{"product_id":"the-lost-art-of-closing-isbn-9780735211698","title":"The Lost Art of Closing","description":"\u003cb\u003e“Always be closing!” —\u003ci\u003eGlengarry Glen Ross\u003c\/i\u003e, 1992\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e “Never Be Closing!” —a sales book title, 2014\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e “?????” —salespeople everywhere, 2017\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor decades, sales managers, coaches, and authors talked about closing as the most essential, most difficult phase of selling. They invented pushy tricks for the final ask, from the “take delivery” close to the “now or never” close. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e But these tactics often alienated customers, leading to fads for the “soft” close or even abandoning the idea of closing altogether. It sounded great in theory, but the results were often mixed or poor. That left a generation of salespeople wondering how they should think about closing, and what strategies would lead to the best possible outcomes.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Anthony Iannarino has a different approach geared to the new technological and social realities of our time. In \u003ci\u003eThe Lost Art of Closing\u003c\/i\u003e, he proves that the final commitment can actually be one of the \u003ci\u003eeasiest\u003c\/i\u003e parts of the sales process—if you’ve set it up properly with other commitments that have to happen long before the close. The key is to lead customers through a series of necessary steps designed to prevent a purchase stall.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Iannarino addressed this in a chapter of \u003ci\u003eThe Only Sales Guide You’ll Ever Need—\u003c\/i\u003ewhich he thought would be his only book about selling. But he discovered so much hunger for guidance about closing that he’s back with a new book full of proven tactics and useful examples. \u003ci\u003eThe Lost Art of Closing \u003c\/i\u003ewill help you win customer commitment at ten essential points along the purchase journey. For instance, you’ll discover how to:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e·  Compete on value, not price, by securing a \u003cb\u003eCommitment to Invest\u003c\/b\u003e early in the process.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e ·  Ask for a \u003cb\u003eCommitment to Build Consensus\u003c\/b\u003e within the client’s organization, ensuring that your solution has early buy-in from all stakeholders.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e ·  Prevent the possibility of the sale falling through at the last minute by proactively securing a \u003cb\u003eCommitment to Resolve Concerns.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Lost Art of Closing \u003c\/i\u003ewill forever change the way you think about closing, and your clients will appreciate your ability to help them achieve real change and real results.\\\"In the footsteps of greats like Brian Tracy, Zig Ziglar, Jim Rohn, and Tom Hopkins, Iannarino has delivered a masterpiece for our age and a classic that will teach generations to come to achieve greatness.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—JEB BLOUNT, author of \u003ci\u003eFanatical Prospecting \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eSales EQ\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eThe Lost Art of Closing\u003c\/i\u003e belongs on the shelf of every sales professional in every industry.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—DANIEL H. PINK, author of \u003ci\u003eTo Sell Is Human \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eDrive\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Iannarino blows apart the long-held beliefs about what it means to close by showing you that closing happens at each step of the sale. This is a book you’ll not just read but one you’ll be using to rebuild your sales process.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e—MARK HUNTER, “The Sales Hunter,” author of \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eHigh-Profit Prospecting\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"This is the best content I've read on closing. My number one go-to sales guru Anthony Iannarino shows sellers exactly how to gain the commitments they need at each stage of the sales process... with language they can actually use to advance sales opportunities.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—\u003c\/i\u003eMIKE WEINBERG, author of \u003ci\u003eNew Sales. Simplified. \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eSales Management. Simplified.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"What you have been taught about closing is no longer going to help you win deals. You need to think and act differently. The ten commitments explained in \u003ci\u003eTHe Lost Art of Closing\u003c\/i\u003e are necessary and will provide you with a blueprint for winning your dream clients now.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—ALICE HEIMAN, sales strategist\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\"Too often your focus as a salespeerson is on 'getting the order'. In the process, you forget to guide the customer on their buying journey, derailing yourself and eroding the value you create for them. \u003ci\u003eThe Lost Art of Closing \u003c\/i\u003eis an indispensable roadmap for using commitments to stay on that journey with the customer, keeping you and your client in lockstep through a successful close.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—DAVID A. BROCK, author of \u003ci\u003eSales Manager Survival Guide\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eAnthony Iannarino\u003c\/b\u003e is the bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Only Sales Guide You’ll Ever Need\u003c\/i\u003e and the founder of The Sales Blog, which draws more than 50,000 readers every month. He leads a high-performing sales team, speaks to sales organizations nationwide, and teaches part time at the Capital University’s Capital School of Management and Leadership. He lives with his family in Westerville, Ohio.