9 Key Steps to Closing BIGGER Sales

A client recently called me with some very good news. She had been hired by a large company to do several projects for them. She was so excited she could hardly contain herself. She had been working hard on growing her business for several years and it was beginning to pay off.

I told her this didn’t happen by luck. She had created a clear and concise step-by-step sales action plan and had diligently and consistently followed each step. Let’s take a look at the steps she followed that led to her business success.

1. Know your niche. Be clear about the market/industry you want to go after. Often new business owners make the mistake of being generalists because they want any business they can get. Be specific about who is your ideal client and put all your energy in that direction. Get yourself known as a specialist in one area rather than trying to be an expert in everything.
   
   
2. Ask for referrals. There’s “low-hanging fruit” right under your nose. If a client is satisfied with you, they’ll be happy to help you. Ask happy clients if there is anyone they know who you can call. If your client works within a large organization, figure out the department you want to call and then ask the client who they know in that department. This is the first step my client took, so do this early on!
   
   
3. Get the meeting. When calling the prospect for a meeting, introduce yourself, give the name of your referral and state the purpose of your call. If they know and respect your referral source, you’ve opened the door to getting the meeting. Don’t wait to say who referred you. Let the prospect know immediately who referred you.
   
   
4. Visualize getting the business. Close your eyes and actually see yourself walking into the meeting with confidence, having a great meeting and then getting the business. Do the visualization a few times the day before, as well as before you go to sleep and on the way to your meeting. How you come across as soon as you walk in the door sets the tone for the whole meeting.
   
   
5. Prepare an effective presentation. Create a complete presentation of what you want to cover at the meeting. I’ve created a PowerPoint presentation of The Sales Breakthrough System. I also bring a marketing folder that includes a list of my programs, with descriptions of each, a bio, client list and testimonials. Whether it’s a visual presentation or a brochure, you want to show something to the prospect that will enhance your professionalism and make an impact.
   
   
6. Practice your presentation. Practice what you’re going to say. This includes an opening statement, a run-through of your presentation, responses to objections they may have, questions they may ask, questions you might ask—especially asking for their business—finally, closing for next steps.
   
   
7. Establish a connection. Connect with the prospect by looking at them throughout the meeting. Do not talk over them, talk directly to them. You will come across as someone who is warm, confident and in control. This is a valuable skill if you’re meeting with a group. Speak to each person for 4-5 seconds, and then move to another person. You’ll find each one will pay more attention to what you say.
   
   
8. Outline the Next Steps. At the end of the meeting summarize for the prospect what has been discussed and agreed to. Then take out your calendar, asking the prospect to do the same, and write in what the next steps are. Never leave without knowing what the next steps are.
   
   
9. Follow Up. As soon as you return to your office, summarize in an e-mail what was covered during the meeting and the next action steps you and the prospect have agreed to take. Send the memo to the prospect the next day. Include due dates for each action step and be sure to fulfill what you said you would do.

© 2008. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission from Rochelle Togo-Figa, Professional Sales Coach, is prohibited.

If you would like to use this article on your website, or for your own ezine, not a problem; however, there’s one thing you MUST include: Rochelle Togo-Figa, The Sales Breakthrough Expert, is the creator of the Sales Breakthrough System™, a proven step-by-step sales process that will help you close more sales, sign on more clients and make more money with ease and velocity. To sign up for her free sales articles and teleclasses on closing more sales, visit www.SalesBreakthroughs.com.

Are You Ready to Make the BIG Change?

Do you know the feeling of excitement when you make the decision to take on something new in your business? It could be you’ve made the decision to finally do that workshop, or design a new product or program, or write a book. You feel exhilarated because you’re finally fulfilling your life purpose. You’re about to take a quantum leap in your business! You’ve now created a bigger game to play in your business.

As you begin to make changes, you may notice different emotions are beginning to surface. That excitement you’re feeling has changed to fear and you’re beginning to feel very uncomfortable.

You see, the second you leave your comfort zone, it’s likely you may experience discomfort and resistance. Since all positive changes take place outside the comfort zone, change can be painful. The very moment most people feel the pain, they pull back inside the comfort zone. This is the reason why many people fail to improve themselves or create lasting changes in their lives: They are unwilling to put up with the pain of change.

Here are some things to notice about change:

• Some people embrace change and some people resist it.
  


• Change makes some people feel uncomfortable…so uncomfortable that they may even become ill.
  


• When thinking about change, the mind automatically thinks what it has to give up to make the change.
  


• Making changes may bring up fear of losing security and fear of failure.
  


• People will come up with excuses, reasons and circumstances as to why they cannot change.
  


• If they feel the pressure, they’ll withdraw and retreat to the way it was before.

And as people about to make the BIG change in their businesses and income, and take on doing something they’ve never done before, many people hit the “Panic Wall.” The Panic Wall is the place a lot of people hit when they’ve taken on a bigger game in their businesses. We call it the “breakdown” before the “breakthrough.” Suddenly you’re flooded with self doubts, the fear of failing, and lots of reasons not to take action.

All of these things happening are not unusual. You’ve made a decision to take a BIG leap in your business and all your fears have surfaced. There’s now a gap between where you are and where you want to be. The structure you had in place no longer supports you in what you’re up to next. Whenever we stretch ourselves and step outside our comfort zone, the “ego” will fight like crazy to keep us playing small, fearing annihilation. The ego is the part of us that wants to protect us from repeating past disappointments; therefore, keeping us from moving forward.

The Panic Wall is when the old paradigm mixes with new beliefs. Part of you really, really wants to make the quantum leap, but the other part of you known as ego is afraid of letting go of what it already knows. This is where successful people feel the discomfort and stay the course while others pull back and retreat.

