This is the seventh video in our series on how to sell software to businesses, where we discuss closing the deal.

 

How to Sell Software Video Series

 

Deals Should Close Themselves

While it can be easy to see the close as the most difficult step in the sales process, I believe that if you do everything else properly, closing should be extremely easy. In fact, it is very possible for deals to almost close on their own.

If you properly go through the steps of identifying the prospect’s pain, building interest in your product as a solution, and qualifying the prospect to buy, there should not be a need at the end of the sales process to push the prospect to move forward.

 

Trial Close

One tactic that we discuss in this video is to trial close the prospect. This is asking questions to test close the prospect on where they are in terms of what they are thinking. This can be extremely helpful because, while you could easily assume you know what the prospect is thinking, it is very valuable to get the prospect to share what they are thinking and wanting in their own words.

When you think of closing tactics, you might think of actions you take at the end of the sales process. But trial closing is something you can do every step of the sales process and every time you speak with the prospect. Even if the actual purchase is very far down the road, you can still ask the prospect what they think about what is being discussed and the direction everything is going.

 

Compelling Event

One thing that can make closing easier is identifying a compelling event for the prospect. This would be a date closely tied to their purchase.

For example, if their current contract expires on the last day of the year and they need their new system to be in place by that date, that date is a compelling event. If you were able to identify this detail, you could then use that during the sales process to keep things moving forward.

 

Partnership Plan

One of the best tools for closing that we discuss in this video is to use a partnership plan with the prospect. This document lists the steps both parties must take between the presentation or proposal and the customer’s purchase.

The salesperson can draft the initial steps and present them at the end of the product presentation. After presenting, the salesperson can work with the prospect to make any needed changes to the plan and then close the prospect on the agreement to move forward.

If there is a partnership plan both parties have agreed to, the salesperson will have greater control over the remainder of the sales process, making it much easier to close the prospect.