Hopefully you are enjoying the fall weather and the steps in the customer's buying decisions. It has been fun writing about these decisions. It has also helped me understand how the buyers make the decisions especially in automotive since I took the past six months to work in purchasing. Call it a sabbatical if you will. It will help me in the coming years as I enter back into sales on how large organizations strategically manage their supply base.
So, we are here at the final buying decision and it's the decision to "Buy". This is the time they decide after all the hard work you have done to buy you, your company, your product / offering, and your price. Now they are ready to say yes let's sign the contract and issue you a purchase order. This is the time when you have been dreaming about finally arriving.
Now if you have followed the buying decisions, answering all their questions, and fulfilling their needs that you will see the reward. Some older sales trainers would say this is where you use the close, hard close, etc. I do not like hearing closing because this is a process and a start for future business. This is your opportunity to reaffirm the customer of their decision and schedule the follow ups to get them thinking about next steps.
I do have to warn that some large purchasing organizations like to make a last time nibble and strong negotiations at this point. I still believe that if we have gone into negotiations that the sales person has not done all of their duties finding all of the needs. So, it is this point where I like to have that extra need to answer in my back pocket to show how we answer their needs. Also knowing your walk away is a good thing. This way if they offer a nibble for a last second requirement you can say, "If I give you this then we need to complete this sale." Make sure you get their signature though if you give them this nibble.
Sign, complete, and celebrate.
Then review and see where you can refine your approach as well as find out more information about your customer and how you might gain more business :)
Have a great weekend.
Sincerely,
Kevin Sidebottom
Sales And Leadership Enterprises