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e www.thesalesblog.comChapter 1\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e A New Philosophy of Commitment Gaining\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e To sell effectively, you need a philosophy. Not the academic kind      of philosophy that they teach in universities. You need a      practical philosophy, like the Greeks practiced. The Greeks didn't      just argue about philosophy in theory. They practiced philosophy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e If you were an Epicurean, you ate and drank because that was what      a good life was made up of: pleasure. If you were a Stoic (a very      popular idea now, by the way), you endured the hardships of life      without complaint. Philosophy was about living in a way that was      in line with what you believed. A philosophy should guide how you      sell too.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Here's my philosophy, and it is a major thread that runs      throughout this book: Selling isn't something you do to someone.      It is something you do for someone and with someone.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e If you want to be a consultative salesperson and a trusted      advisor, this is the starting point in earning that moniker.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Caveat Emptor\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Caveat emptor is Latin for \"let the buyer beware,\" a general      philosophy of sales dating to the time that people first started      trading. It emphasizes the buyer's responsibility to protect      himself from the merchant (read: salesperson). If you struck a bad      deal, then it was your fault. You should have known better. How      could you have let yourself get duped when you knew that merchants      were always trying to put one over on you? Caveat emptor was a      necessary philosophy because, for most of human history, selling      was something that one person did to another. To this day, we      still use the expression \"you sold them.\" You \"sold them\" on your      ideas or your product. Taking advantage of the rubes, you \"sold      them a bill of goods,\" parting them from their money without      delivering the promised value. The idea of caveat emptor made it      clear that the seller was acting for his own gain or for his      company's benefit, or both. There was little indication that any      selling was done for the benefit of the buyer.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Fortunately, times have changed. Because your clients have so many      choices available to them, and because word of mouth has been      amplified by the Internet and social media, caveat venditor is a      more apt philosophy today. Caveat venditor means \"let the seller      beware.\" This is a good change, as it has suppressed a lot of bad      sales behaviors. Now if a seller takes advantage of you, you can      share your unhappy experience with your friends, family, and      countless strangers on social media and various review sites. For      today's sellers, the potential penalty for being self-oriented,      manipulative, unfair, or deceitful is too high. One sale isn't      worth the loss of countless future sales-something good sales      organizations and salespeople have always known.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In truth, most salespeople don't want to take advantage of other      people. Most people don't want to perform work that makes them      feel bad about themselves or would make them guilty of harming      others. And they don't have to. Sales can be a very rewarding      career because, properly done, it requires that you help people      get results they couldn't have achieved without you. And by doing      so, you can develop deep, lasting, valuable relationships. Thus,      selling isn't something you do to someone. Instead, you work with      your clients, using your resourcefulness and initiative to create      opportunities or possibilities for better outcomes. At your very      best, you and your clients become strategic partners. You become      your client's trusted advisor, a title you must earn and re-earn      by consistently offering sound advice, by knowing and      communicating what needs to happen for your client to produce      better results.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The Right Mindset\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e How do you learn to embrace caveat venditor? Not to do it simply      because that's what's currently being done in sales, but to really      take it to heart? You start by developing the right mindset.      Indeed, your mindset is one of the major determining factors of      your success. The right mindset makes commitment gaining easier      because your underlying beliefs are healthy and empowering. The      six key components of the right mindset are confidence, caring,      persistence, speaking from the client's mind, embracing concerns,      and realizing it's not about you.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Confidence\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Confidence-in yourself as well as in what you're selling-allows      you to act with your customer's best interests at heart.      Confidence permits you to ask a prospective client for the      commitment to take the next step. It comes from the belief that      you can and will make a difference for that client, and you will      be able to deliver the outcomes they need. If you don't embrace      these beliefs, your lack of confidence will show and will prevent      you from gaining commitments.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Naturally, you won't feel confident that you'll make a positive      difference for your client unless you believe in your product,      service, or solution. If you aren't 100 percent sure about what      you sell, your prospective client will sense the incongruity      between what you say and what she sees. You may come across as      being inauthentic, or seem like you aren't telling the truth or      aren't sure about what you're saying. In short, if you don't      really believe that your product is so great that your prospects      must commit to the next step in the process, neither will they.