Stop Focusing on Closing Sales

If there is one major difference between weak sales staff and high performers, it is how they approach “closing the sale.” 

Many times, the inexperienced salesperson is obsessed with “the close” the instant they meet a prospect. They look at a prospect and wonder, will they buy today? Is he interested? Is she just looking around? Is this going to be a difficult sale?

The experienced salesperson, on the other hand, hardly worries about closing the sale until it’s time to close. They rely 100% on following a proven sales system, rather than whether their prospect is going to buy. 

The sales superstars know there are essential success steps in a proven sales system and every step is important — not just the close. And the best sales staff become excellent at all steps in the process. 

Those nine steps are: 

1. An incredibly friendly approach when greeting the prospect. 

2. Building rapport with their prospect. 

3. Doing a needs analysis. 

4. Discussing solutions to their prospect’s goals and problems. 

5. Matching their club’s services to their prospect’s goals. 

6. Alleviating fears and worries. 

7. Preempting the main objections. 

8. Touring the club. 

9. Closing the sale. 

During the sales presentation, our top performers focus on each section, one at a time, and only worry about closing when they have finished all the other steps. And most importantly, they always come across as wanting to help their prospect, rather than just getting a sale.

Of course, this mindset never ignores how important it is to close sales. It simply puts off worrying about closing until it’s time to close. But when the time to close does come, the professional salesperson is incredibly professional, highly persuasive, doggedly persistent, and 100% committed to getting the sale today. The lamb becomes the lion.

As Bruce Lee said, “The great mistake is to anticipate the outcome of the engagement; you ought not be thinking of whether it ends in victory or defeat. Let nature take its course, and your tools will strike at the right moment.” 

Alan Leach is the group general manager and director of sales and marketing at West Wood Clubs.