This Little Piggy Went to the Conference Room

Isolation [ahy-suh-ley-shuhn] – noun
1.the act or instance of being set or placed apart; detached or separated so as to be alone.

If you’re a parent of a grade-school child, you know isolation is that magically quiet time when they’re in class and you can get the most work done. Isolation is in fact where the most focused personal and business decisions are made. When the mind is calmed and tunnel vision is the goal, you are on your way to isolation and better choices.

Peace and Quiet

When it comes to sales, isolation is most definitely your friend. It helps quiet the conversation, the demo or pitch, and the close. It makes a world of difference when you have someone’s undivided attention, asking them for their business.

You should always attempt to isolate the prospect or prospects to get them alone, away from the busyness of the location. Many of us work in a facility or an office that has a conference room. I always tried to get people alone in a little room where we weren’t disturbed, where phones aren’t ringing, where there are few or no distractions.

That was my number one place, the conference room. If you have access to one, there should be some rules for the room that everyone in the office knows. The most important being that no one opens the door when a prospective buyer is in there with a sales rep. Opening that door could disrupt the story that is being told about your product, service, or your life. And it could destroy the emotions that are being built.

On Display

Many of you work in a facility that has a display area. Sometimes you even attempt to close the sale standing up as you demonstrate your product or service in that display area. It obviously helps if that area has less foot traffic or noise, but if it doesn’t, see if the display can be relocated to fit its purpose – to show the product in action or its benefits that will convince prospects that they’re about to make a great purchase. For this to work most effectively, the dedicated space should be just that.

Maybe you have shown a vehicle on the lot and need a place in the showroom where you can let them know all the facts and figures so you can close the deal. An appointed space in an office or conference room with a door is usually better than an open area where several salespeople are also attempting to close their buyers. Buyers tend to feel more like a number when they see several others going through the same process. An isolated room makes it more personal, especially when discussing finances which are private to individuals.

All the Way Home

I know some of you go to buyers’ homes to close a transaction. The potential for distractions is multiplied many-fold here as you are on their turf and they are in charge of the environment. They can choose to leave on the TV, radio, laptop, or phone and give you only their partial attention. Or they can ask you to cut to the chase and get to the numbers, throwing off your demo, the rapport being built and the story being told.

Many of you choose to close in a neutral location because it’s away from your office, where they may feel you have an unfair or home field advantage. I’ve had many prospects meet me at a coffee shop. I take some facts and figures and establish some rapport while we enjoy a little coffee in the morning. It’s an atmosphere that feels like it’s not high pressure and the conversation tends to be more casual and relaxed.

FOMO

I’ve been in situations where I’m showing the home and the prospective buyers like it, but want to take their time and think about it for a while. But as they’re walking out the front door with me, another car drives up with a real estate agent and another buyer. This causes FOMO – the Fear Of Missing Out. This fear of potential loss is strong. I sometimes interject with, ”I hate in any way to be pushy, but I’d like to suggest that maybe we draft up our offer right here on the top of my car. If the home is right for you, I’d like to make sure you get it rather than this other couple.” That fear of loss is so strong for such a major purchase that I’ve closed the deal right there on the hood of my car more than once.

If your company has some type of purchase agreement, always keep one with you everywhere you go because it might make all the difference. If you run into someone and you pitch your product and discover that they are qualified, interested, and give you some buying signs, you can write it up right there wherever you are and you can close the transaction. If you have to run back to the office for a purchase agreement, it may take too long and the prospect may come back down to earth. Goodbye sale.

We should always strive to sharpen our sales skills and continue to grow in our profession. We should be ready to close anywhere. It takes effort, but the payoff is great. And nothing increases your payoffs more than being able to close regardless of the location, the objection, or the economy.

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