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Let's take a quick look at what causes you to lose confidence and      how you maintain it. Confidence in your product, service,      solution, and company doesn't come from believing that your      clients will never have problems. Instead, it comes from your      understanding that no company delivers exceptional results without      being able to effectively deal with the day-to-day challenges of      executing. Even more important to maintaining your confidence is      your belief that you are going to make a difference for your      clients, and that you will be there to make sure they are taken      care of when they have the inevitable challenges that come with      real change initiatives. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Caring\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Caring is the root of trust, and trust is the foundation of all      relationships-including commercial relationships. Caring is what      makes you other-oriented instead of self-oriented. This isn't the      soft stuff in business; it's the hard stuff. All things being      equal, relationships win. All things being unequal, relationships      still win. Your job in sales is to make all things unequal by      creating relationships of value. That means more than liking your      client or having a personal relationship, even though both of      these are extremely helpful in creating a preference for you, your      company, and your solution. \"Relationships of value\" means that      you create value for your clients as someone who provides ideas      and advice-and who also ensures that the outcomes they sell are      delivered. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e You make selling more difficult when you are focused on \"making      the sale.\" That outcome is about what you want and what you'll      receive for having won the deal. That inward focus prevents you      from being effective in selling.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e When you care about helping other people generate the results that      they can't generate without you, your outward focus is part of      what creates a preference and makes you easier to buy from. When      your focus is on helping your dream clients make the changes that      they need to make, gaining the commitments necessary to move      forward-and eventually the commitment to buy from you-becomes      natural and easy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This is a mindset shift for most salespeople. Too often, they      focus on booking appointments with potential clients that they can      report to the sales manager when asked. You could instead focus on      sharing information and ideas that would help prospective clients      understand why they need to change now. Too often, salespeople      focus on \"pushing\" their product or service rather than engaging      with the prospective client in producing better results through      change. Too often, they focus on winning deals. But what if,      instead, you focused on helping the client \"win\"? Truth be told,      their win is your win-in that order.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Persistence\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This is a book about commitment gaining in the complex sale. Sales      is now all about helping people change, but change isn't easy. You      are going to have to be persistent. I mean really, really      persistent.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e You are going to ask for commitments that your prospective clients      will refuse to make. They are going to fear change-even when they      know it is necessary. Your dream clients will refuse the      commitments that move them closer to the results they need, even      when doing so hurts their company. They'll also fail to keep      commitments, even though they had every intention of honoring      them. Look, if this were easy, you wouldn't need this book.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e You are going to have to persist in asking for and gaining the      commitments you will need to help your dream clients move from      their current state to the better future state available to them.      You're going to hear no, and know that you'll have to try again.      You are also going to have meetings canceled, voice mails and      e-mails unreturned, and prospects who drag their feet through the      process. Do not be deterred. As Benjamin Franklin said, \"Energy      and persistence conquer all things.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Speaking from the Client's Mind\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Great salespeople make great language choices. They have the right      words for each situation, words that can work a kind of magic.      That's why sales is more of an art than a science.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Many salespeople eagerly memorize the latest, greatest \"selling      words\" and \"selling phrases,\" convinced that having these on the      tip of the tongue is the key to success. This means they're      thinking of language as a tool to be mastered and used to hammer      home sales, rather than as a means of developing great      relationships with potential clients, of encouraging the flow of      ideas as you build toward a better future.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e It is certainly important to be well versed in the words and      phrases used by potential clients when speaking of the technical      aspects of their business. But it is just as important to keep      your mind focused on the client's needs, challenges, and goals      when communicating with him. Before speaking up, take a moment to      think of the client's challenges and goals. Mentally make them      your own, then speak. Now that you are speaking, in a sense, \"from      your client's mind,\" you will naturally communicate your desire to      help him succeed. The actual words you use are less important than      communicating this desire.