Article by Tom Lanza
Copyright ® 2003 by ProGardenBiz
No matter how much time you spend with a client it will all be
wasted if you don't close the sale. Many people start off with
a great presentation, but somewhere they lose the client. They
will call you, they will let you know, they have to think about
it, but it all adds up to a potential loss.
So how do you arrive at the successful close after the great
presentation? First you must lead your client there with a
series of easy, small yeses that will lead up to the big yes.
One method of achieving this is through the use of the
tie-down.
Tie-downs come in four styles: standard, inverted, internal,
and tag-on. By mixing the four types you will avoid the sound
of a slick sales pitch.
Here are eighteen tie-downs that you'll find useful:
Aren't they?
Aren't you?
Can't you?
Couldn't it?
Doesn't it?
Don't you agree?
Don't we?
Shouldn't it?
Wouldn't it?
Haven't they?
Hasn't he?
Hasn't she?
Isn't it?
Isn't that right?
Didn't it?
Wasn't it?
Won't they?
Won't you?
There are others, of course. In the Standard tie-down you use
these at the end of sentences.
The quality of the sprinkler is important, isn't it?
If what you said represents truth as the client sees it, won't that
person respond by agreeing? And when they agree that some
quality of your product or service meets their needs, they've
moved closer to buying it, haven't they?
Selling is the art of asking the right questions to achieve the string
of minor yeses that will lead to the final yes. The final sale is
nothing more than the sum total of all your minor yeses, isn't
that right?
The other tie-downs are simply variations on the same idea.
With the Inverted tie-down you put the tie-down at the
beginning of the sentence.
Isn't quality important in a project like this?
The Internal tie-down is a bit more difficult to handle, but
can be very effective. With this method the tie-down is in
the middle of the sentence.
When you have the system installed, won't quality be very
important?
The technique is the Tag-On tie-down. In its simplest form,
you tag your tie-down onto any statement your prospect happens
to make that's positive to the sale.
Client: Quality is very important.
You: Isn't it?
If the customer says it, it must be true. And each time your
client says something helpful to your sale, if you tie it down
you get a complete minor agreement, don't you?
Through the use of tie-downs you can advance the sale to the
point where the customer will be ready to make the final yes,
but tie-downs alone will not always do it. Next time we will
talk about some alternative methods for moving toward the Close.
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About the Author:
Tom Lanza is a Contributing Writer for ProGardenBiz Magazine,
an online magazine for professional gardeners and landscape
contractors. Visit ProGardenBiz to find out how you can get a
free subscription, start-up guidance, business ideas and
inspiration at http://www.progardenbiz.com.