The ultimate goal of a sales call is to finish with a new customer, but closing a sale isn’t as easy as some make it out to be. From believing in what you’re selling to researching your client and the industry to know exactly what they want, you can be on top. Knowing how to sell yourself, the product or service, and your client will get you the sale.

Let’s look at ten points that will get you closer to closing the deal quickly and easily.

1. Identify the decision maker

Lots of companies use middlemen but why use up time explaining your product or service to just them if they aren’t the one to make the final decision? A middleman will most likely have no authority and won’t be making the decisions. With a middleman, there’s also a lot of potential for misunderstandings, confusion, and uncomfortable situations.

Ask upfront if the person you are speaking with is the final decision-maker. If they aren’t, ask to have the person with the final decision making capabilities present at all your sales meetings. If there are multiple decision-makers make sure to create a relationship with as many as you can.

2. Believe in what you are selling

There’s a noticeable difference in your tone and attitude when you believe in what you’re selling. Having a passion for the product or service creates a livelier conversation. Potential clients will be able to tell you believe in what you are selling, which in turn builds trust in what you are telling them.

3. Personalize your package

Before using your service, prospects will be looking to compare to your competition. They, of course, want to compare side by side to get the best price. If, however, you uniquely personalize your services, prospects will have a harder time comparing services by just price. They will have to look more into your product/service and find that you offer more benefits.

4. Highlight your current customers

By this we mean show them off – highlight testimonials and case studies from your best customers. These actions will quickly build trust, showcase your expertise, and make prospects want to work with you. Prospects will picture themselves as current customers seeing that you can help them achieve similar goals.

5. Offer Rewards and Bonuses

If you are speaking with a customer who is on the fence, be ready to offer a special reward or program just for them. You can also give away free stuff, as people love it. Offer different types of bonuses with each package. These offers will entice potential clients to take action. Make sure to give a deadline too, as you are only offering these rewards and bonuses because they are on the fence.

6. Find ways to help the customer

You are in the industry, what other things can your potential customer do or use to help improve their business. Giving suggestions as to other products or services that will help their business will create reliance and trust between you and the client. It shows good character to give suggestions to solve the client’s needs even when you won’t benefit from it. The prospect will know they can count on you to receive helpful advice and, in turn, will lean more towards choosing to do business with you.

7. Know your competition

Be able to point out the differences in your business versus your competition. What do you have to offer that’s different and better than your competition? You’ll be able to convince the potential client that you are better if you know what your competition is offering and showcase those key differences to them.

8. Ask for the sale but do not obsess

Be forthcoming and ask for the sale; at the end of the day, that is why you are contacting them. They should know that you are there to answer any questions they have, but more importantly, you are calling to convince them to choose you. However, don’t be too pushy and obsess over getting a sale right then and there. Give them a deadline, 48 hours, the end of the week, next time you get in contact, etc. Make them know you’re excited to close a deal with them, but don’t sound like you are desperate for the close.

9. Improve follow up

Only a small amount of sales occur on the first contact. That means follow-ups are essential – you don’t want to underdo it, but you also don’t want to overdo it. The recommended amount of follow-ups lies between five to eight times. When following up, make sure you are adding new and valuable information to the ongoing conversation. You always want to have a specific reason for contacting your prospect, don’t just have a follow-up conversation. Be persistent but also know when it’s time to stop.

10. Provide flexible payment options

Your prospect may want to say yes but choose to decline because they can’t match the price at the moment. Don’t make payment in full now be the reason the prospect walks away. Be open to working with your clients to remove payment as an obstacle.