Everything we do in life involves the sale of either a product or a
service. While many professionals often cringe at agreeing with that
premise, the reality is that in some manner or other, each of us need to
sell either ourselves, or someone else, on either an idea, a service or
a product.
Having trained salesman and marketers, as well as
their managers, for over three decades, I have observed innumerable
individuals who never achieve the results that others, who often appear
to have less talents or abilities, end up with. Many marketers and
salespersons make the mistake of painstakingly preparing and rehearsing
their presentations (or "shpiels"), and often give a technically
near-perfect presentation. However, often others with lesser
presentations end up with far superior results. Whether you are involved in a person - to - person business (such as being a Real Estate Professional, or Financial Adviser), or work in a customer relations position (understanding that all interactions with the public, involve some degree of customer service/ relations), or have issues with family inter - reactions, you still need to understand how important it is to ask, and how to do so efficiently, and effectively.
The main reason
for this often is something that is referred to as "closing," or "the
close," or "the ask." When someone does not ask the person he is
presenting to for some sort of commitment or agreement, he rarely will
get it volunteered. Effective and productive presenters realize that one
must ask something like, "Doesn't it make sense?" and wait quietly for a
response before proceeding.
When these same people role play, or
rehearse their technique, they nearly always do close. Then why don't
they when the real opportunity comes up? At one point, I over-analyzed
this situation nearly to death. I "bought into" all the philosophical
"mumble-jumble" that is given by those without true experience or
expertise, who have simply read or heard something somewhere. However,
over time, I have come to a very simple reason why closing is not done
in real-time situations. Many individuals have difficulty going outside
their own personal comfort zones, to ask for the "sale" or "deal" or
"agreement." When one does not ask, they almost never get to the "deal"
stage.
The same is true in negotiations. I have conducted hundreds
of negotiations in the last three decades. One only has a chance of
getting any type of adjustment or concession during a negotiation if you
ask openly for what you want.
Therefore, it is important that
each of us understand that it is not the presentation that counts, as
much as the "close." If you really want something, you must ask! Too
many of us make excuses, and blame others when we do not achieve our
objectives. Achieving objectives is very often dependent upon taking
personal responsibility and doing what is necessary to get it done
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