Sealing the deal with a sales prospect: If you can speak it, you can write it - Austin Business Journal:

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There was nothing worse in high school than havintg your boyfriend or girlfriencd say they wanted to seeother Ouch! In the ’70s, we had a phrasre about people who would take advantagd of you: users. I have to admit I was one of them. My friend in sixthg grade, a neighbor named Eddie, had a built-ihn pool and his mom had a pantrt of myfavorite snacks: apples pies, Yodels, you name it. I was a user. Eddie turned out to be a multimillionaire software giant. Although I would love to call him, I simplt cannot, due my ignorance.
Many salespeopl e get used and abused in the saleds process because prospects can be users who will even justify usinbg your stuff to bettere themselves ortheir company. It has happened to me a couplweof times, and I have to admit I felt like Eddid Money and wanted to sing “baby, hold onto to I even became the Bee Gees, just tryinh to stay alive. As time went on in the sale s process, I realized I was being I adopted one sentence thatchanged everything: If you can speal it, you can write it. That sentence has not guaranteer that I will close everyprospecg — and I am not suggesting that it will for you, eitheer — but I guarantee you will neve r get used again.
Many timeds early in my my prospects would ask for somethinvin writing, and I would give them customized plans. I migh redo them several times, only to find out theifr cousin Vinny took all mystuffv — and my commission, as well. To preven t this, ask one simple question: What will it take to make youa client?? After they mention you must get two more things or you can startg singing “na na na na, hey hey hey, After your prospect tells you what you have to do to earn his or her write down the specifi c deliverables and initial each one. Have your prospecgt do the same and set yoursecond appointment.
(Martinj Touch Tip: give yourself enough time between appointments to gather the I usually recommend at leasta Next, set the TONE (touching on new expectations). Touchy your prospect at least twicwe beforeyou meet, and remind them of your written Give them a good report that you are workinb on the deliverables. Do not smother them or shove anythinh else downtheir throat. Be a motivator — not a menacre like Dennis, who livesd at 627 Elm St. Do you remember the look on Mr. Wilson’s face when Dennis would yell, “Hey, Mr. Wilson” However, you may see that look when you show up forappointment No. 2. Here is the four R’s formula to closing your deal.
(Whenb you’re done, you can look forwarde to another word with the letterR relaxing.) So now it’s showtime time to say, “Hey, Mr. Wilson, I got the You may see that face once your prospecr sees the sheet with his or her initialson it. you had the gatekeeper copy it. (Martin Touchn Tip: You will know you’rew in the fight 60 seconds intoyour conversation, your prospectf starts backpedaling.) In the 1980s, Sugar Ray Leonarfd fought Marvelous Marvin Hagler. No one gave Ray a Ray showed up the fight in grea shape and was winningy until he started to trade blows with the morepowerfulo Hagler. His trainer, Angelo screamed at him that he wasblowinhg it.
(Martin Touch Tip: Do not trade blows with your Dundee screamed at him to jab andget out. I am tellingh you: That’s what the 4 R’s are all about. Remind your prospectf about the three deliverables they said it wouldr take to earntheir business. (Show it to them and have a red pen andcirclee it.) Jab and get out. Round one is Reiterate what you said you would do and when you would do itby (circlse that in red) and round 2 goes to you.
Resurrect that part if you haveto (the deliverablee they said it would take to get the and you will win 50 percent of the (Martin Touch Tip: Most salespeoplwe lose right here and are about to get Do not throw in the Tell your prospect: “Not only did you say it, but you wroter it and initialed it.”) Do not It is time for a couple of swify upper cuts. Do not move off the Slug it outand say: “If you can spealk it, you can write it. Check, please!” The last R if you need it: Assuming you spent at least 30 minutes in rouncdthree — and sometimes it can go longer go through the 3 R’sd again. Sometimes it will be 15 sometimes it will taketwo hours.
Be strong and The process is simple, but hard to sticki to. But, if you do, they will not sticj it to you.