Follow Up and Close the Sale summary

Research shows that buyers tend to say no four times before saying yes. But it seems like many salespeople haven't gotten the memo. In fact, the average salesperson doesn’t follow up more than twice, and 92 percent of salespeople give up after talking to someone four times. That’s an awful lot of missed opportunities.

So, why do so many salespeople give up so easily? It all comes down to resistance.

Every salesperson wants to close the sale right off the bat, but the reality is that you’re better served thinking about following up during the initial meeting. Though you should definitely ask for the sale, be prepared for a broader conversation for the buyer who needs more time. If you think of it as a longer conversation with more than one stage, you’re able to take the right information from that initial meeting and create a stronger follow-up.

Every time you connect with your customers, it allows you to give them a personal touch that shows that you care. Even if it takes more than one, two, or even three follow-ups, each one gets you closer to the sale while keeping your buyers’ emotional attitude at full flight.

The business of selling is a challenge, but so is the business of buying. Think of the last time you were in the market for an extravagant purchase, like a new flat-screen TV. Like most people, you probably did a little research – browsing options at Costco and reading reviews on Amazon, for example. Suddenly, the choices become overwhelming. Which brand do you buy? What seller should you buy it from? And why? How many pixels does a screen really need anyway?

With all these choices, it's no wonder it’s difficult for buyers to make a decision. And they need a way to simplify their options. So, they engage in a process of elimination. And your job as a salesperson is to make sure your product doesn’t get eliminated.

You know the importance of the follow-up, but how should you go about it? Should you follow up with a face-to-face meeting, a phone call, or maybe even a recorded video message? Most sales professionals tend to choose the option that’s most comfortable, which is usually email. But this is a dangerous approach.

Email seems to be the most non-intrusive and less awkward way to communicate. You don’t have to worry about putting a customer on the spot, and you’re able to avoid hearing the dreaded no. Unfortunately, the written form is no substitute for a face-to-face meeting or a phone call. Shore argues that you should barely think of email as a communication medium at all.

Life doesn’t always go to plan, and neither do sales. But that doesn’t mean you should give up.

Shore had that happen to him a few years ago when he was about to purchase a top-of-the-range mountain bike. The salesperson thought the deal was in the bag, but then, Shore had an accident. With his leg injured, the bike was no longer a smart choice. He stopped returning the salesperson’s calls.