Dan Kennedy

There are four basic closes needed in professional selling:

Assumptive
Alternative
Puppy Dog
Risk Reversal, Why Not?

In my opinion, too much emphasis in selling and sales training is put on "the close" and not enough on everything leading up to it, beginning with proper selection of the prospect. The idea that a good salesman'll somehow put the "whammy close" on anybody who's breathing and sits through a presentation is nonsense. With the exception of a handful of businesses, this kind of selling died with the dinosaurs (although it's still being taught).

In non-face-to-face selling (print, broadcast) this reliance on a "super close" doesn't work at all.

The objective is for the close to be seamless, natural, automatic and stressless for salesperson and buyer alike. So, first, you want to do such a good job with the presentation that continuing on to a purchase is the only logical thing to do. I believe in being assumptive; using assumptive language - not "if" but "when", and talking to the customer as if they were a customer.....saying things like:

"As a member of...."
"You'll enjoy working with the coaches..."
"Now, when you flip on the computer, you'll..."

Finally, using the "yes-or-yes" or alternative close, where a two-option question is asked, with either answer acceptable to you. I'm not convinced that a salesperson needs to master any other closing questions but yes-or-yes questions.

Would you prefer red or blue?
Big or small? To use VISA or Master Card?
Delivery on Tuesday or Thursday?

...that sort of thing.

In print, we sometimes mimic this with an offer of a "basic" or a "deluxe" version of whatever is being sold - essentially small or big?

In some cases, a three choice close works even better than a two choice close. Egs.: "Would you prefer delivery Tuesday or Thursday, or would you rather pick it up at the store?" (But I am always resistant to offering more than three choices, for risk of confusion and inaction.)

In some businesses, the so-called "puppy dog close" is used very successfully; this is how television sets were first sold - placing the product in the home or office on free trial for x-days; you pay only if you choose to keep it. I've seen this done with water filtration systems, vacuum cleaners, computer software, and a number of other products. The Nightingale-Conant Corporation uses this in mail-order with its good customers - sending them a new cd album on 30 day free trial, invoiced or credit card charged only after the customer keeps it past the 30th day. Many "low end" marketers of how-to materials used (and some still use) the "I won't cash your check for 30 days" version of this gambit with great success.
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One application of "answering objections" that is very effective in a direct-mail package is a separate piece or booklet of "Questions And Answers." This often has higher readership than other enclosures, and provides an opportunity to simulate the give-and-take of personal selling, so that the prospect feels represented.

COMMON OBJECTIONS AND WHAT TO DO


1Price Objection: Explain quality, superiority, service (justify price). Break down into units amount so the $360 price only comes to $1 a day. Price is relative - competitor may be cheaper but what about quality and service. Point out any differences in the products.

1I Can't Afford It Objection: Point out terms and use the "selling money at a discount" technique.

1Unknown Objection: Use testimonials, discuss your association with company, validate it's management, products, service, etc.

1Product Is Too New Objection: Show test results, testimonials, newness means progress, your company has not spent a lot on advertising but has chosen to put their money into research, development and improvement.

1Product Criticism Objection: Use facts to overcome criticism, don't get defensive. Express faith in the company.

1Rumor Objection: I heard, such 'n such. If it's unfounded, explain why. If someone had an actual problem, explain what was done to correct it. If it's a complaint from someone they know, offer to talk to them and see what you can do about fixing the problem.

1Personal Tie Objection: I've done business with them so long, they're family, etc. Discuss product or service superiority. Go for a portion of the business; don't try to get it all, then give them a good reason to switch completely.

1Satisfied And Loyalty Objection: Point out savings, benefits, superiority, first duty is to themselves. Allow a test situation to help them break those ties.

1I Have To Talk It Over Objection: Usually this pertains to a spouse. Point out other decisions they make by themselves. If it doesn't work arrange a meeting as soon as possible. Preferably call them then and get approval or meeting set-up.

1What We Have Is Still OK Objection: Focus on new featues which makes other product or service obsolete. Demonstrate increased production, efficiency, savings, reduced maintenance costs, etc.

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Anybody in selling who doesn't love objections is stupid - objections are the stepping stones to the sale.

In personal selling, the prospect's objections are necessary, so he can feel he has bought, not been "railroaded" or "smooth-talked". He has to ask questions, sometimes phrased as objections instead of questions. But these are the keys to the sale.
In print, we have to ask and answer the objections for the prospect.
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There are two times when most marketers are tempted to "shortcut" their sales story: one, when format sensitive - like "nobody'll read a 22 page letter", or, two, when they are selling to people who they have sold to before, and believe already know parts of the story. In both instances, and, in fact, in all instances, it is a mistake to "shortcut" your sales story. It happens to be a mistake I make most often in my own business, because I'm selling to many customers who've been with me for 5 to 15 years. It's easy to get lazy about delivering a complete sales pitch in that environment. But it is a mistake.

