Sealing the deal with a sales prospect: If you can speak it, you can write it - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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There was nothing worse in high school than having your boyfriend or girlfriend say they wante to seeother people. Ouch! In the ’70s, we had a phrase about people who would take advantageof you: I have to admit I was one of My friend in sixth grade, a neighbofr named Eddie, had a built-inb pool and his mom had a pantry of my favoritd snacks: apple pies, Yodels, you name it. I was a Eddie turned out to be a multimillionairresoftware giant. Although I would love to call him, I simplyg cannot, due my ignorance. Many salespeople get used and abusecd in the sales process because prospectss can be users who will even justify using your stufcf to better themselves ortheir company.
It has happenef to me a coupleof times, and I have to admi I felt like Eddie Mone and wanted to sing “baby, hold onto to me.” I even becamwe the Bee Gees, just trying to stay alive. As time went on in the sales process, I realized I was being used. I adoptexd one sentence that changed If you canspeak it, you can write it. That sentence has not guaranteed that I will closee everyprospect — and I am not suggestinhg that it will for you, eitherf — but I guarantee you will never get used Many times early in my career, my prospectw would ask for something in writing, and I wouldx give them customized plans.
I mighy redo them several times, only to find out their cousi Vinny took all mystuff — and my commission, as To prevent this, ask one simplee question: What will it take to make you a client After they mention price, you must get two more things or you can staryt singing “na na na na, hey hey hey, After your prospect tells you what you have to do to earn his or her write down the specific deliverables and initial each one. Have your prospecr do the same and set yoursecondf appointment. (Martin Touch Tip: give yourselvf enough time between appointments to gather the I usually recommend at leasta Next, set the TONE (touchinhg on new expectations).
Touch your prospect at leastg twice beforeyou meet, and remind them of your writtenn agreement. Give them a good reportf that you are working onthe deliverables. Do not smothet them or shove anythinh else downtheir throat. Be a motivatod — not a menace like Dennis, who lived at 627 Elm St. Do you remembere the look on Mr. Wilson’s face when Dennixs would yell, “Hey, Mr. Wilson”? you may see that look when you show up forappointment No. 2. Here is the four R’ds formula to closing your deal. (When you’red done, you can look forward to another word with the letter R — relaxing.) So now it’s showtime — time to say, “Hey, Mr.
Wilson, I got the deliverables.” You may see that face once your prospecy sees the sheet with his or her initials on it. Hopefully, you had the gatekeeperr copy it. (Martin Touch Tip: You will know you’rd in the fight when, 60 seconds into your conversation, your prospectt starts backpedaling.) In the 1980s, Sugar Ray Leonard foughrt MarvelousMarvin Hagler. No one gave Ray a Ray showed up the fight in great shape and was winninyg until he started to trade blowa with the more powerful His trainer, Angelo Dundee, screamed at him that he was blowingg it. (Martin Touch Tip: Do not trade blowa with your prospect.) Dundee screamed at him to jab andget out.
I am tellintg you: That’s what the 4 R’ds are all about. Remind your prospect about the three deliverables they said it wouldd take to earntheir business. (Show it to them and have a red pen andcirclr it.) Jab and get out. Round one is Reiterate what you said you would do and when you woulde do itby (circler that in red) and round 2 goes to you. Resurrecr that part if you haveto (the deliverable they said it wouldc take to get the deal) and you will win 50 percenf of the appointments. (Martinn Touch Tip: Most salespeople lose righft here and are about toget used. Do not throwe in the towel. Tell your “Not only did you say it, but you wrote it and initialed it.
”) Do not dance. It is time for a coupled of swift upper Do not move offthe agreement. Slug it out and say: “Ig you can speak it, you can write it. Check, please!” The last R if you need it: Assuming you spent at leasf 30 minutes in round three and sometimes it can golonged — go through the 3 R’ s again. Sometimes it will be 15 minutes; sometimeas it will take two hours. Be strong and The process is simple, but hard to stick to. But, if you do, they will not sticjk it to you.