This HubSpot Academy video (presented by Dane, with input from Jim Donovan of PandaDoc) explains five practical steps salespeople can use to close more deals. It emphasizes doing research and qualifying prospects, setting clear expectations (ACE framework), pitching solutions rather than features (using Spotlight questions), proactively handling objections, and recognizing when to ask for the sale (trial close). The piece encourages process-driven selling to save time and improve close rates.
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Going into a closing conversation with a prospect is nerve wracking, to say the least. There's always a chance you'll lose to the competition, they'll decide to postpone their decision, or they'll ask for a price you can't deliver. Hi, I'm Dane from HubSpot Academy. Every salesperson wants to close more deals, right? Days, weeks and months are spent racing away against that clock to ensure that you can hit quota. But can you save time and still close more deals? Yes, by investing in the right processes, activities and skills. Here's a look at five steps you can take to close more deals. First, do your research. When it comes to increasing your closing rates, prospecting and qualifying are where you're going to do a lot of the heavy lifting.
The main thing I'm asking is why should the person that's reading my email care? Another one would be like, what is this person doing right now that I'm interrupting? Or what does this person's day look like that I'm interrupting? Because so often we're writing things based on theory, but we're not writing it based on how the person feels that's actually going to be reading it.
Second, Set Clear Expectations Once your prospecting and qualifying strategies are firing on all cylinders, you want to make sure that you're setting very clear expectations for your buyer throughout the sales process all the way up to close. You can set clear expectations by using something like the ACE Framework. Appreciate your prospect, taking the time Check the end time of your meeting or call, and make sure you have an end goal or target to hit by the end of the call or meeting. Third, pitch the solution, not the product. Most salespeople know their products inside and out. Great salespeople, on the other hand, take it a step further. Not only do they understand their product inside and out, but they but they can carefully and comprehensively articulate how it will have a positive impact on their prospect's business and life. Using Spotlight questions can help you identify problems your prospect has ahead of time without needing to ask. Ask yourself what problems are common in your industry? What specific problems does your product provide a solution for, and what problems can you identify with a little research that your prospects might not already be aware of? Asking yourself those questions will help you identify what Spotlight questions you can develop for your specific industry and prospects. Fourth, handle any objections if the buyer has any concerns about price or product fit, proactively address their concerns, listen to them and validate their concern. Ask additional qualifying questions and most importantly, lean in when a buyer presents an objection, view it as a good thing. They want to buy your solution. They're just trying to convince themselves whether or not this is the way to do it. They want to figure it out. If they didn't, they'd walk away and finally ask for the sale. Once you're confident in the solution you're providing to the buyer and their company, it's time to ask for the sale. Make the buyer feel comfortable, but don't be afraid to communicate any urgency you might be feeling to move the deal forward. Here's Jim Donovan, VP of Sales at PandaDoc, to talk US through knowing when it's time to ask for the sale.
So it's really, you know, did you listen? Did you build your value? And has pricing come up? And if those three things have happened, it's probably a good indication that you should probably be asking for what we call a trial close.
If you can answer these questions with an astounding yes, then it's a good indication that you're ready to ask for the sale. When you're thinking about how to close more deals, it's important that you consider all your efforts from prospecting or all the way through the close. To find out what else it takes to close more deals and crush your quota, check out the how to close a sale lesson that we've put together with the folks at PandaDoc over at HubSpot Academy. Till next time, and don't forget to hit the subscribe button below for more videos like these.
