Close Encounter Sometimes you need more than a handshake to seal the deal.

I've been in the business of sales my entire adult life.I'm either selling something myself or training others to bebetter salespeople every day. I've studied all the closingtechniques. And I've interviewed thousands of the top salesreps in the country, who've all come to the same conclusion: Ifyou can't say, "Why don't we go ahead with this?"to your customer, then there's something wrong-not with yourclosing, but with your approach to sales.

And remember, your closing technique only works if it'sbuilt on a strong foundation. To prepare for sales seminars, Iinterview my clients' customers to understand what myclients' salespeople are doing right and wrong. The people Iinterview tell me things like: "The best sales reps come inhere and know my business. They know who I sell to, and they knowwhat I need. They don't approach me with some genericpresentation they learned by rote. They make me feel like I'mtheir first and best customer."

How do you develop the best closing technique? There are fourmain stops along that road:

1. Rapport: If a customerdoesn't like you, trust you and feel comfortable with you, itdoesn't matter what closing technique you use. You don'thave to be friends with all your customers, but you do have toestablish some kind of bond. Get to know that person and his or herbusiness-then figure out how your product or service can benefithim or her. You also need to be yourself. It's the only way Iknow to make a meaningful connection with another person. If thatconnection doesn't happen, you may be better off not doingbusiness with that individual.

2. Relationships: Theobjective of establishing rapport is to form relationships. Somerelationships develop quickly; others take time to blossom. Someare purely professional; others are more personal. Part of buildinga relationship is being able to adapt to each customer'spersonality. When I met with one recent potential customer, wedidn't even talk shop for the first half-hour. He needed timeto make a connection with me. Then we were able to proceed with thesale, and I closed by asking, "Why don't we go ahead withthis?" Of course, along the way, I asked simple questions like"Wouldn't you agree?" to get a series of"yes" answers. When you go after these small agreements,or trial closes, you test the buyer and build toward the sale.

3. Needs analysis: I heard astory about a guest who appeared on The Tonight Show whenJohnny Carson was the host. The guest was billed as the greatestsalesman who ever lived. Johnny started by saying, "You'rethe greatest salesman in the world-sell me something." Johnnyexpected a razzmatazz sales spiel. Instead, the man said,"What would you like me to sell you?"
"I don't know," Johnny replied. "How about thisashtray?"
"Why, Johnny?" asked the guest. "What is it that youlike about that ashtray?" Carson listed the things he liked:It matched the brown color of his desk, was octagonal and fulfilledthe need for someplace to put his ashes.
Then the guest asked, "How much would you be willing to spendfor a brown octagonal ashtray like that one?"
"Maybe $20," said Johnny.
"Sold!" said the guest.
The concept behind this interchange is understanding thecustomer's needs. The secret lies in persuading the customer tostate his own needs and then getting him to sell himself. Afterthat, closing becomes a natural progression.

4. Asking for the order:It's amazing how many salespeople miss the close because theydon't ask for the order. Usually, they're afraid thecustomer will say no. But you hardly ever get a flat no. What youget is an objection. And once you discover a solution to thecustomer's objection, you simply say, "Why don't we goahead with this?"

The first close I tried was, "Would you like to put 15percent down on that, or is 10 percent easier?" And it workedbecause, without even realizing it, I had established rapport,formed a relationship, discovered the customer's needs andasked for the order. Without that foundation, the sale is beingbuilt on sand and won't stand.