making the close

Webster defines closing as:
1. the end or conclusion
2. something that closes
3. the final phase of a transaction
4. an act or instance of failing or going bankrupt

In a recent class of 15 people, 13 reported the lack of 'closing' as their number one obstacle. Received an email today from a leader saying the number one question asked of her by her business partners is 'how to close'.
I googled close, and found 1,120,000,000 matches. Right, that's one BILLION matches.
Wow - popular word.

When someone asks me about 'closing' I know what they really mean is 'how can I get more people to buy what I have to sell'. The reason closing is a major misnomer is that in most businesses, getting the sale is the BEGINNING of the relationship, certainly NOT the end or conclusion.
Maybe that is a big part of the problem. Maybe we aren't setting the right objective.
We may think we are. However if we use words like 'closing the sale' - even if our intentions are good, we may be signaling to all that is around us that we really have no intention of building a relationship with our customers.

hmmmm... What's in a word? Well you know that is one of my favorite conversations.
And, as one is alert and aware of the objectives they are setting, I do believe the specific language we utilize can make the difference.
Communicating and Selling Effectively starts with our power of attraction and setting clear objectives.
I would suggest perhaps as we set our goals and look to increase our income through generating more sales, we consider our magnetic ability. It will never be the products alone that people buy. It's YOU.
If you want to increase your closing dollars - consider opening a relationship.

And speaking of relationships, I've been doing a free training call every Thursday night for about 10 years now. This week we'll talk about openings.
Are you open?
Check out my calendar for details.