Are You NOT ABLE to Close the Sale? Then SHUT UP AND WAIT!! Seriously, this works!!

19 replies
Hey Warriors,

I wanted to share a little trick I use when I'm going for the close of a sale. It may be uncomfortable, but it works.

First, I'm going to assume that you followed the correct steps during your sales presentation. As a quick review, start out by asking questions and really figuring out what your prospect's needs are. Never assume you know what they want. Instead, ask questions to get them to tell you exactly what you want. Once you know their needs formulate your pitch around being able to meet their needs. This alone will position you as the person who can solve their problems.

When your presentation is coming to a close, repeat your prospect's needs to them and say something along the lines, "It seems like my services are a really good match for what you are looking for. Would you agree?" If you've done your job of showing how your services do meet their needs, the prospect will have no other answer but yes. Once you get that yes, say something along the lines of, "Great, let's get you signed up." Now don't say another word. Politely look your prospect in the eye and wait for their response, no matter how long it takes them to talk.

This is where the "shut up and wait" comes from. Once you have gone for the close, keep quiet until the prospect says something. Treat it like a game where the person who speaks first loses. If you speak first, you lose the sale. This moment of silence will be extremely uncomfortable and you will want to talk to break the silence. Don't do it. Hold firm and wait for them to speak. As uncomfortable as you are feeling, your prospect is feeling just as uncomfortable. Many times they will agree to buy just to break the silence and end the awkwardness. This doesn't work 100% of the time to get the sale, but if you speak first, the odds of getting the sale go way down.

This was a piece of advice that I got from the father of one of my friends who owns a couple auto dealerships. He has been in car sales his entire career and has the swagger of a stereotypical salesman. After he gave me this advice I started implementing it and was surprised at how it changed the dynamic of the sale. It may be awkward, but it gets results!

If anybody else has used this technique or has any other good closing techniques, please share your experiences below.

-Ben
#close #sale #shut #wait #works
  • Profile picture of the author BrashImpact
    Ben,
    Excellent Share Brother... Sometimes us old dogs forget that most people especially offline have little or no sales experience. There is a learning curve for sure...

    Now with that being said i can't reiterate how important it is to SHUT UP... Try it with the phone even...Also On the Phone... I have sat in complete silence some times for up to 4 minutes... yes 4 minutes... Awkward yes - Profitable Absolutely.

    Well Done Ben.. .Another great share for Warriors. We appreciate the value in the posts you take the time to write. And i am hitting the Thanks Button on this one... Its that important and Powerful.

    Regards,
    Robert
    Signature

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    • Profile picture of the author Warrior Ben
      Originally Posted by BrashImpact View Post

      Now with that being said i can't reiterate how important it is to SHUT UP... Try it with the phone even...Also On the Phone... I have sat in complete silence some times for up to 4 minutes... yes 4 minutes... Awkward yes - Profitable Absolutely.
      4 minutes is a long time, especially in silence!! But it absolutely works. It becomes a battle of wills and whoever holds out the longest wins!


      Originally Posted by warrioradam View Post

      What are some good qualifying questions that you guys use to sell mobile websites and sms marketing. Would anyone be able to walk me down a sale?
      Adam,

      I'll try to give you a condensed version because I could go on forever on this. First, when I sell mobile websites (linked to QR Codes) I only target businesses who are already running print advertising. The reason for this is because I know they already have a marketing budget, and it also makes perfect sense to add a QR Code to a print ad.

      I start off by asking the owners about their marketing strategy. Although I have already mentioned on the phone (while setting up the appointment) that I saw their ad, I'll ask them again about that ad. My experience has been that print ads don't give the ROI that a business owner was expecting, so I will get them talking about it. "How is this ad working for you?"... "Are you running any other advertising campaigns?"... "How are those working out for you?"... "Were you hoping to get a better ROI on them?"... "What if I could show you a way to not only increase an ad's ROI, but also track the effectiveness of that ad? Would that interest you?"...

      Then I go on to show how adding a QR Code to their ad can increase the effectiveness of an ad.... "According to CNN, studies have shown that people are 72% more likely to remember an advertisement with a QR Code. Do you think this would help improve the performance of your ad?" Always follow up a statement with a question that leads your prospect to saying yes. The more you get them to say yes to you throughout your pitch, the easier it is going to be to get them to say yes when you go for the close.

      Other questions I will ask throughout the pitch (and this is for both QR Codes/Mobile Websites as well as SMS/Texting) is asking whether they use any social media in their marketing... "Do you integrate social media into your marketing?"... "That's good to hear you are, it's a really great way to build brand loyalty. What are your strategies for getting Like's and Follows?".... "Would it interest you if I could increase your Like's and follows by over 90%?"... "Great, we actually make it easy for your customers and potential customers to follow you on social media by adding prominent Like & Follow links to your mobile website. Would you like to see how it works?"... Then go into the demo.

