Month 7: Create Conviction & Test Close (Listen to ‘Day 7’ Audio in your Mastering Influence App)
LAPS – Listen, Analyze, Practice, Share.
First Listen to the audio referenced above. Then Analyze the audio content further by reading the notes and completing the exercises in the Learning Management System. Now you are prepared to Practice that which you have listened to and analyzed as you work with your clients and prospects. Finally, on the last Friday of each month our entire sales organization will gather to Share key learnings and applications in market.
This month we will focus on step 7: Qualify Them
The only purpose of a presentation is to create conviction that you can meet the persons needs. These are three ways to create conviction:
1. Work on your personal congruency: What do you say on the outside? Must match what you say and feel on the inside
2. Work on your ERBN’s & LRBN’s: to make sure the prospects fears don’t keep them from buying, assemble plenty of ERBN’s & LRBN’s.
7 Steps to Creating Units of Conviction
3. Give prospects enough units of conviction to justify buying: A unit of conviction has seven parts – 1. Claim 2. Fact (“Because”) 3. Benefit (“Which means to you…”) 4. Benefit (“And that really means…”) 5. Evidence (DEFEATS) 6. Permission to ask questions (“My purpose at this time is to get your answers to a few questions.”) 7. Test Close (“In your opinion, do you feel…”)
4 out of 5 consumers agree – they are paying more attention to their mail delivery because they are always on the lookout for their package deliveries - as ecommerce increased 50% during the covid pandemic and is still growing. Pure Spectrum Market Research
A test close is an opinion asking question. It includes phrases, such as, ‘in your opinion’, and ‘do you feel’. Test closing can help get the initial ‘no’s’ out early. It’s the single most important skill you have for knowing when to close how to close.
Let’s write out at least six units of conviction. How powerful would it be if you walked into your next client conversation with a huge stack of units of conviction? How did it feel to know you can overcome any objection simply by reaching your bag and saying here’s another reason to buy. That’s what this exercise will do for you.
Feature or Reason #1
Claim
Fact: Because…
Benefit: Which means to you…
Benefit: And what that really means to you…
Evidence: And the reason I say that is…
Permission: My purpose at this time is to get your answers to a few questions,
Test Close: In your opinion… do you feel…
(Editor, repeat 5 more times)
A test close lets you see the prospect’s state and know where they are on the scale. If they’re not moving toward buying, add more units of conviction. This is a critical defense strategy to guard against the instinct to or the request drop rate or cost.
We always maintain and cost discipline.
Neglecting this principal can jeopardize even the strongest companies.
Opening test close: Purpose, to start your presentation by finding out where the buyer is - how long have you been considering utilizing...
Trade off test close: Purpose to contrast the reasons for not buying (DRAB) with a benefit - would it be worth blank in order to have blank?
Progressive test close: Purpose to get the prospect to focus on buying - if you were to go ahead with this, when would you want to begin?
Face: Their facial muscles pull up and there’s more color in their face
Posture: They’re relaxed
Hands: Their hands are opened instead of closed. They’re scratching their chin or lips. They’re touching the product or presentation.
Attitude: They start to get very friendly toward you. They talk about the product as if they already own it.
Write at least three examples of each type of test close (download the content summary under lesson files to write your examples).