The dynamics of closing a customer or closing an interview are very similar. If you are interviewing for a sales position, your ability to close well at the end of the interview is considered a strong indication of your sales ability.
I’ve seen many ways and reasons that people fail to close. It happens to both early career salespeople and veteran sales managers.
- Timing. One reason people fail to close is that they don’t think the timing is right. The interview or meeting may be rushed, or take an unexpected turn. Understand this: The time is always right to close. If you are short on time, it takes less than two seconds to say “Can I have your support?” and “What is the next step?”
- The “warm-and-fuzzies.” Another common mis-step results from the fact that many sales people take pride in their ability to read their customer and build rapport. If they feel that the customer (or interviewer) likes them, they begin to relax — sometimes too much. They forget that their fundamental responsibility as a salesperson is to move the sales process forward and to turn the prospect into a customer through getting a commitment.
The same holds true with interviewing. Yes, it’s great if you get a warm-and-fuzzy from the person you are interviewing with. However, your fundamental goal is to get that person to hire you — to take some action on your behalf.
In the Sandler Selling System, this is referred to as “need for approval,” when having someone like you becomes more important than closing. Even if you think the prospect or interviewer is disinterested or maybe even dislikes you, you should still close. Closing is engaging someone in a direct way. Closing alone may awaken greater interest in them.
- Focusing on the decision-maker. One of the biggest mistakes is not closing someone because you don’t think that person is the decision-maker. Yes, you need to identify who the key decision-makers are and expend your greatest energy on convincing them to support your cause. But along the way, you’ll encounter many influencers. Though they may not be the ultimate decision-makers, you can bet they will share their opinions behind the scenes. When it comes to interviewing, you would not be meeting with that person if the decision-maker did not value their input. In today’s world of collaborative decision-making, you need everyone’s support.
If you’ve been in sales for any length of time, you’ve probably heard the acronym “ABC” — "Always Be Closing." It applies every bit as much today as it ever has.
Lisa McCallister specializes in recruiting for medical device sales and marketing positions with an operating room focus, such as orthopedics, electrosurgery, endoscopy and a wide range of surgical specialties. She has recruited two Rookie of the Year award winners. Connect with her on LinkedIn or check out her blog, MyJobScope.com.