      The important thing is to get in a conversation with your prospect. You want the flow to be natural, but you still want to control the direction of where you are going by the questions you ask. Personally I've found that by framing the presentation as a conversation, it takes the pressure off both parties that it's really a sales call. It's also interesting hearing business owners talk. They are successful people in their own right (well, most of them!) and there is a lot you can learn for your own business by listening to them.

      I hope this helps set you off in the right direction, but let me know if you need clarification on anything.

      -Ben
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      • Profile picture of the author skmheemilo
        Originally Posted by Warrior Ben View Post

        4 minutes is a long time, especially in silence!! But it absolutely works. It becomes a battle of wills and whoever holds out the longest wins!




        Adam,

        I'll try to give you a condensed version because I could go on forever on this. First, when I sell mobile websites (linked to QR Codes) I only target businesses who are already running print advertising. The reason for this is because I know they already have a marketing budget, and it also makes perfect sense to add a QR Code to a print ad.

        I start off by asking the owners about their marketing strategy. Although I have already mentioned on the phone (while setting up the appointment) that I saw their ad, I'll ask them again about that ad. My experience has been that print ads don't give the ROI that a business owner was expecting, so I will get them talking about it. "How is this ad working for you?"... "Are you running any other advertising campaigns?"... "How are those working out for you?"... "Were you hoping to get a better ROI on them?"... "What if I could show you a way to not only increase an ad's ROI, but also track the effectiveness of that ad? Would that interest you?"...

        Then I go on to show how adding a QR Code to their ad can increase the effectiveness of an ad.... "According to CNN, studies have shown that people are 72% more likely to remember an advertisement with a QR Code. Do you think this would help improve the performance of your ad?" Always follow up a statement with a question that leads your prospect to saying yes. The more you get them to say yes to you throughout your pitch, the easier it is going to be to get them to say yes when you go for the close.

        Other questions I will ask throughout the pitch (and this is for both QR Codes/Mobile Websites as well as SMS/Texting) is asking whether they use any social media in their marketing... "Do you integrate social media into your marketing?"... "That's good to hear you are, it's a really great way to build brand loyalty. What are your strategies for getting Like's and Follows?".... "Would it interest you if I could increase your Like's and follows by over 90%?"... "Great, we actually make it easy for your customers and potential customers to follow you on social media by adding prominent Like & Follow links to your mobile website. Would you like to see how it works?"... Then go into the demo.

        The important thing is to get in a conversation with your prospect. You want the flow to be natural, but you still want to control the direction of where you are going by the questions you ask. Personally I've found that by framing the presentation as a conversation, it takes the pressure off both parties that it's really a sales call. It's also interesting hearing business owners talk. They are successful people in their own right (well, most of them!) and there is a lot you can learn for your own business by listening to them.

        I hope this helps set you off in the right direction, but let me know if you need clarification on anything.

        -Ben

        Thanks for this. This would be very helpful. I hope you still have more.


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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    I absolutely agree! Note to those new to offline sales: many of the valuable and effective techniques in face-to-face selling involve momentary uncomfortableness. But consider this: if you can get over that, and accept being uncomfortable for a short time, you get paid!! Would you rather have all that money, or never be uncomfortable for brief periods? I know what my answer is!
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    • Profile picture of the author jimbo13
      Very true Ben

      'He who speaks first loses' is a well known adage in sales.

      Well known but rarely implemented.

      A couple of things to bear in mind to help relax.

      1. It's not your money. No need for you to feel any pressure.

      2. You have no idea what they are thinking about. Maybe they are thinking which account to pay out of and you jump in and price crumble because you thought they weren't going to buy.

      I used to just fold up my hands and place them in my lap, then look out the window while thinking of what shopping I needed.

      Not only does time fly but you look completely relaxed and confident to the prospect.

      I also completely ignored the first thing they said as well and so should you - unless it is 'ok let's get started.'

      If it is a genuine objection they will repeat it and then you can deal with it, but half the time it is just a filler question because of the uncomfortable feeling Ben described.

      Dan
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  • Profile picture of the author IMguy123
    Originally Posted by Warrior Ben View Post

    Hey Warriors,

    I wanted to share a little trick I use when I'm going for the close of a sale. It may be uncomfortable, but it works.

    First, I'm going to assume that you followed the correct steps during your sales presentation. As a quick review, start out by asking questions and really figuring out what your prospect's needs are. Never assume you know what they want. Instead, ask questions to get them to tell you exactly what you want. Once you know their needs formulate your pitch around being able to meet their needs. This alone will position you as the person who can solve their problems.

