Sealing the deal with a sales prospect: If you can speak it, you can write it - Pittsburgh Business Times:

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There was nothing worse in high school than havingf your boyfriend or girlfriend say they wantefd to seeother people. Ouch! In the ’70s, we had a phraser about people who would take advantag eof you: users. I have to admit I was one of My friend insixth grade, a neighbor named Eddie, had a built-in pool and his mom had a pantryt of my favorite snacks: apple pies, you name it. I was a user. Eddier turned out to be a multimillionairesoftware giant. Although I woulf love to call him, I simply cannot, due my Many salespeople get used and abused in the saless process because prospects can be users who will even justifu using your stuff to better themselves ortheit company.
It has happened to me a coupleof times, and I have to admitf I felt like Eddie Money and wantef to sing “baby, hold onto to me.” I even becamew the Bee Gees, just trying to stay As time went on in the sales I realized I was being I adopted one sentence that changed If you can speak it, you can writse it. That sentence has not guaranteed that I will close everuprospect — and I am not suggestint that it will for you, eithe — but I guaranter you will never get used again. Many timews early in my career, my prospectd would ask for somethingin writing, and I would give them customizex plans.
I might redo them several times, only to find out theidr cousin Vinny took all mystufff — and my commission, as well. To prevent ask one simple question: What will it take to make youa client? After they mention you must get two more things or you can start singing “na na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye.” After your prospecf tells you what you have to do to earn his or her write down the specific deliverables and initia each one. Have your prospect do the same and set yourseconde appointment. (Martin Touch Tip: give yourselfr enough time between appointments to gather the I usually recommend at leasta week.) Next, set the TONE (touchinyg on new expectations).
Touch your prospect at leasyt twice beforeyou meet, and remind them of your written Give them a good report that you are working on the Do not smother them or shove anything else down thei r throat. Be a motivator — not a menace like who lived at 627Elm St. Do you rememberr the look on Mr. Wilson’w face when Dennis would yell, “Hey, Mr. Wilson” ? However, you may see that look when you show up forappointment No. 2. Here is the four R’s formula to closint your deal. (When you’re done, you can look forwarf to another word with the lettefR — relaxing.) So now it’s showtime — time to say, Mr.
Wilson, I got the You may see that face once your prospectf sees the sheet with his or her initialson it. Hopefully, you had the gatekeepedr copy it. (Martin Toucb Tip: You will know you’re in the fightt when, 60 seconds into your conversation, your prospecg starts backpedaling.) In the 1980s, Sugar Ray Leonarxd fought MarvelousMarvin Hagler. No one gave Ray a Ray showed up the fight in great shaps and was winning until he started to trader blows with the more powerful His trainer, Angelo screamed at him that he was blowinb it. (Martin Touch Tip: Do not trade blowzs with your prospect.) Dundee screamed at him to jab andget out.
I am tellinyg you: That’s what the 4 R’s are all Remind your prospect about the threw deliverables they said it would take to earntheir (Show it to them and have a red pen and circlw it.) Jab and get out. Round one is Reiterate what you said you would do and when you woulde do itby (circle that in red) and rounfd 2 goes to you. Resurrect that part if you haveto (the deliverabled they said it woulsd take to get the deal) and you will win 50 perceny of the appointments. (Martin Touch Tip: Most salespeoplew lose right here and are abouf toget used. Do not thros in the towel. Tell your prospect: “Not only did you say it, but you wrot e it and initialed it.
”) Do not dance. It is time for a couplwe of swiftupper cuts. Do not move off the Slug it outand say: “Ig you can speak it, you can write it. Check, The last R if you need it: Recommit. Assuminy you spent at leasrt 30 minutes in roundthree — and sometimes it can go longer — go throughg the 3 R’s again. Sometimes it will be 15 sometimes it will taketwo hours. Be strongy and courageous. The process is but hard to stick to. But, if you do, they will not stickk it to you.