closing tips

  • How Closing a Tough Sale is Nearly Identical to Hitting a Home Run

    • August 25, 2022
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    You’re watching a baseball game on television and the announcer says, “And here’s the pitch and there’s a long drive hit deep to left field and it’s deep, it’s up, it’s way back and GONE!!!!!  Home Run Dave Kurlan!”  OK, the announcer never said the Dave Kurlan part. Not even close. I was a singles hitter.  And I never played at a level that had announcers.  So there’s that.  For entertainment sake, watch this classic 2-minute clip of Robert Redford as Roy Hobbs hitting the magical home run at the end of the movie, The Natural, one of my all-time favorite baseball movies right up there with The Sandlot and Field of Dreams.

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  • The Top 12 Factors that Cause Delayed Closings and What to Do About Them

    • September 25, 2018
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Delays, delays, delays.  Nearly every coaching call with a salesperson is about a delayed closing.  Nearly every coaching call with a sales manager is about a salesperson with a delayed closing.  Everyone wants to know what to do about the delayed closing but that’s the wrong question.  Everyone should be asking these two questions instead.

    Was it really delayed or were we overly optimistic about if and when this opportunity would close?
    What steps can we take to prevent delayed closings?

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  • Specific Words are So Crucial to a Sales Conversation

    • August 27, 2013
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    I just returned from a speaking engagement in Athens and had to stop at passport control several times during this trip. They always ask, “What kind of business?” and over the years I’ve used them all: consulting, speaking, training, business adviser, author, coaching, etc.  I’ve learned that if I want to be interrogated, “speaker” would be the answer of choice.  If I simply want to answer a few questions, “consultant” will do the trick.  But to elicit the desired yawn from the officers, I only need to say “attend a conference.”  Words make a huge difference and if you like scripts, you’ll be disappointed.  But a well-chosen word or phrase at just the right time can be the difference between a resistant prospect and an intrigued one.  Do you pay enough attention to the things you do and say as well as how you say them just before a prospect becomes resistant or more engaged?  Well, you should!

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  • This One Tip Helps Salespeople Close More Business

    • July 13, 2010
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Everyone likes options, right?  Yes, people love options.  The only problem is that options prevent most people from being able to make decisions. 

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