25/01/09 19:33
The “Master Closer” concept comes from a book called “The Art Of Closing Any Deal” by James W. Pickens.
There is a big difference between order takers, sales people, closers and master closers. Before you can appreciate the skill of a master closer, you have to understand what makes a salesman just a salesman and a master closer be on another level. Here is a description of each. Try and picture the people you work with and where they fit in. It may help you understand why some sales people seem to get lucky day after day, month after month, while others seem to always be the “victim of the system”.
Order takers:
This person knows all about the product, all about the company, and seems to have all of the answers. He appears to be perfect for the job of selling. (I will refer to sales people as “he” or “him” just to generalize, but these examples are equally applicable to men and women.) There is only one problem. He can’t sell.
Order takers shouldn’t even call themselves sales people. They basically wait for everything to happen. They do nothing to generate business. They never try to learn new ways to close a sale. Basically they wait around for flops/call ins. When they don’t sell, they will justify their poor salesmanship with excuses.
In comparison to a master closer, an order taker is like a book just waiting for someone to pick it up and read. A master Closer, on the other hand, is like a smash Broadway play; it jumps right out at you and hits you on the head. It doesn’t wait for anything; it’s a full-scale production.
The Salesman:
He is better than the order taker. At least he can do some things on his own. He has some push, drive, and desire. He will send a few post cards and make a few calls. But that is where it ends. He never studies his profession and he requires help on too many deals. Usually he is satisfied with his limited client base and minor accomplishments. (Hitting an occasional budget) He lacks that extra gut feeling of wanting to be the best. He is not very competitive. “Good” to a salesman is good enough.
The Closer:
This is a person that really can deliver. He can sell. No doubt about it. He can do all of the things to be a top producer and he is just that. He is always ahead of the rest of the team. However, he thinks he is so good that he doesn’t have to study or learn anything new. He believes he can live on his past record and all of the old war stories about how he closed deals. His pitch never changes. Same old thing. Yes, he is good, but not great. Not a leader. He thinks he is at the top but he isn’t. He simply forgot to keep learning and going forward. His growth has stopped.
Warning: This is the point many of us get to. It is a dangerous place to be. When you stop growing in a sales position you are soon to be in real trouble. With sales it is either “UP” or “OUT” There is no comfort zone. You work towards moving up or you soon start to go backwards. You always have to be trying to get to that next level.
The “Master Closers”: The Kings and Queens of Salespeople
This is the real deal. This is the person everyone calls when they need help. Why is he the one people call instead of you? Because he is the best and everyone knows it. He not only acts like a master closer, he thinks like one. He listens, learns, understands and uses a lot of charm and wit to solve problems simply and direct. What sets him apart from sales people is self-confidence and showmanship. A master closer knows he is good and he shows it. He understands that you can’t live on old war stories. “You are only as good as what you can do today.” Everyone wants to emulate this person and be associated with him. He is great for everyone. He is proactive about everything. He doesn’t wait around for business to call in. He goes out and gets his business one way or another. “Make It Happen No Matter What” is his motto. He has a super positive attitude. The learning never stops. He is on a quest at all times to get better. He has strong and defined goals. You know exactly where this person is headed. (Always up)
A master closer can Chew up and spit out a salesman anytime he wants. The reason is that a salesman or a customer can’t out- wit, out-think, or out-maneuver a master closer. The master closer will out-mind-manipulate a customer every time. The master closer can think faster and better on his feet than the customer. He is able to change his approach to suit any environment he is in at any time. He simply blends with his surroundings. The master closer, whether he is aware of it or not, uses NLP and Personality selling techniques every inch of the way. He blends with any and every person he sells to. People will often describe a master closer as a chameleon. Because he can step out of his personality and into his customers without thought.
A Master closer has many elements to his character. He is aggressive, positive, charming, a showman, and most of all a leader and team player. He is not afraid of going that extra mile to get better or to move up. He never holds back. There is no such thing as “it isn’t worth it” or “I’m not doing that” The master closer is always looking for the opportunity and will do what ever it takes to get there. He will always win and be on top.
Copyright © 2010 Jim Stringer – All rights reserved.
