Many, many distributors have told us about going on a sales call, going through and giving a great step-by-step sales presentation, but not getting the sale. The overwhelming reason we have found for not getting the sale has been because of the closing technique used, or lack thereof.

We have compiled the finest and most effective sales closing techniques from our most successful dealers. We guarantee you will dramatically increase your ratio of sales to calls. In fact, several distributors have had very successful sales close rates of 40%-50% using these techniques. There is only one catch, you have to know and understand them, and — you have to use them.

But before we start talking about the closing techniques, we need to talk about the qualifications you must have in order to close sales. Here are the two most important psychological qualifications to closing. You must know and use these if you want to be effective and successful at selling putting greens or any other product or service.

Enthusiasm
Most of all closing effectiveness comes from your enthusiasm or excitement about putting greens. One of the best definitions of closing is that it is a “transfer of enthusiasm.” In other words, when you successfully transfer your enthusiasm about your putting green into the mind of the customer, you increase the chance that he or she will buy and a sale takes place. Our most effective distributors know their putting greens, believe in their putting greens, love their putting greens, and believe that the putting greens have very worthwhile benefits for their customers. This goes for any product or service you sell. If you don’t love your product, if you don’t believe in your product, if you wouldn’t sell your product to your best friend or mother, then you are probably selling the wrong product.

Confident Expectation
The second psychological quality you require is confident expectations. You must confidently expect that the person is going to say “yes” if you just ask for the sale often enough. You must ask for the sale at least 3 times during your design consultation. When you ask the customer to buy, you must confidently expect them to buy. For example, you ask expectantly, “Would like a putting green with or without a fringe, a kidney bean shaped green or an oval shaped green.” You ask for the sale expectantly, and the more confidently you expect to sell, the more likely it is that you will. Confidence in selling putting greens comes from knowledge, it comes from practice, it comes from experience, and it comes from believing that the synthetic putting green can do what you say it will do.

The more tools you have at your disposal, the more likely you are to close the sale. For some distributors you’ll only need one or two closing techniques that you can use repeatedly. However, the more closing techniques you know, the more prepared you will be to present the right one under the right circumstance.

Killer Closing Technique #1:

Hot Button Close
Find the hot button, which is the key benefit of your putting green that the customer wants more than anything else. You then have to push this hot button repeatedly. Every time you mention the hot button, the customer’s desire to own a putting green goes up. Every time you talk about features that aren’t all that important to him, his desire to purchase goes down. You are only really selling when you ask questions and give customers the opportunity to tell you what they’re looking for, what they want, what they need, what they’re concerned about, and what their worries are. You are only really selling when you are listening attentively.

While you ask questions and listen, eventually the prospect will say, “This is what I’m looking for.” That’s it! That is the hot button. Every product or service has a “key benefit” that a customer must be assured of receiving before making a purchase decision. For instance, if the customer tells you he wants to improve his putting and short game, you need to mention this benefit repeatedly. “The putting green will provide a true ball roll, holding characteristics, and improve your putting & short game.” Later in the presentation say, “We can build undulations and contours into your putting green so you can read the greens at the golf course better and improve your putting & short game.” While showing the pictorial magazine say, “Not only will the putting green increase the value of your property and enhance your landscape, it will also improve your putting & short game.”

Killer Closing Technique #2:

Check Close
The check close is a technique that a sales person uses throughout the design consultation to find out how well he is doing. It’s used to check your progress. Go through a part of your design consultation and then ask, “What do you think of this so far? Does this make sense to you? Is this what you’re looking for? Is this what you had in mind?” These are all check closes. The best thing about a check close is that if the customer answers “no,” it doesn’t end the consultation.

For example, you could ask, “Is this the sort of shape of putting green you’re looking for?” The prospect might say, “No.” So then you can say, “That’s good to know because we have many other shapes and designs that we can look at in the pictorial magazine and brochure.” You could ask, “Do you like the size of the area we have marked for your putting green?” If the prospect says, “yes” then you know you are getting closer to a sale. If the prospect says, “No, I don’t like that size,” you can say, “That’s all right; we can make adjustments to get the size you want.”

Good sales people ask check closes throughout the design consultation. They never present a piece of information without confirming that they are on the right track when using a check close.

Killer Closing Technique #3:

The Power of Suggestion Close
The power of suggestion close is based on the fact that we are all very susceptible to the suggestive influences of people around us. For example, when a person becomes excited about something, his excitement is contagious making other people excited as well. When a person becomes enthusiastic about something, that enthusiasm is also contagious.

The way you use the power of suggestion close is by creating emotions in the customer with words or pictures. For example, you can say, “You’re really going to enjoy the way the putting green reacts like a real grass green. My putting green has undulations and contours that resemble the characteristics of a golf course green!” In other words, you talk to the customer as if he already owns the putting green. You say, “You are really going to enjoy being able to practice on your putting green anytime day or night.” “You are really going to like the same true ball roll and speed of the synthetic greens like those at your favorite course.” “You are going to love the way the green will enhance your yard and existing landscape.” “You are really going to love being able to reduce your strokes in and around the green and beat your golf buddies.”