    When your presentation is coming to a close, repeat your prospect's needs to them and say something along the lines, "It seems like my services are a really good match for what you are looking for. Would you agree?" If you've done your job of showing how your services do meet their needs, the prospect will have no other answer but yes. Once you get that yes, say something along the lines of, "Great, let's get you signed up." Now don't say another word. Politely look your prospect in the eye and wait for their response, no matter how long it takes them to talk.

    This is where the "shut up and wait" comes from. Once you have gone for the close, keep quiet until the prospect says something. Treat it like a game where the person who speaks first loses. If you speak first, you lose the sale. This moment of silence will be extremely uncomfortable and you will want to talk to break the silence. Don't do it. Hold firm and wait for them to speak. As uncomfortable as you are feeling, your prospect is feeling just as uncomfortable. Many times they will agree to buy just to break the silence and end the awkwardness. This doesn't work 100% of the time to get the sale, but if you speak first, the odds of getting the sale go way down.

    This was a piece of advice that I got from the father of one of my friends who owns a couple auto dealerships. He has been in car sales his entire career and has the swagger of a stereotypical salesman. After he gave me this advice I started implementing it and was surprised at how it changed the dynamic of the sale. It may be awkward, but it gets results!

    If anybody else has used this technique or has any other good closing techniques, please share your experiences below.

    -Ben
    Not being a salesman myself at all...but I am just asking because I really don't know...will this help develop trust with the client for the future repeat sales? I ask because I want to establish trust with my clients. ..or...will trust not in anyway be affected using this method?
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  • Profile picture of the author laurencewins
    This method DOES work. I used it on the phone lots of times and achieved success. It won't happen every time but you have nothing to lose by trying it for yourself.
    Be confident when you wait though. If you act nervous, you lose.
    Signature

    Cheers, Laurence.
    Writer/Editor/Proofreader.

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  • Profile picture of the author Aaron Doud
    If you have built value you should always wait and use silence. You never know what they are thinking about and you talking will only hurt. In fact a lot of sales people toss out answers to objections the person never had. Don't be afraid to wait.

    Though if it takes too long you may have to in time. But normally I just sit back.

    If they aks you why you haven't said anything just be honest. "I was waiting while you thought things over. Should we go ahead with this?"

    Than more silence. Works great in RV sales. And worked great when I managed sales in appliances, furniture and electronics.
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    • Profile picture of the author warrioradam
      What are some good qualifying questions that you guys use to sell mobile websites and sms marketing. Would anyone be able to walk me down a sale?
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      • Profile picture of the author johncm
        Jimbo beat me to it. But this is one of my favorite sayings. He who talks first looses. I was taught long ago, they are going over things in there head. Alot of time figuring out how to pay.
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  • Profile picture of the author writerforhire
    Excellent advice on how NOT to talk yourself out of a sale! Another tip that I would offer is not to sound too scripted, which is something I personally find to be a major turnoff as a prospective customer.
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  • Profile picture of the author Aaron Doud
    I agree with not scounding scripted. I don't like scripts for that reason. You should know what you are going to say but in a conversation no two should be the same. This isn't a presentation or a speech.

    Each conversation in sales should be molded to what you talked about and what is in it for them.

    You might pitch the same features but the benfits will be different depending on the person.

    For example SMS marketing as feature:
    Resturant: By using text messaging we can help bring back your customers more often. They will be thinking about your food more often and in turn come in to eat more often. Also they will share their deals with friends and co-workers. Do you see how getting these people in more often can really increase your sales?

    Comic book shop: We can send out a text each Monday with Tues new releases. We will hit the big releases in the main text and than link to a mobile site with the full list each week. For your customers with a pull list this could mean them calling up to add issues to their pull either for that week or even ongoing. Also for you less active customers it will help turn them into weekly customers. Yeah your Batfan might only come in once a month to grab his favorite titles but if he see the new issue of Tec is out this week he might come in sooner to read part two of the storyline that started last month. Also you might catch him on some one shots he might miss otherwise. And never can do all this from his phone. Myself I can just think of leaving work and checking my texts and reading the list. All of a sudden I am stopping by your shop on my way home.

    Bowling alley: By building sperate lists around your leagues you can send messages just to a certain league. By doing this you can help keep the same people on the league year after year. Also you can send out messages to all the lists about family bowling specials. Think about that. You already have dad coming iin weekly. What if you could get him to bring in the family on Tues night. Maybe Jr will end up really liking it. Then you send out a blast to all your lists two months later when the 13 and under leagure gets going and now you have 10 more sons joining up vs. the last time. You are getting new customers by marketing to your best regular customers.

    And so on and so on.
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    • Profile picture of the author Big Gee
      Originally Posted by lordauric View Post

      I agree with not scounding scripted. I don't like scripts for that reason. You should know what you are going to say but in a conversation no two should be the same. This isn't a presentation or a speech.

      Each conversation in sales should be molded to what you talked about and what is in it for them.

