By Rob Driscoll
In this week’s blog, I reveal my trademarked, patented and copyrighted (not really) Six Highly Intelligent Tools For Ultimate Closing Knack (for obvious reasons, I do not promote the acronym):
1. Don’t let opportunities pass by. Whether you are single and a highly attractive person of the opposite sex is walking by, or you are at an event with one or more potential clients in the room, why on Earth (or any other planet) would you not at least make the effort to make contact. I have a lovely partner in life, amazing staff and a long list of great clients for the simple reason that I am not afraid to ask someone to do business with me. So get over your self-consciousness and make it happen!
2. Be tactful. Be it asking that gorgeous stranger out on a date or introducing yourself to a prized prospect, it always pays to put some thought into the approach. Often you will only get one chance, so rather than stumbling over your words as you try to make a pitch on the fly, come up with something clever or at the very least non-dorky to break the ice.
3. Don’t be afraid to swing for the fences. Taking a page from the book of Major League Baseball player José Bautista, currently the hottest hitter in the league, if you have great confidence and take a great swing whenever you get the chance, you will knock it out of the park with surprising regularity. If you don’t have enough confidence, try some self-affirmation. It may feel corny at first, but that’s how comedian/actor Jim Carey became successful; he spent countless hours practising and telling himself that he was funny.
4. Don’t forget the little things. This might not be quite the same in the bedroom, but in the sales game, little things can be extremely powerful in getting the close. Penning a follow-up thank-you note is a simple, effective example.
5. Don’t provide opportunities for your target customer or date to say no. Just as asking someone to marry you on the first date can be a decisive deal-breaker, you don’t want to rush the close. Steadily accelerating a relationship while making it easy to say yes (eg. “I have tickets to the U2 concert on Friday and JLo is busy that day. I’d rather go with you anyway; are you available?”)
6. Work the numbers. I once explained to my youngest brother on his 18th birthday, “If you approach (tactfully) 20,000 gorgeous women during your college years and strike out 99% of the time, you will have gone out with 200 beautiful women.” That’s a pretty good sample from which to choose a nice wife. I don’t think he got anywhere near 20,000, but he did end up with a wonderful wife.
