thing as saying “I’m really not an expert and I don’t know what I’m doing.”
6) If they become a paying client, before leaving your meeting you should give them one last chance to back out of the deal. Why? Because it allows you to alleviate and concerns they may have while you are still face to face. You want to be sure when you leave your meeting the new client is 100% committed to working with you. Otherwise, there is always a chance they will have buyer’s remorse and seek to back out of your deal. This gives you your best chance of eliminating that possibility.
These tips are easy to follow and will improve your salesmanship considerably. They will save you enormous amounts of time and effort.
|
Jim Labadie |
More Ideas for closing sales deals:
Get beyond “yes”: Time is your enemy. Once you’ve gotten your target to agree in principle that you’re going to make this deal, move them as quickly as possible toward getting it into writing. That’s because into the narrow opening between “yes” and signing on the dotted line can creep things common sales problems like second thoughts, competition or unforeseen events. So if you get a verbal expression of interest, then move resolutely toward a verbal commitment, then as quickly as possible to a written agreement that hopefully closes out the sales cycle.
Create a sense of urgency: Sometimes the person on the other end of the deal will be happy to close it – when they can get around to it. Timing may be much more important to you. So if necessary, you want to create a sense of urgency to get their commitment, and that may require some final concessions to refocus their attention. This may involve offering a 2% greater discount, net-30 terms instead of net-10 requirements, or offering a two-year service agreement instead of one-year coverage. You’ll know what it takes.
Use the threat of competition: Unfortunately, in order to get the other side to close, sometimes an entrepreneur will have to get them to understand that if they don’t do the deal with you, you’ll do the deal with someone else. Sometimes this involves bluffing, sometimes enhancing the appeal of what you’re offering. But if you can convince the target of your deal making that you’re doing something that’s going to become powerful, everybody wants a piece of that.
Generate “late-breaking news”: Throughout the relationship-building and negotiating process and beyond, be funneling helpful new information to the other party. This might be a press release about a new product, a copy of a story about your business that you’ve managed to land in the local newspaper, the result of a new independent test of your service, or that one last testimonial from an existing customer that you’re keeping in your back pocket.
Be prepared to not close: The reality is that most deals don’t close, if you measure by the number of potential relationships and transactions that your company pursues. Something happens. There isn’t a fit. The timing isn’t right. You must disdain losing any deal and fight hard to land every last one. But you also need to be sober about the percentages – so you can raise them.
Closing Must Be Organic
Of course, every deal worth its salt must not be lopsided – it should stem either from mutual compromise or a true “win-win” scenario. And empathy goes a long way.
“The deal is actually closed before the deal happens. Courting and building relationships over time are the only guarantees of succeeding in closing a deal. And that can take years.
“Be the best listener you can. Hear the other guy’s pain; what can you do to solve it? And if there’s pleasure you can add to his equation, focus on that.
“Tricks aren’t good: If you need them, you’re not in position to close anyway. Create true value. That’s what will help you sell faster at the price you want.”
Our Bottom Line:
The last thing you want to have happen is see your hard work throughout the sales cycle come to naught – so learning the sales techniques you need to become a more effective sales closer is vital. Closing is like eating your spinach – it’s something you may hate to do, but doing it well can be the strength of your business-development efforts.
Sponsored by: Fitness Life Marketing 1-888-541-0714 ext2
Article Research Contributor: Amerishape Weight Loss