Sales closing has something in common with skydiving. In both activities, there is a lot of preparation required; and when the time comes to take action, you simply must do it, or all the time and effort spent on preparation was for naught.

Ground school pre-jump instruction and the first accelerated freefall jump at a skydiving center near my home will set you back $275. The ground school instruction is a six-hour commitment. Just think, six hours of preparation time for just a few minutes of thrill! Similarly, a sales interaction can be one or several hours, but the closing of a sale itself can take only a few minutes. Closing is arguably the most thrilling portion of the sales process.

Both parachuting and closing the sale require decisive action. To be able to experience the thrill of the jump, the parachuter must exit the plane. This step cannot be ignored. If the parachute doesn't exit the plane, his $275 investment buys him merely a brief ride in a plane; there is no thrill ride back to earth.

In sales, you have to ask for your prospect's business. If you don't take closing action, all your sales preparation will be wasted. The effort you spent getting to know your prospect, identifying their needs, and presenting product or service solutions to him will not be leveraged to create revenue for you and your company.

Here are five closing strategies that will help you tune-up your selling process so that you can experience the thrill of closing more often:  

1. Make sure you do it. It's not unusual salespeople will think they asked for the sale when they really didn't. This "Closing Confusion" is a phenomenon I've documented repeatedly. Saying, "So, what do you think?" isn't closing. Don't be confused! Buying is decisive, so asking for the sale has to be decisive too.

I ran across a book on Amazon this morning called "Sales Magic." I didn't buy it, and I don't know anything about it, but the title caught my attention.

Here's why. Selling isn't magic, in my opinion. Top salespeople don't perform "tricks" on their prospects. Selling isn't mysterious or slight-of-hand. Selling is a skill.

▪ Dentists utilize skills at drilling and filling cavities (who wants to go to a dentist who doesn't have those skills!). Salespeople use skill in minimizing cancellations after a customer places an order.

▪ Tennis players utilize skill to put an appropriate spin on the ball. Salespeople utilize skill at engaging their prospects so they aren't distant or disengaged.

▪ Cabinetmakers utilize skill to compensate for the expansion and contraction of wood with changes in humidity and temperature. Salespeople utilize skill in handling a prospect who says, "I'm just looking."

▪ People who fish utilize skill to know where in the lake fish will be hanging out during varied weather conditions. Salespeople utilize skill to know what to say to close a deal.

If you want to become a better salesperson, become more highly skilled.

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