Personal practice makes perfect

The next element in closing the sale is the element of powerful presentation and a three-option close. Remember this: some of the best-paid performers in the world are top-notch salespeople. These top people have one thing in common, when they give a presentation it is like an Academy Award presentation every time. They know that when they’re in front of a client it is show time, an opening night performance. They’ve only got one shot to make a fantastic first impression. I’ve had the opportunity to meet and watch some great salespeople. They have internalized their presentation to the point where they could do it in their sleep.

We, as salespeople, have to internalize PDR ?? 1/2 practice, drill, and rehearse ?? 1/2 so that our presentation comes out sounding natural, smooth and believable. We’ve got to believe in the benefits of our product that we sell. When we are done they say, “Wow, that guy has some internalized excitement.” That’s what it’s all about: belief in what you’re doing and that you’re doing the right thing. So, number one, you’ve got to give a great presentation. I would recommend that you practice your presentation in front of a video camera. Listen to yourself on tape until you can do it where you use facial expressions, and you can get at least 10 “yeses” every 15 minutes. You should be getting a ‘yes’ a minute minimum before you even attempt to close a sale. If you give a great presentation, people are going to get excited. They’re going to get excited because you have natural internal excitement about your products. When I’m giving a presentation there’s one thing that people always say to me, “Boy, you’re excited about what you do.” I believe in what I’m doing, I believe in how we do it, and I think that there’s nobody who can do a better job for my clients than me. Again, that’s my internal belief. I know about my products; I know about my service; and I know what I can do. I do one thing and I do it extremely well … I deal with retirement, income, and legacy planning; and I show clients how they all tie together. At the same time, when I’m closing the deal, I want to give my clients options. I want to make sure that they’re making the choice and that I’m giving them alternatives. So I always use the three-option close. I’m always talking to them about, “here’s proposal number one and here’s why I think it’s good for you. Here’s proposal number three which is kind of the higher end. And then here’s the one that’s the middle of the road. Which one makes sense to you?” It’s not which one do you want … it’s which one makes the most sense for you at this time. Three quarters of the time they’ll almost always say, “Kelly, what do you recommend?” I say, “Well you know what, if you were my parents I’d probably recommend option B and here’s why.”