It's therefore important to outweigh customer's reluctance by emphasising benefits of your product or service. Also, keep selling yourself and appeal to customer's emotional side, don't be too logical. Always remember that human beings will almost always allow their hearts to rule their heads when buying something. So appeal to customer's emotions, keep telling them how they'll feel when they're using what you're selling - How good they'll look or how others will feel about them. Lastly, it may just be that customer genuinely doesn't want or need or have money for what you're selling. The only way to find out which of these Six points is truth, is to keep asking questions, listen carefully to customer and watch their body language. Always remember that - "You're too expensive" could mean. - "I haven't understood a word you've said" or "I'm going on holiday tomorrow" or "My son-in-law works for your competitor." When a potential customer raises an objection, make sure you know what they really mean before you deal with it.

"You can close more business in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get people interested in you" - Dale Carnegie

The clock is ticking... Green Bay legend Vince Lombardi once said, “The Green Bay Packers never lost a game. They just ran out of time.” In all likelihood, Packers assumed that their three-point lead was safe with just over a minute left on clock and Philadelphia deep in their own territory. The win (close) was assumed. As Packer Al Harris said later, “Fourth-and-26 yards, that's like fourth-and-forever.” That assumption cost Green Bay game. It may cost you a sale.

An effective close is carefully crafted to answer these questions: What am I going to do? What are you going to do? What is expected outcome? When you close by gaining a commitment, you make touchdown. Because at end of day, someone has closed customer. Shouldn’t it be you?

Getting win

By most measures 2003 was a successful season for Brett Favre. He passed Dan Marino and climbed into second place on NFL's all-time list for postseason touchdown passes. He surpassed Marino in all-time postseason passing yards, moving into third place in record books. Favre extended his NFL record for consecutive postseason games with a touchdown pass to 15, and pushed his NFL record for most consecutive starts at quarterback to 208.

Clearly, three-time MVP is a player with talent, tools and preparation to win. But his team’s failure to close is what made difference. Favre will be remembered as a champion, but he will never have another chance to win that game.

When evaluating whether you’ve done enough to meet your objective, ask yourself, “Did I close?” That could be difference between winning and losing.

Copyright ©2005 by Sally Bacchetta. All rights reserved.

Sally Bacchetta - Freelance Writer/Sales Trainer