Here are three steps that can be done before, during and at the end of each call that will help you increase your closing ratio, courtesy of sales trainer and author Bill Farber.

1. Prepare. Mental preparation is the key to an effective sales call. What do you want to accomplish? It may be a good idea to play out the call in your mind beforehand. Prospects become customers when you solve problems for them. It’s a good idea to try to pinpoint possible problems as you plan the call.
2. Position. How do you best position who you are and what you’re selling on that first call? Some salespeople begin selling before they listen to the prospect’s position. The best way to get a sense of a customer’s objectives is by asking and listening. Give prospects a simplistic description of your ideas. Then focus on what’s in it for them.
3. Propose. It’s a good idea to develop your proposal from the prospect’s point of view. Prospects want services and products that perform in a consistent and dependable fashion. They also want salespeople to do what they say they’re going to do when they say they’re going to do it. Once you’ve studied the prospect carefully and identified solutions, ask for the business. If you’ve executed the other two steps properly, closing should be the easiest step of all.

Tags: closing, sales call