In the olden days of sales there was a very popular model of thought, which told salesmen to “always be closing”. The idea was that your end goal was the sale and therefore, everything you do should be in the mindset of your end goal. Whether you are introducing yourself or shaking the hand of a potential client, the job of a salesman was to be focused on closing that deal. This is a pretty aggressive view of sales, and as a result many people believe sales people to be pushy, dishonest, and greedy.
The modern-day advice for salesmen, is no longer always be closing. Instead it is Sandler Rule number 16: “Never ask the prospect for the order”. This means make the prospect close the deal for you with some well-placed questions. For example, after discussing the pain of the customer and how your product can fix their situation, maybe ask the customer “Is this something you would like us to do for you?”.
Customers want to be in control over the conversation they want to feel like they are making the decisions, so that’s exactly what the salesman does. Salesmen ask questions shut up and let the prospect do all the work for you.
BoweryJE22