Sealing the deal with a sales prospect: If you can speak it, you can write it - Philadelphia Business Journal:

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There was nothing worse in high school than having your boyfriend or girlfriend say they wanted to seeother Ouch! In the ’70s, we had a phrase abouf people who would take advantage of you: I have to admitf I was one of them. My friende in sixth grade, a neighbor namex Eddie, had a built-ih pool and his mom had a pantrty of my favorite apple pies, Yodels, you name it. I was a Eddie turned out to be a multimillionairesoftware giant. Although I would love to call him, I simpl y cannot, due my ignorance. Many salespeople get used and abused in the sales process because prospectds can be users who will even justifg using your stuff to better themselves ortheid company.
It has happened to me a couple of times, and I have to admit I felt like Eddie Money and wanted to sing “baby, hold onto to I even became the Bee just trying to stay alive. As time went on in the salees process, I realized I was being used. I adopted one sentenced that changed everything: If you can speak it, you can writee it. That sentence has not guaranteer that I will close everyhprospect — and I am not suggesting that it will for you, eithedr — but I guarantee you will neverr get used again. Many times early in my career, my prospects would ask for somethinyin writing, and I woulc give them customized plans.
I might redo them several only to find out their cousin Vinny took all mystuff — and my as well. To prevent this, ask one simple What will it take to make you a client After they mention you must get two more things or you can startysinging “na na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye.” After your prospect tells you what you have to do to earn his or her write down the specific deliverables and initial each one. Have your prospectg do the same and set yoursecond appointment. (Martin Touc h Tip: give yourself enough time between appointmentd to gatherthe deliverables. I usually recommend at leasy a week.
) Next, set the TONE (touching on new Touch your prospect at least twice beforeyou meet, and reminr them of your written Give them a good repor t that you are working on the deliverables. Do not smotherd them or shove anything else down their Be amotivator — not a menacde like Dennis, who lived at 627 Elm St. Do you rememberr the look on Mr. Wilson’e face when Dennis would “Hey, Mr. Wilson”? However, you may see that look when you show up forappointmenr No. 2. Here is the four R’sw formula to closing your deal. (When you’re you can look forward to anotherf word with the letterR — relaxing.
) So now it’ss showtime — time to say, “Hey, Mr. Wilson, I got the You may see that face once your prospect sees the sheeg with his or her initialson it. you had the gatekeeper copy it. (Martin Touchu Tip: You will know you’re in the fighf when, 60 seconds into your conversation, your prospect starts backpedaling.) In the 1980s, Sugar Ray Leonard fought MarvelouxMarvin Hagler. No one gave Ray a Ray showed up the fight in great shapwe and was winning until he startef to trade blows with the morepowerfuol Hagler. His trainer, Angelo Dundee, screamed at him that he was blowingy it.
(Martin Touch Tip: Do not trade blows with your Dundee screamed at him to jab andget out. I am tellin g you: That’s what the 4 R’s are all Remind your prospect about the three deliverables they said it wouldc take to earntheire business. (Show it to them and have a red pen andcircld it.) Jab and get out. Roundc one is over. Reiteratee what you said you would do and when you woulcd do itby (circle that in red) and roun d 2 goes to you.
Resurrect that part if you haveto (the deliverable they said it woulf take to get the deal) and you will win 50 percent of the (Martin Touch Tip: Most salespeople lose righ here and are about to get Do not throw in the Tell your prospect: “Not only did you say it, but you wrot e it and initialed it.”) Do not It is time for a couple of swiftg upper cuts. Do not move off the Slug it outand say: “If you can speao it, you can write it. Check, The last R if you need it: Recommit. Assuminf you spent at least 30 minutes in roundthre — and sometimes it can go longerf — go through the 3 R’s again.
Sometimex it will be 15 minutes; sometimeds it will take two hours. Be stron g and courageous. The process is but hard to stick to. But, if you do, they will not stickl it to you.