Closing calls can be a significant event and have a certain mystique because of their importance.
These are not to be afraid of. The right phone sales technique will help you close the deal every time. Here’s a nine-step closing phone sequence that I have used for many years.
How to close a sales deal on the phone
Introduce everyone to the call.
When you make a sales call, the first thing to do is to have everyone introduce themselves.
I ask everyone to state their name, title, as well as any goals they have for the call. You can inject some humour into the situation by having a lighthearted conversation. However, it shouldn’t last long and distract from the main point of the call — closing the deal.
Limit commonalities to 2 minutes
Begin the conversation with a friendly, lighthearted tone to get everyone comfortable.
Talk about common interests with the people on the call. You can share an anecdote about visiting the area your prospects live in or mention that you attended the same college or university.
Be brief and not get too involved in non-business issues. This can impact your ability to close the deal if there are busy executives.
Ask a question to open the discussion.
I often say, “So our goal today’s call is to get you started with HubSpot.” This is a bold statement, and many salespeople fear being so direct. However, it’s crucial to be open. It’s important to communicate clearly.
Your prospects’ answers will determine the direction of your call. Even though it is a closing call, you can still plan it. You can expect them to respond with “We’re fine to continue, but we have some last-minute queries,” or they will say the opposite.
They might say, “There are some things we still need to figure out.” Either way, you will need to pivot your strategy or spend the call presenting a value proposition that will drive them home.
Make a plan.
If the prospect is ready to close, you might say, “The rest of the conversation will involve answering any final minute questions, explaining the closing process, and setting you up to onboard once the contract has been signed.”
If you believe your prospect isn’t ready to buy from you, you can tell them that you would like to spend more time answering questions and presenting a value proposition. You don’t have to do it. You’re wasting time if your prospect isn’t ready to purchase this week or next month. Get the deal back on the table.
Set up an onboarding timeline.
Talk to your prospect if they are ready to go. Discuss the details of how you plan on getting started. This includes how they will buy your product and how implementation and onboarding work.
Also, it would help if you informed them about the customer support manager (CSM). This is when the deal is done, and they begin working with a CSM to help them succeed with your product.
Answer objections
An objection refers to a concern that prospects raise in response to something that might hinder their purchase from you. Closing calls often occur when last-minute objections are made, so it is important to be ready to deal with them.
Listening is the most important task when an objection confronts you. This will enable you to understand the issue and determine how to respond clearly.
A price objection is the most common sales objection. Even prospects who are most likely to buy your product may have them. A prospect might say that the price is too high for them. You can follow up by saying, “I’d love if you could go over X’s features and how it will benefit you,” which will allow you to present a value proposition that differentiates your business from other businesses.
You can negotiate the price.
You’ll likely have already discussed the price with your prospect before you go into the closing call. Your prospect can raise a point of negotiation, despite this.
There will be some back-and-forth in which you both approach each other with concessions you are willing to make. It is important to have established your reservation pricing before you start negotiating. Most prospects won’t ask for a discount to get started. Let them choose a number and then go from there.
When you negotiate, ensure you are speaking with the decision-maker or someone who has the financial power and authority to approve the deal. You’re wasting time and could lose your job if you don’t negotiate with the right person.
- Go through the buying process.
This might not be necessary for you, as not all prospects undergo a lengthy procurement or legal review process. If procurement or legal is involved, you should understand your prospect’s requirements and set a time frame.
Get started.
If everything went well during the call, you should both be ready to sign a contract with your prospect and begin onboarding.
Make sure everyone is on the same page. Repeat the conversation and say, “Okay, we agree.” I will send you a contract and expect it to be back by the [agreed-upon time].
You should then return to the CSM handoff. The CSM can be invited to the call to give a brief intro to build rapport or to let them know that a CSM will contact them to assist them in the onboarding process.
Sales Closing Tools
You can feel more confident during closing calls and have the tools you need to ensure everything goes smoothly. We’ll be discussing two top-quality tools to help you close the call over the phone.
Aircall
Aircall allows you to view your prospects’ history with your company so that you can see exactly where they are with your business. The best feature of the tool is its call whispering function. This allows coworkers to speak with you discreetly during calls and offer advice or feedback.
This can be extremely helpful in negotiations and objections. Your coworkers can quickly access customer profiles, identify common problems they have faced, and offer advice on how you can respond to their questions.
Dialpad
Dialpad’s live chat sentiment analysis tool is useful for closing calls. It analyzes words prospects use, identifies keywords and relates them with other calls. This will give you an idea of how the conversation will go.
The real-time assistance tool is used with sentiment analysis to surface relevant resources that can help you move the call forward. The tool can help you negotiate pricing and surface objections from prospects.