My job is selling technology. Actually I'm more of a translator. I sell technology to other businesses and that's where things get weird. There is a bewildering array of tech out there and unfortunately many companies think technology sells itself and the value that the technology delivers should be obvious. Wrong. That's where I come in. I said I was a translator. My job is to translate techno babble into value that customers understand. This blog share my adventures with high tech sales. Selling high tech is fun so come join me on my sales journey!

Wednesday, 6 February 2013

Romantic Sales #4: ABC of love

February is the most romantic month of the year. In the lead-up to Valentine's day we are encouraging you to be romantic with your selling by sharing our Romantic Sales tips.  We'll cover the top 10 tips to spice up your sales in time for Valentine's day. Make February 14th the day you start Romancing Your Customers.

Tip # 4: ABC of love
This isn't about that 1980's classic song The Look of Love by ABC but about closing.

ABC = Always Be Closing

Closing is not Romantic. ABC should be 

ABC = Always Be Casanova

So why isn't Closing Romantic?  It works in transactional sales where the likelihood of the sale falling away after the first date drops off a staggering 80%.  The same applies to the world of dating - you need to be Closing all the time when you are out on the pull if you are operating on a one night stand policy. 

Complex sales are rarely ever closed on a first date - the buyer needs to be slowly seduced into a sale, building lust and desire for your product. It may take 5 or more dates for love to blossom.

Closing is like asking for sex.  If you went on a first date and and kept asking for sex you would turn your prospect off and blow your chances of a second date.  

If you are a little more sophisticated, you might save the close for the end of the night and ask in your best seductive voice "Would you like to come back to mine for a coffee?".

Closing creates pressure to make a decision. If the buyer isn't in the mood then applying pressure will invoke either a fight or flight mechanism.  Your desirable prospect will either secumb, put up barriers to your advances or run for the hills.

Recall a torrid romance you've had.  You didn't need to close to jump into the sack - a  look was often enough without a word spoken to be tearing each others clothes off. I'm sure Casanova didn't "always close" to achieve his conquests.  He romanced his customers into a sale where 
it seemed the most natural thing to do.

So this Valentine's day stop closing and start being Casanova.

No comments:

Post a Comment