Just the ticket?

I'm not sure how or even whether you could use this in a training environment, but it really made me chuckle...

Perhaps there is something here about miscommunication or thinking you are in the right when you're not? Maybe it's just a fun icebreaker to start the day.

By the way, I should point out that the story is false...

Achieving Sales on the Telephone - Closing a Sale

Although you will close the sale at the end of the call it is important to realise that a close is not just about a commitment to purchase, but also commitment of interest. A good salesperson will display the intention to close throughout a call, so that it does not come as a surprise to the customer at the end.

Once you have reached a point where you have summarised the agreed customer needs, related the product advantages (benefits) to these needs you are ready to ask your closing question.

There are many different questions and methods that you can use to close a sale. However, there are three golden rules you should consider. These are…

• Present the close in the form of a question

• Once you’ve asked your question be silent and wait for an answer

• If you don’t ask, you will never know if they would have purchased

Remember, both you and the person you are talking to know that your role is about closing sales. You will not ruin a good relationship by trying to close. Be confident about closing, but do not let this over-run into high-pressure tactics or rudeness. Part of your responsibility is to leave the door open for future sales.

Examples of closing questions

The Direct Close

This requires a yes/no answer. ‘Would you like to go ahead and purchase then?’ You may get a ‘no’ response, if this is the case, ask the customer why, you may have more objections to overcome.


The Alternative Close

Give the customer a choice. ‘Would you like this product, or the other?’


The Secondary Close

Ask the customer a question, which by answering means they will purchase. ‘Would you like to purchase this? Where should I send it to?’

This article is an excerpt from the workbook of the Trainer Bubble training material, 'Achieving Sales on the Telephone'. You can purchase this training course by visiting our website at www.trainerbubble.com

Preparing to be Assertive

We often find that we have time to prepare for most situations where we have to be at our most assertive. This is very useful, but don’t fall into the trap of spending this time having negative feelings about the interaction. Instead, prepare yourself and ensure that you are clear about the approach you are going to take. Some tips are…

• Be prepared – clarify what you want to say and how you will say it
• Try to choose the place and time to meet and have a clear idea of what you want
• Challenge any negative thoughts you might have – instead of thinking ‘I’ll never be able to do it’, try ‘I’ll have a go at this and see how I get on’.
• Learn to think assertively – avoid words like should, ought, must. Replace these with could, want to, can.

It can also be useful to ‘script’ your side of the conversation in preparation for a difficult interaction. Of course you don’t have to physically write down the conversation and scripting can take place in your head. However, you may feel the process of writing it down will initially help to relax you. One simple process to follow is…

EXPLANATION - Briefly explain the situation as you see it – be as objective as you can

FEELINGS - Acknowledge your own feelings and take ownership – show empathy

NEEDS - Outline clearly what you want out of the situation – provide an opportunity for solution

CONSEQUENCES - Outline the consequences of the other person complying – or of not complying!

An example could be…

EXPLANATION – ‘I would like to talk over a problem with you. Recently you have been asking me for reports only a day before you need them. This has meant that I have had to work late into the night to get them completed.’

FEELINGS – ‘I am beginning to get tired and frustrated with this process, and although I can appreciate how important these reports are to you…’

NEEDS – ‘…If there is any way you could request the reports earlier.’

CONSEQUENCES – ‘I’d be really grateful.’

This is an excerpt from the workbook in the training material for 'Assertiveness in Action', which you can purchase from our website at www.trainerbubble.com