One thing I know about myself is that I have always been an opener. I’m very good at forming and cultivating relationships. I’m very good at prospecting for new leads and clients. I’m very good at finding people to put into a sales or launch funnel.
In life, you’ll meet people who are great openers. You’ll meet other people who are great closers. And occasionally, you’ll meet people who are great at both. Some of it comes naturally, and some of it… not so much.
Now, over the past several years, I’ve also become very good at closing. I always had a natural tendency for closing, but I avoided it. I avoided it because I didn’t like the way it felt to ask for money. For many people, asking for money is the most difficult step in securing a sale. But it’s also a huge part of closing. For many people, closing is not so easy.
In order to get over the hurdle of feeling icky when asking for money, I had to reframe the way I looked at the ask.
A Simple Reframing for Closing
When I’m with someone, whether it’s a room full of people, a one-on-one meeting, or a team, I believe that they’re in front of me for a reason. Maybe, they resonate with my message, they want to hear my message, they were attracted to a topic or something I said – whatever it is, there is a reason they are listening to me. Whether it’s divine intervention, universal intervention, or purposeful intention… they’re there.
When I’m sitting in front of someone giving a presentation, networking, trying to make a sale – whatever the reason, I believe that it is not by accident. I know this person is in front of me for a very specific reason.
If Not You, Then Who?
I also believe that this person’s continued engagement is because of a need, want, or desire on their end for my product, service, or solution. I believe that person could use, should use, needs to use, or wants to use what I have to offer.
Because of that, I operate from a standpoint of, “If not me then who?” If they’re not going to buy from me, then who are they going to buy from? Since they have the need, want, or desire, they’re going to buy from someone.
When I engage with someone, that is the basic assumption from which I operate.
I connect that assumption to something I hold dear to my heart, and that is the belief that I have in my product, service, or solution. The belief I have in who I am, what I represent, what I stand for, what I deliver, and the value I deliver. Along with the quality and the price. The integrity and the ecology
Ask yourself the following questions…
- Do you believe in what it is that you do?
- Do you believe in the quality of what you do?
- Do you believe you’re an expert in what you do?
- Do you believe if someone utilized your product, service, or solution, that you’d satisfy their need, want, or desire in the highest possible capacity?
If you’ve said yes, then ask yourself, “If not you, then who?”
When I operate from this platform, I see that it is my RESPONSIBILITY to close. It is my responsibility to help steer them, to help guide them, and to help them understand why they should buy from me.
I know there are people out there that don’t deliver what I deliver. I know there are people out there that steer people in the wrong direction.
Knowing all of this makes it easy for me to ask for money. It makes it easy for me to close. It’s my responsibility to ensure that my clients get the biggest bang for their buck. It is my responsibility to take them on the path of information, education, and delivery.