Closing the Deal

Indecisiveness. It's in young couples picking out activities for their first few dates, it's in first-time car-buyers walking around the lot, and unfortunately, it's sometimes in clients buying print or promotional products.

It can be immensely frustrating. Weeks spent on research, on pitches, on meetings and dinners and more meetings, only to have the deal fall through at the last minute because the client couldn't make up his or her mind. "Sorry, but we've decided we want to do some comparative research with other vendors." "Sorry, turns out I can't spend that much of my yearly marketing budget." "Sorry, I'll have to run this deal past my boss." Whatever the excuse or stall tactic given, it always means the same thing: You're out time, you're out money, and you're possibly out your last dose of extra-strength Advil—unless, that is, you excel at "closing the deal."

It's a cliché phrase to be sure, almost to the point of meaninglessness, but stepping back from the years of business jargon, there is an art to closing deals—and it's well worth studying. From learning how to remove objections to working on your honesty and thickening your skin, there's a lot you can do to make sure the only time you hear a client say "I don't know" is when it's immediately followed by " ... how to thank you for doing such a good job, but here's the piles and piles of money you asked for." If that sounds good to you, then here's where to start.

NURTURE HONESTY TO GROW SALES

Sometimes, honesty really is the best policy. (For clients on the fence, anyway.) Rick Greene, western regional vice president for HALO Branded Solutions, Sterling, Ill., explained how honesty can be a powerful sales tool for converting indecisive clients.