Close That Sale!

Asking for money is simpler than you think if you are Local, Reliable and Nice

You should be in a good place right now.

You have found an activity you love, and decided to turn this good idea into a great business. You have found a Foil, and you are using them as a sounding board for now.

If you are an extrovert, a Magnet in our model, your Foil is keeping your feet on the ground: getting you to focus on one idea, not several at once, and encouraging you to listen, not talk. If you are an introvert, a Maker or a Monitor, your Foil is encouraging you not to obsess over technical details (‘analysis paralysis’) and to get out more and talk to potential customers.

Someone already in your network, or at most one step removed, has shown interest in what you do. You are in their house. You like them, and they seem to like you.

You may have discussed a free session, and you have agreed a ‘road map’ for the first few sessions of your service. These fit well with your other commitments, your diary and your time, which is a topic I will cover later.

Qualifying: Needs, Today and Money

The structure of sales is very straightforward. It has only two elements: ‘Qualifying’ and ‘Closing’.

Qualifying is establishing beyond doubt that the prospect has three things: a ‘Need’, a reason to act ‘Today’, and the ‘Money’ to pay for it.

You have discussed their needs and the measurable outcomes they want. In the maths tutoring example, the goal is better grades for their child. Their garden is indeed a mess. Their dog is hyperactive from lack of exercise. Their drawings repel their friends. Their phone or computer is acting strangely.

You have also discussed dates for the free trial and the paid sessions. So ‘Needs’ and ‘Today’ are covered. That leaves the trickiest part for everyone: ‘Money’.

Nobody likes asking for money, including me. So I developed a set of simple techniques to make it as painless as possible.

See it from their side

The one sales technique that will really help you is to look at the situation from the customer’s point of view. They have a need, and they are hoping you have the three key qualities of a Local Hero: ‘Local’, ‘Reliable’ and ‘Nice’.

Local. You have already proved this one. You live a short car or bus ride away, so you can easily deliver your service, especially if they have a sudden, urgent need. There is a new maths test at school, or a job interview coming up, so they want to speed things up. They are having a barbecue and want to impress their friends. They have a delightful new puppy who is bouncing off the walls. They want to paint a portrait, a landscape or a still life as a birthday present. They are keen to make the most of AI on their phone or laptop.

Reliable. This covers the quality of what you do. It should be a given that the maths tutoring, dog walking, gardening, art classes and computer support are good.

But ‘Reliable’ also means turning up on time, or a few minutes early. This may seem obvious, but your customer will have a sorry history of tradespeople who started well, then began turning up late or, worse, cancelling at the last minute.

The cause is usually that many Local Heroes take on too much work too soon, out of a wish to please everyone and to earn more. If you turn up on time, do a good job, leave no mess and leave on time, you will soon earn respect and gratitude. Before you close your first sale, reassure them that your reliability will not slip over time.

Nice. You also meet the final test of a Local Hero: you are ‘Nice’. They like you because you are easy to deal with. If something goes wrong and it is your fault, you apologise and fix it. You are understanding and flexible if they need to postpone because of a genuine emergency.

Closing: Script and Silence

Now you have to ask for money. You have already researched the hourly rate people typically charge in your area for what you do. You quote that rate, towards the top end of the scale.

Asking for money is the second and final part of selling: ‘Closing’. It has only two elements: ‘Script’ and ‘Silence’.

Prepare your ‘Closing Script’ and rehearse it in front of a mirror. The more you rehearse it, the easier it gets, like learning lines for a play. For example: “So, let’s confirm Monday 11th January. My charge for that will be £xx per hour.”

Then watch and wait. Ideally, they take a little intake of breath and say, “Oh, that’s a bit more than I expected.” This is a very good sign. You have set a good price, one that works for you.

The truth about customers is that nobody is really looking for the cheapest supplier, especially in an affluent area. Plenty of others might charge less than you, but their results are worse grades, lost dogs, dead plants, boring art classes and frozen computers. You are better than them, so of course you cost more.

Your reply to “that’s a bit more than I expected” is simple. You say “Yes”, and then you use what is called ‘The Power of Silence’. Say nothing, and wait for their reply. There may be an awkward pause, but time is on your side. They have to say something, so do not feel the urge to jump in.

There are only three possible answers to this simple Close: ‘Yes’, ‘No’ or ‘Maybe’. I will cover how to deal with each of them in my next article.

Your one thing this week

Write your Closing Script: the date, and your price. Then say it to the mirror until you can say it, and stop, without adding a word.