6 Reasons ABC Selling is a Mistake

What is ABC Selling?

0Every now and then I bump into a salesperson that tells me they live by these three letters: ABC—also known as Always Be Closing

0And closing = asking for the order.

0When I hear this I instantly stereotype the seller as old school who has let the world of B2B sales pass them by.

What Happens When You’re Always Closing?

1. You undersell and secure fewer dollars.

By rushing to close a sale, you don’t take time to figure out the needs of your customer, and you end up offering a cheaper solution than they were

willing to pay.

2. You sell a solution that under delivers and does not meet customer ROI expectations. The likelihood of a renewal is not great, so time is wasted on a one-time sale.

3. You pitch too early and too often, which turns off savvy buyers who might be quality prospects with KEY account spending potential.

Think about it, who wants to be around a pushy salesperson that is constantly selling?

4. You show that you’re from a sales organization that does not use a division of labor or a sales funnel.

World-class organizations use both to create predictable revenue.

5. You hear “let me think about it” too often.This is usually a no close response.

6. You forget what the customers care about.They don’t care if you close the deal or not. They care about their own problems.

ABM: Always Be Mini ClosingDon’t get me wrong, closing is an important part of selling.

However, I prefer multiple mini closes throughout the sales process as opposed to the old-school method of asking for the order early

and often.

When to Add Mini Closes in the Sales

Cycle

1. Mini close along the way to keep the sales process moving, especially when linked to a CRM to facilitate handoffs to various personnel involved in

the sales process.

2. Mini close while qualifying and disqualifying prospects.

3. Mini close at the end of a needs analysis meeting to clarify customer needs and enhance solution

development.

4. Mini close prior to proposal development to clarify customer expectations and improve the ROI

of the solution.

5. Mini close during the proposal to improve the likelihood of the BIG CLOSE.

It might seem that all these mini closes take time and slow the sales process; however, in the long run they actually

increase the likelihood of the sales process moving along at a rate that

results in a sale that delivers ROI and a renewal.

Simply put, a slow and steady pace creates a “close” that delivers a long lasting customer instead of a one-time sale or a sale that never

closes.

Interested in Learning More?

0Subscribe to the blog