Irecently was teaching a sales seminar and Las Vegas and asked the class a simple question:
Of the 3 phases of the sales process (opening, presentation, closing), which one is the most important in terms of sales success?
After a few comments and pensive faces from the audience, it appeared that the majority of people believed the opening portion of the sales process was the most important. I concurred with the majority for this simple reason:
If the salesperson loses their customer within the first 10 minutes of the sales process(the opening), there won’t be a presentation much less a closing to get to.
How strong is your sales foundation?
Hopefully you understand where I’m coming from here. I like to compare this process to that of a house. A house has 3 main parts: The foundation, the walls, and the roof. Comparatively speaking, the ‘opening’ part of the sales process is the foundation. The walls are the ‘presentation’ phase and the roof would be the ‘closing’ component. And as we’ve all heard many times, a house is only as strong as its foundation. Without a strong foundation, the best built house in the world will not withstand the test of time. The same is true with the sales process. The opening portion with any new client will lay the foundation for the rest of the process. It’s sets the tone, initiates trust, and is the essential vehicle in allowing the salesperson to properly address the ‘need’ of the individual. Using this logic, I submit this important question:
Why do 90% of all sales books focus on the ‘close’ and ‘closing techniques’ versus the most important part of the sale: the opening?
My guess is that writing about closing techniques is just much more ‘sexy’ than teaching people how to properly lay a solid foundation to the sales process.
Now don’t get me wrong here with what I’m saying.Yes, closing techniques are important. And yes, everyone must work on their ability to ‘close the deal’ in order to achieve greatness. But notwithstanding, I will always believe this critical truth:
The best sales closers are the best sales openers.
I know, it’s sounds almost too simple. But the simple truths of sales will always be the fundamental key to greatness and financial prosperity in this important profession.
This is why we must be great sales openers. Such must be our paradigm and once achieved, dramatic increases in sales closing rates will inevitably follow.
Your thoughts? Agree? Disagree? Don’t hesitate to leave your comments below.
