Want to Make a Sale? Just Ask

The following is an adaptation from The Asking Formula—Ask For What You Want And Get It.

When it comes down to it, most people are downright scared of being direct and telling people in no uncertain terms, “Here’s what I want.” And salespeople are no different. They feel vulnerable about being honest and up front. It petrifies even the best of them.

Marketing trainers advocate consultative selling to draw people out. Social media consultants say “Selling directly is suicide.” It’s as if there is a conspiracy out there that encourages salespeople to bury their most important wants and desires—making sales. But truthfully, the world would be a better place if salespeople were totally up front and said, “I’m selling windows today; are you buying?”

Even experienced salespeople often are stumped by asking someone for the order. They stumble and bumble their way through touchy-feely talk about their hobbies, the weather, their pets, family, or weekend plans—anything but what they’re really after. Typically, the salesperson meets with the client, properly identifies the needs, and tailors a solution that meets the clients’ needs and budget. After the meeting is complete, the salesperson thanks the client and says that he will follow up with him in a few days. Why? Why not just ask for the order?

Oh sure, all sorts of experts tell you that it’s important to build relationships, or you have to draw out the prospect, or to listen for buying clues, and any number of other items, but the crucial, bottom-line issue is that you have to get around to asking the big question.

Remember, your client’s biggest constraint is time. Multitasking, unrealistic deadlines, and resource shortages are all the norm. Some sales professionals seem to feel it’s rude to directly ask for the order before the client relationship has been fully established. The truth is that all relationships—personal or professional—begin with respect, and wasting time is disrespectful. You can give the client an extra hour or two in their week by eliminating another round of meetings: ask for the order.

Being direct doesn’t mean you have to be a cold fish—far from it—your audience will find it refreshing that you get straight to the point. Remember, directness is a differentiator; getting to a solution in the shortest time possible sets you apart from the jabbering crowd.

When it comes to being successful in business, being frank and open and clearly asking people to give you what you want is what wins the day. In very simple terms, successful people ask for what they want. Then, they give the three very best reasons that explain why it makes perfect sense to say yes.

Asking the Right Questions

The quickest and best way to ask for the order is to say:

“What do we need to do to get your approval? Would you please let me know specifically? You’ve seen how everything works, how well integrated it will be, and that it’s going to make a real difference. Can we close a deal?”

It is crucial to identify the most important request, and brainstorm before you decide on the best reasons. Each reason needs to be carefully selected from a larger number of options and be backed by three important facts.

The best reasons are those that take the perspective of your audience. Why would the client want to give you what you are asking for? Best-of-the-best reasons are verbatim: reasons the client expressly told you are of maximum importance. Sales coaching and peer-to-peer feedback sessions are essential. Having someone listen to you role-play a sales call and deliver the best reasons ensures your personal biases don’t sabotage the conversation or that you fall into bad communication habits.

This method can be successfully used to penetrate difficult accounts, close difficult sales calls, shorten a sales cycle, protect price margins, reduce meeting time, and structure sales letters and even email messages. For example, if you learn that timing is important to a client, you could say something like:

“You told me that the deadline for this project is absolutely critical and you said it is your number one concern. Let’s implement the plan as follows. You approve the report by close of business today. I’ll call you at 5 pm to get any final changes. I’ll start the project tomorrow at 8 am and be done by noon. You can pick up the final in time for lunch. I bet this will give you everything you want in all the ways you’ve been hoping for, and more. And it will happen within 24 hours! How does that sound?”

Skip to the Point

There are three key rules for making your conversations more direct: