Secrets of Closing the Sale

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Ziglar explains that he wrote the book “to help salespeople from all walks of life be more professional and successful.”

This book has so many great tips for salespeople that it’s considered a bible in its field. I don’t work in sales, yet I found myself telling people of the “keys”, about interesting stories and approaches from Secrets of Closing the Sale. People are going to buy, in most cases, what they really want— not necessarily what they need. It is your opportunity and responsibility to sell the legitimate benefits of your goods and services in a legitimate manner so your prospect will want to buy from you, again and again.When the benefits are delayed for years, "it is important that an emotional picture of those delayed benefits be burned indelibly into that prospect’s mind. This greatly reduces the possibility of cancellation." Now this by far is one of the best, it’s amazing, reading the book was inspiring, but hearing his sessions was a different story… Zig’s methods offered insight not only into the salesperson’s role in the process, but also insights for me as a buyer. I understand what may or may not motivate me to buy, and see how a good salesperson can respond to my questions, concerns, and considerations with diplomacy and respect.

Another point, Prospects don’t buy what you tell them they don’t buy what you show them they buy what they believe in. You make the sale when the prospect understands that it will cost more to do nothing about the problem than to do something about it." Say, “If you buy the item the savings will pay for it. If you don't buy it, your daily losses will soon be more than the cost. In other words, you can get it and let it pay for itself or you can choose not to get it and still pay for it through losses. Since you’ve got to pay for it either way, doesn’t it make sense to get it? I like that technique of not undermining the other person's judgement. For example when he was going to buy a car the dealer told him he made a good decision with his current car and asked if he got a good deal out of it. Zig said it's the same with raising kids. If you have a kid that is going out with a boy or girl that you don't approve of you don't want to undermine your kids judgement by saying he has a crappy boyfriend/girlfriend. Abraham Lincoln would likewise present the defendants case before presenting his own. You can be beat on price but not on cost. Price is a one-time thing and cost as a lifetime thing. Kinda like the "you get what you pay for" phrase.It’s why we prescribe it to anyone whose heart is set on closing in on that sale. Secrets of Closing the Sale Summary He offers a good explanation of the importance of salespeople in society and his tried and true techniques will bolster any flailing salesperson’s sales numbers. I am not in sales, but I found that Zig’s advice can be applied to other career paths as well. His sound moral advice is the cornerstone of good conduct and character and an upstanding life. What do you do when the prospect refuses to buy? In most cases, offering a significant price reduction is just not possible. What you can do is to shift the perspective.

Logic appeals to the eye; emotion appears to the ear. Tell people what your product will do, but also demonstrate it. Ziglar summarizes his approach early in the book: Learn as much as you can about your prospect and capitalize on that information. Learn how to use voice inflections, which we will thoroughly cover throughout 'Secrets.' Break the price into small segments. Optimistically sell, and be hard of hearing. Ask questions to identify the problem and lead the prospect to the decision. Find out what he needs to solve his problem, and show him how he can solve his problem with your product. The advantages are obvious; the flaws are the difference between you and your competition! Customers want to feel important; our book summary endorses Ziglar’s method of making the sale a practical matter just like anything else.

Never confuse your situation with your prospect’s. Your wants, needs, desires, tastes, and capacity to pay have no bearing on the prospect.