Eli Manning said one of the key messages coach Tom Coughlin preached this season was the need to “finish the game”.  The football game is 60 minutes long and you need to come prepared to play all 60 minutes and finish the job.

For sales people, finishing means closing the sale.

 Often CEO’s call me in asking me to help their sales people close more sales.  My answer is their problem is not closing, but rather opening.  The reason the sales people are not finishing the job with an order is because they are not positioning themselves properly from the beginning and doing the things necessary to differentiate themselves from the competition.

To differentiate oneself from the competition in sales, you cannot start the conversation by talking about your features and yourself.  No one cares.  What people want to talk about are their issues and the solutions you have to offer.

Sales is a psychological process.  If you present solutions before you uncover the issues, no one is listening to what you have to say.  To make a sale and close the deal, you need to accomplish four things.  It is that simple!

1. Get prospect/customer emotionally enrolled in their issues and needs
2. Present customized solutions
3. Jointly develop a path forward
4. Gain commitment on next steps

It is that simple!  Now, do you have the skills and motivation to finish the sale?

To learn more on How to Close the Deal, read the CEO Bestselling Book Lead, Sell or Get Out of the Way.