The smartest strategy is to deliver the very best, most complete sales presentation possible - every time.
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Many "modern" sales trainers and experts are very critical of "canned" ie. memorized presentations. I don't quite understand this. Personally, I have a "Million Dollar Sales Presentation" (that sells over a million dollars of my products each year from the platform) and I want to deliver it perfectly every time - word for word, inflection for inflection. So I have it memorized AND I practice. To me, it seems it would be stupid not to.

In person to person selling, which I do only a little of anymore; mostly on the phone or in meetings with clients; I have perfectly honed, memorized and practiced "vignettes" of material that can be linked together or used cafeteria style as needed. I have a "pat" way to describe how my fees work. I can't imagine ad-libbing all that.

So, I am an advocate of the polished, practiced presentation. I believe it gives you confidence, reduces stress and worry, frees you to listen to responses, and, of course, insures that you say what you have to say in the most persuasive and convincing way possible.

Conversely, I really wonder about the person who's constantly changing his presentation. Does this mean he hasn't yet gotten it right?
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The late Fred Herman, one of the "early" sales trainers, coined "KISS" for Keep It Simple, Salesman, and the advice is just as good now as it was in 1950. Too often, we complicate the sales process unnecessarily, for our customers and ourselves.

When putting together a sales "pitch", I try to get a "straight line list" built; what points must be made and proved, in what order, to arrive at the close.....then I'm careful about wandering off in the weeds, away from that straight line.

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Lexus and Infiniti were introduced to the marketplace at about the same time and, as Lexus overwhelmingly outsold Infiniti, the Infiniti dealers begged the company and its ad agency to "show me the car!" in the TV commercials. Instead, the company stuck with Zen-like, obscure, elegant commercials that never even showed the car. A bold experiment. A bad idea.

Confused consumers tend to do one thing and one thing only - nothing. And few customers have the extremely high level of interest, patience and intelligence to work at translating your message.

The safest path to success in advertising is to be very, very clear about your message: what you sell, why they ought to buy it, and what you want them to do next.
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Most salespeople who do personal prospecting are either taught or learn through experience the power of a question structured to get permission to sell. My clients, Steven and Jennifer Gnautt at U.S. Mortgage, and their thousands of representatives, have done billions of dollars in business thanks to this question: "If I could show you a guaranteed way to save $50,000.00 to $75,000.00 in interest on your home mortgage, without refinancing, for a total cost of just $395, would you be interested?"

Well, what kind of dope wouldn't be?

This question is built on a very simple formula just about anybody can use:

"If I could show you how to _________________, would you
be interested in knowing more about it?"

If you must make your living prospecting, you have to own one of these permission questions. But this strategy doesn't just apply to in-person prospecting - there's no reason it can't be applied to print, too......from envelope teaser copy to headlines, pre-heads and subheads. We often build it into the opening monologues of infomercials.
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It's been my experience that people will tell you the most amazing things, if you'll just prod them a little, then shut up and listen. Everything from trade secrets to intimate, personal secrets come tumbling out - often in a torrent, as somebody hasn't been really listened to in a long time.

Listening isn't all that easy; that's why so few people do it well. It's more fun to talk. But the person who asks the most questions is in control of the sales interview, the person who asks the most questions socially is, afterwards, considered a great conversationalist, and, certainly, the person who listens walks away with the most information. I once thought I would write a book about all this, titled 'How To Read Anyone's Mind", but I wound up condensing it into one chapter of NO B.S. SALES SUCCESS (although it'd still make a good book because it is that important.)
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In my book, NO B.S. SALES SUCCESS, one of the first strategies I talk about is "The Positive Power Of Negative Preparation." This applies to selling in print just as it does to selling in person. The idea is simple: take the time to list every possible reason why the prospect might distrust your assertions or say no to your proposition, prepare to answer them, and, in most cases, integrate the objections and answers into your presentation.

Many saleseople and copywriters alike fear the "negative". They insist it is better not to raise doubts and questions that might otherwise never occur to the prospect. I believe this is naive. I think people are pretty good at conjuring up everything that could go wrong, every skeptical question, every reason to wait. Besides, when you raise those issues, you come across as more truthful and frank than if you hide them and hope they're missed.
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When you have a highly effective, aggressive, copy intensive, "ugly" ad, some publications will ask you to modify its content or look. My experience in knuckling under to these demands has been universally unsuccessful. I can't tell you never to give in to these demands in order to get into a publication you really want to be in, but I can assure you that more often than not, the modified ad will not pay off.
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If you need to brag, don't do it to the people who sell you discounted media. Whining, not bragging, is most profitable. When asked how well you are doing, say "Well, barely good enough to keep testing, trying to refine how we handle the leads."
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Small town weekly newspapers, small regional or state trade association magazines, and other "minor league" publications can sometimes have a rate dictated to them. After you've collected "rate cards" or rate information from the publications you want to advertise in, discount to the amount you want (30% to 50% off), then send the ad, a check, and a letter explaining your unique needs as a direct-response advertiser and inviting them to hold the ad and check for up to x-# of days, as a "stand-by" to fill a remnant or last minute cancellation, or to return the check and refuse the insertion. This "gimmick" works a surprising num