You talk to them throughout as if they had already made the decision to buy. You continually create mental pictures of what it’s going to be like to use, to enjoy, to benefit, and to own the putting green.

Killer Closing Technique #4:

The Invitational Close
Simply inviting the prospect to make a buying decision uses the invitational close. A simple and easy invitational close is, “Why don’t you give the putting green a try?” When you ask that, you are suggesting that making the purchase decision is no big deal. It gives the customer the feeling that he can try the green out.

Another invitational close is simply, “What size and shape of the putting green would you like?” Or, “What kind of landscaping or border would you like around the putting green?” Or, “Would you like us to get started on the installation right away?” Or, “Is this the size and shape you had in mind?” In other words, you invite the customer to make a decision. Don’t come to the end of the presentation and ask, “Well, what are your thoughts on the putting green ?” It opens up too much opportunity for the customer to negate the sale.

Killer Closing Technique #5:

The Secondary Close
This is one of the most popular closing techniques used by dealers. Use it to close on a minor point. For example, imagine you have laid out the shape of the putting green in their yard, “By the way, will you want a collar of fringe around the putting green or a sand trap to the side of it?”

It doesn’t really matter which one he chooses because in either case, he has decided to buy the putting green. You ask, “By the way, would you want us to start on the 1st or the 15th of the month?” Whichever date they select, they’ve made the decision to buy the putting green. In other words, you close on a minor question rather than on the entire purchase decision. It is much easier for a customer to make a decision on minor points than on the entire offer.

Killer Closing Technique #6:

The Assumption Close
The assumption close is often called the “talking past the sale” close. You simply assume that the person has decided to buy. You talk exactly as if he has just said, “Yes, I want it.” You assume the sale and ask something like, “When would you like the green installed?” or “When would you like this delivered?” or “How soon do you need it?”

For example, imagine that you have just finished your presentation. You ask, “Well, who is going to keep your golf buddies off your green?” Even before the customer says, “Yes, I want it,” you assume that he has decided to buy. You talk past the sale and you go on to wrap up the details.

Killer Closing Technique #7:

The Summary Close
The summary close is used at the end of the presentation. You say, “Now, let’s just briefly go over what we’ve talked about.” You then summarize everything that you have just discussed about the putting green.

You summarize the features and the benefits, one by one. Go through the entire list, right down to the last reason he/she should buy a green. When you summarize all the reasons for buying it one after another, you will bring the customer to the point of his greatest buying desire for the putting green.

For example, say, “Let’s look at all the benefits of your putting green. It has the true ball roll and holding characteristics of a real putting green. Undulations and contours can be built into the green. The speed of the green is adjustable to match the speed of the greens at your golf course. It provides you a 24/7 putting and chipping practice facility in the comfort of your yard. It requires no maintenance. It will easily enhance and compliment your existing landscape. It will add value to your property. You will be the envy of your golf buddies and neighbors. You will have many years of enjoyment from this effective training aid. It will help you develop solid putting and chipping techniques. You will notice immediate improvement in your golf score. It will help you to build confidence in your short game. It will allow you the opportunity to spend time with your family while staying at home. It will always have a non-compacting, flexible, natural grass putting green feel. You will get the best warranties in the industry—1-year money back guarantee, 10-year workmanship, and 5-year no-fade guarantee. The price fits within your guidelines.” And so on. You can probably come up with thirty positive benefits using a little bit of creativity.

The customer says, “Great! It’s got all those benefits that we are looking for.” They didn’t realize how good the putting green was until it was perfectly described, which also justifies the price you charge. A summary close can be a powerful way to overwhelmingly convince the customer that the putting green is a good deal.

Killer Closing Technique #8:

The 20% Discount Close
The discount close is used to make the customer feel they are getting a better deal. Also, this technique provides a give & take atmosphere where the customer gives a little and you take money off the price of the project. For instance, “ I can work with you on the price but I need a few things in return. First, we would like to put up a small 2’ x 3’ sign in your yard for 30 days with our name and phone number on it. Second, we would like to take before and after photos of the installation. This is going to be a great transformation and we want other people to see the work in our portfolio. Third, we would like a written testimonial from you about the putting green we installed for you, and since you are willing to do this for us then we will give you a 20% discount on the cost of the project. Now instead of us installing the putting green for $8000.00, we can do it for $6400.00.” Use this technique if you feel you are losing the sale because of price or the customer is on the fence whether or not to buy. Customers are very receptive to discounts. Why do you think so many businesses offer discount coupons?

To be a great putting green sale closer, you must be enthusiastic. Your must love your putting green. You must believe your putting green will do exactly what you say it will do. Also, you must ask for the sale at least 3 times during the design consultation. Again, we guarantee you will dramatically increase your ratio of sales to calls using these techniques. But you have to use them.