Close That Deal With These 5 Tips

 
To establish a steady customer base and grow your business, it's vital that you and your team close sales. Good salespeople seem to have an innate ability to close a sale with just about any potential customer, but the process can be intimidating to those who aren't in sales. There are ways to improve your own capability to close the sale, including these five tips.

 
1. Target the decision makers

Making the perfect sales pitch means nothing if the person you're pitching to has no power to make decisions. To increase your chances of success, do some research before making your pitch, identifying the actual decision makers in an organization. The U.S. Department of Energy posted a presentation on its blog about successfully marketing to the U.S. Government, including how decision makers decide to meet with a business. It explains, "[Decision makers] spend what limited time they have to meet with qualified vendors." Make sure that the top communicators know that you are the best vendor.

 
2. Network

Attending luncheons, presentations and other events hosted by business administrations, chambers of commerce and other organizations can help you connect with potential customers. While at these events, take the opportunity to find out how different organizations make decisions regarding vendors. By doing so, you can tailor your approach to each prospect, targeting either the top decision maker or multiple decision makers depending on how an organization makes these choices. You can also use networking to build relationships with potential clients.

 
3. Target multiple departments

If lower level employees in an organization are blocking your access to decision makers, find someone else. Lower level employees who are excited about your services can help put you through to the top decision makers. In a Harvard Business Review article titled, "To Close a Deal, Find a Champion," Paul Weinstein states, "Although champions are not the ultimate decision makers, and they rarely have substantial power within their organization, they have four things that make them irreplaceable in developing and closing the deal: credibility, connections, company intelligence, and motivation."

 
4. Try upselling

When your business offers multiple products or services, determine if there are any additional ways in which you can meet the needs of your clients. If there is anything else that you can offer, try upselling. Refer your current clients to other products or services in your arsenal from which they can benefit.

 
5. Solve problems

Many people don't respond favorably to being pitched, but if you can demonstrate how your company can help a client, they may be more receptive to your pitch. B2B Digital suggests you "skip the traditional positioning step," and let the client know what you can specifically do for his or her company.

 
Refining your pitch and learning how to identify and target the right people can help you increase your odds of closing any sale. Be sure you can clearly articulate what you offer and build relationships with potential customers.

 
 
This article was written by Alaina Brandenburger for Small Business Pulse