It is famously known that closing the sale is easier than initiating the first call but in actuality closing the sale is more nerve-wracking, stress-inducing and challenging. Closing the call or deal is most often the downfall of many telesales agents. It may start off great but if the final hurdle falls short, then there goes the sale along with your effort, enthusiasm and energy. While it is important to attract leads, make compelling calls, create impressive conversation starters, generate promising opportunities, etc it is also important to close your deals effectively, efficiently and on the spot.
Source: Klozers
Conventional wisdom may say that prospecting efficiently and developing grand solutions for your callers is the easiest way to sales success but the most important part of your journey as a telesales agent will depend on your knowledge of effective closing practices and techniques. While closing sales may come more naturally to some, others will benefit from learning to implement these tips and tricks to better their closing techniques. Here are some tried and tested closing hints and hacks at helping you close more deals.
- Cut down on the small talk
I’ve noticed that customers get less annoyed and more open to listening about what you have to sell if you are not taking too much of their time making small talk. Little is okay but going overboard will get you in the block list.
– Josh, telesales agent at VOIZ
That little bit of small talk done at the beginning of the conversation is essential in creating a rapport with your client by being friendly and natural is fine. The part where that goes on and on is what we are referring to. The customer you are pitching to is not your buddy, so remember that when you are extending the pleasantries and niceties. Prospects are busy and are irked when subjected to distractions and time-wasting. Introduce yourself, say hello and get to the point.
- Eliminate filler words
My biggest learning lesson was when I stopped talking to a customer like how I would speak to my mom or friend. We tend to use a lot of ‘uh’, ‘aah’, ‘um’ when we’re talking to people we know but taking that to a sales call is a big no-no. Learned it the hard way as my callers would either hang up the phone or get irritated while I would speak as I used a lot of oh’s and aahs and mm’s. Once I reduced that, the conversation felt more natural and I saved more time, focused on the customer and got the deal closed faster.
– Devi, telesales agent at VOIZ
It is normal to use “um”, “er”, “ah”, “uh”, “mm-hmm” etc. These are collectively termed filler words. Don’t beat yourself about using them but be conscious about making an effort at eliminating them. Some suggestions with which you can do that is by
- Being conscious of what you are saying and being aware of the filler words that you have the tendency to overuse.
- Focus on keeping the customer interested, which tends to automatically reduce your chances of using these words.
- Listen to good communicators and how they grasp attention without overusing these filler words.
- Tone it down on the enthusiasm
Over-enthusiasm kills the chances of having a successful sale. Being friendly is one thing but forgetting that to be welcomed at theri Sunday family dinner is not the goal. Keep the hello-hi lite and get to the point as soon as possible.
Dubey, telesales agent at VOIZ
The best telesales agents are focused and highly motivated on closing every sale successfully. These agents are considered best also because they know the difference between being a professional seller from being an aggressively enthusiastic seller. This might feel a bit counter-intuitive but by overdoing the enthusiasm part of it, you are only pushing people away.
Moderation is key. By being modestly and moderately enthusiastic and optimistic and demonstrating your faith in the product or service will sway customers to the purchasing side of it. Toning down also means that you’ll have more time to help customers discover solutions through discussions by understanding their needs and matching a product to fit them.
- No trash talking your competitors
Big No-no. While you may think that doing so is a savvy way of getting customers on your side, by talking poorly about your competition, you are only driving your customers away from your products.
Kris, telesales agent at VOIZ
Before you employ this as a tactic, always remember the phrase, “it takes one to know one”. If customers do ask you for an opinion about your competitor, don’t dismiss it but also do not bad mouth your competitor even if they are not doing as well as you are. And doing so can also prove to be dangerous for you as can be accused of libellous slander, making you look worse than your competitor. Instead, concentrate on making your product look like the better offer.
- Try to be authentically likeable
Something that the movies have thankfully gotten right when it comes to sales is that the nice guy does always tend to win.
Ritul, telesales agent at VOIZ
Customers are extremely intuitive when it comes to things like this. And likability plays a vital role in closing the deal. Building a relationship with the customer is key. By asking relevant questions and by wholesomely answering theirs, you are not only reassuring the customer but also establishing the legitimacy of the seller. Trust us, it becomes twice as hard to sell a product to a customer who has taken an immediate dislike towards their telesales representative.
- Demonstrate Value
Don’t just sell features, sell value. Make it easy for your prospect to understand the benefit your product/service provides.
Jeet, telesales agent at VOIZ
You need to entice your customers into being fully interested in the product or service you are trying to sell them. In order to do that, do not just keep talking about the features of the product, it is also important for you to lay down all the details of the service or product that can motivate the customer to buy the product. Market the product in a way that benefits the customer while essentially also weaving an emotional relationship with the product. Listen to your customer and understand their pain points. After which you will be able to position your product or service in a way that can effectively sell the product.
- Lead the way but don’t control the call
Sure, be a sharpshooter. Customers appreciate that. Makes them feel you value their time but by trying to control and dominate the conversation, your customers are going to feel like you don’t respect them, to begin with.
Jyoti, telesales and customer support agent at VOIZ
Customers are most likely going to interrupt someone who is trying to control and monopolize a conversation. A lot of salespeople believe that controlling the call means that it’ll translate into a direct sale and this could not be further from the truth. Ask open-ended questions that make customers feel like they are the priority here For instance, instead of saying “How many can I put you down for?”, say “How does that work for you?”. By being more suggestive without being authoritative, you are putting the ball in the customer’s court.
Some additional psychological tips on closing sales include:
- Always be customer-focused
Try to connect with them first and feel their requirements before offering your solution.
- Always be well prepared with multiple sales closing techniques in advance.
- Always be proactive
Don’t be intrusive but understand customer interactions in advance and think about all possible objections and ways to tackle them.
- Always be persistent and do not give up no matter what
If you have a better idea now of closing sales, then hop on our website and sign up now to get started as a telesales agent.