At this point, many of your limiting thoughts, beliefs, and fears are screaming louder in your head than ever before. Thoughts like:

• I’m just not ready to do this yet.
• I don’t have what it takes.
• I’ll never be successful.
• I’m not smart enough.
• This isn’t going to work.
• There’s too much to do.

These limiting thoughts are not the truth. It’s your ego trying with all it’s might to keep you small. In the short term, you may feel better; however, if you let the ego win, you’ll never experience what’s possible once you get to the other side.

The only way to go from your “breakdown” to your “breakthrough” is to stay in action. Experiencing a breakthrough in your business means stretching yourself beyond your comfort zone.

When I speak about “stretching beyond your comfort zone,” your comfort zone could be the fear of losing your security or losing love. To break through to the other side and make your quantum leap, you have to be willing to be with the discomfort for a brief period of time. It takes being:

• Courageous
• Believing
• Committed
• Persevering
• Staying in action
• Being in communication with others (During this time it’s important to reach out to people you trust such as a mentor, coach, and mastermind group.)

The Panic Wall is strongest the first time you experience it because you’ve never been to this place before. The place you’re in during this time is very uncomfortable and the discomfort can be so intense that many people will give up and retreat to what’s familiar. But if you’re willing to be with the discomfort and follow the steps I mentioned, you will make a quantum leap!

Your Assignment:

How badly do you want to take that quantum leap and be successful? If you’re willing to do what it takes to make the changes, here are some ways to keep moving forward.

• Be courageous, believe in your dream/purpose, make the commitment, stay in action, and be in communication with others.
  


• When you hit the Panic Wall, recognize the following:
  
  
• Understand it is only temporary.
  
  
• You’re on the cusp of a HUGE breakthrough.
  
  
• Write out a vision of what you want to achieve and how it looks when you do achieve your vision (be vivid and specific).
  


• Spend some alone time reading your vision daily and visualizing how it feels when you achieve your vision.
  


• Declare it (write a bold statement declaring your intention, “I declare I will write that book!”).
  


• Share your Declaration with at least five people you trust and feel safe with. (The more frequently you speak aloud your Declaration, the more you will believe it.)

© 2009. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission from Rochelle Togo-Figa, Professional Sales Coach, is prohibited.

If you would like to use this article on your website, or for your own ezine, not a problem; however, there’s one thing you MUST include: Rochelle Togo-Figa, The Sales Breakthrough Expert, is the creator of the Sales Breakthrough System™, a proven step-by-step sales process that will help you close more sales, sign on more clients and make more money with ease and velocity. To sign up for her free sales articles and teleclasses on closing more sales, visit http://www.salesbreakthroughs.com/.

5 Tips For Turning A Prospect's "No"

"No, I'm not interested." This response from a prospect has the power to send chills down your spine. It's an answer you may have heard more times than you'd like to count!

The truth is, in sales you are going to hear "no" a lot more than you are going to hear "yes." Keep in mind that all you need to hear is one "yes" to get a sale. If you are persistent, you may very well get to change a "no" to a "yes" much more often than you think.

What do you do when a prospect says "no"? Chances are you might simply listen, retreat, and hang up the phone. You may think the prospect isn't interested in your product, then cross the name off your list, never to call again. Wrong! You're eliminating a future sales opportunity.

It takes approximately 7 follow-ups or more to close a sale. It's good news to know that with persistence and good follow-up, a "no" for now can be turned into a "yes" later on. You just have to persevere and get past the seventh "no" or the third "I'm not ready yet" to get the sale. Realize that it's not personal. They're saying "no" to the product (for now), not to you.

Here are (5) tips that will help you move the prospect from "no" to "yes":

1. Create a timetable. Ask the prospect: "Does this mean you're not interested now or not interested forever?" If she or he responds, "I'm not interested at this time," ask if you can touch base in a couple of weeks or months. The prospect will let you know when you can call back.
   
   
2. Open a dialogue. Ask the prospect: "I'm curious as to why you're not interested." A client of mine did just that when trying to get an appointment with a prospect. She simply asked why. The prospect opened up and gave her a lot of information. My client displayed genuine interest in what the prospect had to say, and the prospect sensed that. They talked for quite awhile. My client ended up getting an appointment.
   
   
3. Be persistent. When the prospect says, "I'm not interested," you can respond by saying, "Many of my clients had the same response when I first called, before they saw what we can do for them." Then share any success stories with similar companies you've worked with.
   
   
4. Do not take it personally. Don't let the "no" mean anything more than what it is. "No, I'm not interested" doesn't mean you are being rejected. It means they're only rejecting the offer for now.
   
   
5. Remember some "yes" experiences. When you think about it, you've been hearing "no" since you were a kid, and it probably never stopped you. Imagine yourself as a child. Perhaps you were with your mom in the supermarket and you really, really wanted a candy bar. The response might have been, "No, it's too close to dinnertime!" Did you take "no" for an answer? Absolutely not. You asked again and again and again, each time committed to convincing your mother that you could eat the candy bar and still eat all your dinner. Finally, after at least (7) more tries, Mom probably gave in. Congratulations! You didn't give up. You got the candy bar! You kept going back in and moved your mother from a "no" to a "yes."

When you really want something in your life that's important to you, nothing stands in the way. So why not bring those same qualities to your business?

© 2009. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission from Rochelle Togo-Figa, Professional Sales Coach, is prohibited.

If you would like to use this article on your website, or for your own ezine, not a problem; however, there’s one thing you MUST include: Rochelle Togo-Figa, The Sales Breakthrough Expert, is the creator of the Sales Breakthrough System™, a proven step-by-step sales process that will help you close more sales, sign on more clients and make more money with ease and velocity. To sign up for her free sales articles and teleclasses on closing more sales, visit www.SalesBreakthroughs.com.