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e There's no set formula for selecting the right words, but here's a      rule of thumb: If the language you use makes you feel bad about      yourself, if it feels tricky or coercive in any way, you're not      speaking from your client's mind. You're speaking from your own      desire to win the sale. When you are self-oriented, your      intentions and your words betray you.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I am not saying that working your way through the sales process      won't sometimes make some of your prospective clients      uncomfortable. No doubt they will sometimes have to face      unpleasant facts. And you will likely have to present this unhappy      data to get them to realize that it is time to make a major      change. But when you fix your mind on helping your client before      you speak, your words will be much more powerful.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e You acquire good language choices in a couple of different ways.      Sometimes you are lucky enough to work with a peer or manager who      happens to have an excellent command of language, because he or      she speaks from the client's mind. You can learn a lot by      considering carefully what you hear and by practicing thinking in      such a way that similar language flows easily from your lips. In      fact, if people on your team make great language choices, ask to      join them on sales calls so you can absorb not just the words they      use, but the mindset they adopt to produce those words.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The nice thing about the dynamic human interaction that is a sales      call is that, if you listen well, you can receive immediate      feedback as to whether what you are doing is working. You can      literally see the impact it is making, good or bad, in real time.      You can use that real-time feedback to make adjustments as you      strive to develop the right communication mindset.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Embracing Concerns\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The very act of asking for commitments means that you are going to      hear the word \"no\" more often than you would like. That's why      \"overcoming objections\" is one of the major skills salespeople      have long been taught. That language hasn't really kept up with      the evolution of sales. A healthier and more accurate description      of what successful salespeople do is \"embrace and resolve      concerns.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e An objection is a disagreement; it's a negative thing we want to      avoid. Just thinking of the word \"objection\" when a prospect      expresses concerns can make you feel as if you have to \"win\" the      conversation. When that happens, you might perceive your dream      client's expression of a very real concern as a challenge, a      battle of wills. By changing your perception, by seeing an      \"objection\" as a real concern worth addressing, you can change      your mindset and change your approach. You can be curious and work      to understand the source of that objection.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e As you will learn later in this book, your prospective clients      often fear the wrong danger. If you don't, can't, or won't embrace      and address their concerns and fears, they are justified in      resisting moving forward. Why would you ever agree to something      that you don't feel is in your best interest? Why, then, should      you ever expect your clients to?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Helping your prospective clients deal with their fears, real or      imagined, is how salespeople help their clients change. This      change is what is always necessary for producing greater results.      If your dream clients could get the results they need without      doing something different, they'd already be producing those      results.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Salespeople struggle when they don't know how to respond when      their prospective client says no. Don't struggle: Embrace and      resolve.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Realizing It's Not About You\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The better you understand your prospective client's point of view,      desires, and needs, the more effectively you can help them reach      their goals and the more trust you can build in your relationship.      Conversely, if you don't know what they're struggling to achieve,      if you don't understand their point of view, how can you know what      to offer them? And why should they believe anything you have to      say, or even agree to a meeting in the first place? To be an      effective salesperson, you need to look at the world through your      client's eyes, to adopt their perspective.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Make no mistake about it: Being other-oriented is a powerful      mindset, for we are naturally self-oriented beings. But this skill      can be developed. You can learn to take the perspective of \"other\"      and look at things through your dream client's eyes. Begin by      asking yourself:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e If you were your dream client, what might you be struggling to      achieve?","brand":"Portfolio","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46303248023781,"sku":"NP9780735211698","price":31.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780735211698.jpg?v=1767740315","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-lost-art-of-closing-isbn-9780735211698","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}