You may find it interesting that our top sales performers we work with here at Engage Selling Solutions all look at closing a deal in an unconventional way.
Where many people tend to consider a deal closed when a signature is quickly jotted at the end of a contract, top performers only consider a deal closed when the client is using the product and is fully enabled. ← Click To Tweet
Once you start looking at closing in this new light, it begins to reap a wide array of benefits.
When you begin attending implementation meetings, following up with your client via e-mail or by calling them, you eliminate the chances of the client experiencing buyer’s remorse. You also ensure that the customer is happy with not only you and your service, but also with the team you have assigned to handle their consulting, implementation or training.
This new perspective on closed deals also helps you spot new opportunities. This point is critical in creating a non-stop sales boom which we encourage every seller to strive for! When you remain active by the side of your new client and are on site with your product’s users, as well their leaders, advocates and managers, you create new opportunities to upsell and cross-sell. These opportunities arise even before your project is complete.
Want an example? I used to work in the technology sector at OpenText. During my time there, I made it a point to always attend the kick off meetings. Something incredible (but predictable) began to happen. I met a wide range of people who had their own set of needs, requirements, and came from their own respective departments. As a result, I was able to fill my pipeline with brand new opportunities and was able grow within that organization immediately. It goes without saying, these new opportunities closed faster than they would’ve if they were brand new sales, because a relationship with the client had already been fostered.
All of these brand new opportunities can be created by making a simple shift in your definition of closing a sale. You need to stop defining a closed sale as a handshake or a signed contract, instead, only consider a sale truly closed after you have enabled your client.
This simple shift in definition alone can fill your pipeline much quicker, and more efficiently than traditional methods. Not to mention, you are doing your part in ensuring your client remains happy with you, your product and your team.
How has changing your philosophy on closing deals benefited you and your team?