      You might pitch the same features but the benfits will be different depending on the person.

      For example SMS marketing as feature:
      Resturant: By using text messaging we can help bring back your customers more often. They will be thinking about your food more often and in turn come in to eat more often. Also they will share their deals with friends and co-workers. Do you see how getting these people in more often can really increase your sales?

      Comic book shop: We can send out a text each Monday with Tues new releases. We will hit the big releases in the main text and than link to a mobile site with the full list each week. For your customers with a pull list this could mean them calling up to add issues to their pull either for that week or even ongoing. Also for you less active customers it will help turn them into weekly customers. Yeah your Batfan might only come in once a month to grab his favorite titles but if he see the new issue of Tec is out this week he might come in sooner to read part two of the storyline that started last month. Also you might catch him on some one shots he might miss otherwise. And never can do all this from his phone. Myself I can just think of leaving work and checking my texts and reading the list. All of a sudden I am stopping by your shop on my way home.

      Bowling alley: By building sperate lists around your leagues you can send messages just to a certain league. By doing this you can help keep the same people on the league year after year. Also you can send out messages to all the lists about family bowling specials. Think about that. You already have dad coming iin weekly. What if you could get him to bring in the family on Tues night. Maybe Jr will end up really liking it. Then you send out a blast to all your lists two months later when the 13 and under leagure gets going and now you have 10 more sons joining up vs. the last time. You are getting new customers by marketing to your best regular customers.

      And so on and so on.
      Holy cow, I love comic books and never even thought of hitting them up. I'm scared I would just end up giving them back all my money...thanks for the tips
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  • Profile picture of the author bit twiddler
    I was first introduced to the "Silent Close" by Zig Ziglar in 1971 and again by Joe Girard (During his fifteen year selling career, Joe sold 13,001 new cars and trucks, all at retail. This record still has not been broken! No fleet, wholesale or used vehicles. Audited by the accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche. Audit available upon request.) I have 7 #1 Pins from Joe, handed out by him at his seminars in the 60's and 70's for performance. I never thought back then, that so many of the selling techiques they were teaching would have such staying power.

    I agree with Ben, except I never ask the prospect a yes or no question when moving in for the close. Especially with the "silent close". eg: Ben's close: "It seems like my services are a really good match for what you are looking for. Would you agree?". Instead I use a subtle assumption, eg: "Knowing now the specifics of your needs, I am sure we are a good fit. All we need to do now is get your retainer and sign off on our contractual details...(and wait for them to get the check. I have tried it as Ben does, and his way works, I just don't like asking a yes or no question at the close.)

    Joe and Zig both insisted on many of the same philosophies, one of which they both started and ended their seminars: "Sell Yourself, Sell Your Product, and You Won't Have To Sell The PRICE!"

    I use a very simple retainer contract that I bring with me and then back it up with an emailed final contract with final payment details that they execute electronically.

    The silent close is a powerful tool for sales people, but beware, don't choke when using it and make sure you look and act as comfortable as possible when using it! You must express confidence and certainty with your body language when using the "Silent Close". IMHO

    T J
    Signature
    T J Tutor
    T J Tutor, LLC
    Syracuse, NY 13224
    USA
    315-569-7523
    tj@tjtutor.com
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  • Profile picture of the author ryanmckinney
    I want to take the offline plunge. I have no clue where to start. I understand and know just about all facets that the local businesses need. In someone's honest opinion, where could I get offline course? I live in a smaller city, and I am almost positive the offline market here is virtually untapped, just do not even know where to start with it. The IM is still fun to do, but I am ready to bring it face to face with a more personal touch and actually help people who need it, I know how to do what they need, I want to help them (and get paid while doing it), I just do not know how!

    The last "sales" job I had was selling Cutco Knives in college! :-D
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  • Profile picture of the author Aaron Doud
    Big Gee:

    You can market to any business and ones you know even better. Just put yourself in their shoes. What do they want or need? What have they not even realized they need till you tell them?
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  • Profile picture of the author Hugh
    Ben,

    This really works. The first time I heard this close was in the late 1960's.
    I learned it from J. Douglas Edwards. Brings back memories.

    Hugh
    Signature

    "Never make someone a priority in your life who makes you an option in theirs." Anon.
    "Some see private enterprise as a predatory target to be shot, others as a cow to be milked, but few are those who see it as a sturdy horse pulling the wagon." -- Winston Churchill

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  • Profile picture of the author John Durham
    After asking for the sale..."The last person who talks loses". (or wins, depending on how you look at it).

    After you ask for the sale. Zip it till they answer. Good one Ben! Classic wisdom!
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  • Profile picture of the author Not So New
    Definitely heard of this before and it can be uncomfortable ...

    But if it gets more sales, we will get over it

    Shawn
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