Salesmanship University

Sales Techniques – Pull In The Sale Using The Ask-The-Manager Close

You may recall times when the customer is about to make a purchase but keeps contending about the price or a condition that was not met. It seemed like a dead end. The ask-the-manager close can help you turn such situations around to bring in the sale.

This is a technique where showmanship is of utmost importance. When done properly, your prospect is forced to either make the purchase or dissolve the façade of price objection to confess his real objection.

There are three steps involved to prepare the stage so you can experience this technique’s maximum benefit:

1. Confirm the objection

Have your prospect affirm that the price (or some other objection) is indeed the only concern holding him back. Then you do a trial close by saying, “…suppose this concern is out of the way, will you then put this art piece at your study?”

If he assures you this is the only concern standing between your product and him, progress him to the next step. Otherwise get him to tell you what’s the one thing holding him back from the purchase.

2. Emphasize the difficulty

Tell your prospect how difficult it is to meet his requirement. Throw all sorts of objections at him, then tell him this is the best you can do for him. At this point, drop him a hint that there may be a glimmer of hope if you were to speak to your manager.

Then do another trial close, saying “….we really don’t do such things here, yet I’ll persuade my manager to make a provision. Before I go in to see him, can I be 100% sure that in the event my manager agrees to another 5% discount, you’ll be doing the paperwork today?”

3. Dramatize the conversation

For some reasons, things that come to us easily aren’t valued much. Therefore dramatize the conversation with your manager in such a way that additional 5% comes after a great struggle. This requires a little practice.

As you do this, you may want to stand close enough to your prospect so he can hear your conversation yet far enough so he can’t intervene.

After walking your prospect through these three steps, they’ll come out of this experience with 3 affirmations:

1. He feels you are on his side, putting in an effort to fight the authority for them.

2. He feels great to have you arm-twisted into a good deal.

3. He feels the pressure to make the purchase because you have made him commit to it earlier.

This technique is so powerful some salesmen purposely setup such “dead ends” just so they can put this technique to use. If you’re thinking of using this as a primary means of closing your prospects, you have to make adequate provisions.

For example, if your prospect shoots a price objection at you, an additional discount is available… If he moans about the lead-time, an express delivery can be arranged… In case he bothers you about the color, an alternative can be manufactured…

With adequate preparation, your prospect tries to steal a bargain from you only to find himself entangled into a web of commitment.

But as with all other powerful sales techniques, you must use this with good showmanship and with integrity. Otherwise your prospect may feel cheated and never buy from you again.

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