By Todd Duncan

Every salesperson has made the fatal mistake of trying to close the sale without first earning a customer’s trust. Asking for a prospects’ business without out an ounce of indication that they are ready to buy from you is just looking for a handout. It’s petitioning for a sale without earning your prospects’ vote and then, like a spoiled six year old, complaining that you didn’t get what you wanted when your prospect says no. If that becomes your way of doing business, you’ll end up begging for more than sales. You’ll end up begging your boss for your job.

To be successful in the sales profession and ultimately in closing sales, you must understand that connecting with your customers is everything. The truth is, when you take the time to earn a prospect’s trust at the outset, asking for business is just a formality and closing the sale is just a natural progression in the relationship.

To understand how to earn and close a sale without doing a scrap of begging, I’m going to going to show you five ways to ensure that your prospects buy into you before you ask them for their business. When you adhere to these five steps of closing the sale using High Trust, you will find that you have to do very little “selling” in order to close sales.

1. Be Original.

The first step to closing the sale is to say something new! Never let it be said of you, “I’ve heard it all before.” If you can’t market and/or offer your services in a fresh and innovative way, don’t offer it at all. There is far too much competition for you to be selling run-of-the-mill products in a run-of-the-mill fashion, regardless of your industry. Set yourself apart. Determine unique ways to appeal to your customers and meet their needs, even if that simply means being completely authentic. Make it your goal not to be like the rest.

Remember that your prospective clients can probably get the same or a similar products from someone else, but they won’t be able to get another you.

2. Be The First To Add Value.

Adding value is the key to closing the sale in any industry. Don’t ever expect something from a prospect unless you have already added value. And by the way, having the privilege of meeting you is not a perceived value to your prospects. Do something upfront to let your prospects know that it is your primary goal to add real value to their lives through not only your product, but also your service.

The single best way to add value is by educating your clients, giving them the information they need to confidently make the right buying decision. Good advice breeds confidence, confidence brings trust, and trust is the key to closing the sale.

3. Be The First To Say Thank You.

Leave no doubt in your prospects’ mind that you consider it a privilege to meet them and have the opportunity to meet their needs. Without assuming that your prospect is ready to buy your product, make it evident that even if they choose to “think about it” in the end or even not buy the product, that you would still treat them with the same level of appreciation and respect. Always appreciate the opportunity to meet your prospects’ needs, not just their “yes” to doing business.

4. Respect Your Prospects’ Time.

Never assume that your prospects’ time is your to waste. Don’t drop into a feature-dropping rant. Do not move forward with any step in the transaction without first asking them if that is what they want to do. Demonstrate a genuine respect for your prospects’ time, and as a result, they’ll typically not have a problem spending more time with you, in turn, giving you more time to close the sale.

Ultimately, never take a single step toward closing the sale until you have first asked your prospects’ permission. By the way, don’t ask until you have already done the free three steps on the list. Asking your prospects whether they want to move forward without giving them a reason to want to move forward, makes you seem presumptuous and over-aggressive.

5. Don’t Stop Once the Sale Seems Imminent.

If during a sales transaction, you’ve done the previous four things on the list and it seems that you’re going to close the sale, don’t become overeager and forget yourself. Never assume that your prospect is going to buy. Even if you think the transaction is going well, don’t let that cause you to let up on setting yourself apart, adding value, being appreciative, or respecting the prospects’ time.

These steps should just be a part of how you do business, regardless of whether the prospect buys or not. It’s one thing to do everything right in order to get the prospect interested, but it’s another to remain consistent when you know you’re about to close the sale. Once you’ve closed the sale, don’t stop doing these steps. Consistency in your character is vital to your efforts in building trust.

In conclusion, when your authentic actions create an environment that breeds buy-in with your prospects’, closing sales tends to become an afterthought. That doesn’t mean that you won’t still have to ask for a prospect’s business. It just means that asking won’t be a chore. It won’t be begging. Closing the sale will be the natural conclusion to your prospect interactions and the natural beginning to your client relationships.

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