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Selling to the Small Business Part 5: Closing the Deal

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21 January 2009 - 1:34pm
Submitted by: melaniefeeney

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Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you move towards the final stage of securing your customer.

Allocate the right amount of time to the meeting.
There is nothing worse than telling a customer you need about 5 minutes of his time only to find that he takes you at your word gives you 5 minutes between meetings. No matter how large or small the business is, make sure you set aside enough time to cover all aspects of the proposal, and time at the end to answer any additional questions. Don't try to cram in the meeting between client visits and leaving for the beach for the weekend.

Know when you can start
Be prepared with a start date. If the customer accepts the proposal, he'll have an idea when he wants you to start. Don't delay giving him a date by not having your updated calendar to hand.

Make sure you have all your documentation
You'll need copies of the proposal for the customer and maybe the accountant of the firm, so it's a good idea to get a few extra copies so you can distribute them without someone having to turn on the copier, delaying your start and eating in to your meeting time.

Don't just turn up on time, turn up early
I know you thought that once you set up your business, you wouldn't need to worry about job interviews, but think again. The preparation for closing the deal is similar. You need to give yourself plenty of time to get to the site, allow for traffic, be well-groomed, etc. But the few minutes downtime you give yourself doesn't have to be spent in the lobby. If security allows, take some time to walk around the business and see how the users function. See if there is anything else that strikes you as you consider your proposal.

And now it's time to present. Give it your best shot.



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ResumeTemplates's picture

Practical advice

Submitted by ResumeTemplates on 2 February 2009 - 5:49pm.

Your comment "know when you can start" is a very well founded comment! It's something sales people often overlook - it's the difference between getting the ball rolling on the day with orders signed and commitments made and delaying the project signing for days weeks or at all. Thanks
Fleur

Carlton05's picture

Thanks for the info! I'm

Submitted by Carlton05 on 3 March 2009 - 11:38pm.

Thanks for the info! I'm sure this will help a lot of businessman like me reach their target potentials. Closing the deal is one of the hardest part of the business as there are lot of competitors just hanging around waiting for your big catch to fall from your bait.

Carlton Burkhart

jlaw6402's picture

I went to sales school for

Submitted by jlaw6402 on 5 March 2009 - 5:23pm.

I went to sales school for an internship. They emphasize the importance of closing the deal. I think one of the most important things is being calm and try not to hard sell at the end. It's almost effortlessly, you should just reiterate the main point, and just relax and let them think. I am very aggressive during the pitch and presentation, but during the sales, I like to tone it down a little, and relax. Kind of "i don't really care if you buy or not" attitude. It might not work all the time, but I did fairly well in my internship.

J from Beer & Pancakes

PersonalDevelopment's picture

The 5 minutes mistake

Submitted by PersonalDevelopment on 26 March 2009 - 8:49pm.

You couldnt be more right. I have been in sales for over 16 years, the worst thing a salesman can do is say "I just need 5 minutes of your time" in order to get in front of them. The mistake is that the person you are trying to selling is only giving you 5 minutes no matter how good your proposal is or how much it may benefit them. Be smart, take them to lunch instead. Pay for it as well. This will guarantee you all the time you need and the attention you need as well. A bigger benefit is that your prospect will be much more intuitive and relaxed.

teodoro801's picture

closing a deal

Submitted by teodoro801 on 17 May 2009 - 3:59am.

It is not easy as 123 when you're closing a deal.You really had an effort to do that , you have to do something just to win your customer's attention for him to close the deal.Sometimes,you thought you're already there but all of of a sudden they will suddenly change their mind.More strategy to do this.

Teodoro801

alpac9's picture

Great article series

Submitted by alpac9 on 1 September 2009 - 7:38am.

Currently setting up a search engine marketing business aimed at small businesses, so this advice has been really useful. One of my main reasons for going to small businesses is that it's easier to deal with them, less formal. But getting paid can be a problem sometimes!

bmontecastro's picture

Nice post!

Submitted by bmontecastro on 22 December 2009 - 4:00am.

I have been following your blogs about selling to small business. You do have good insights in these issues and you do know what you are doing. This will help a lot of people who are starting their business (like me). Thank you for sharing these information.

Betsy,

ribble1001's picture

I think the time you spend

Submitted by ribble1001 on 8 January 2010 - 7:18am.

I think the time you spend with a prospect depends on the individual; some need more, some will not want to know at all!

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