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D32 is a premium business growth network where business leaders and experts in Perth and across Australia form meaningful relationships so they can leverage the time, contacts and activities of a vast network. D32 supports the little guys (and gals) and the 7-8-figure businesses. We’re a community that has each others’ backs. This podcast is about all things business, entrepreneurship and connectiom.
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Kingsley: [00:00:00] Welcome back to the District 32 podcast, and we've got Dean back in the studio again. Hey, Kingsley. Great to be back. Seems like a long time. It does seem like a long time. Yeah. It's good to have you back in the studio again. Yeah. Uh, it was great having Paul on. Yeah. Some amazing stuff that he, he gave us.
He's much better than me. Yeah. Well that's, that's what, anyway, we won't go there. Uh, but no, it was really good stuff. Yeah. Really good info and I'm glad to have you back here and back on the Gold Coast again. Yeah, it's great to be back on the Gold Coast. . Yeah. Now. You were mentioning before, before we started recording, that you've got a big question that comes up in people's minds around sales.
And I know this has been a question that I, I think everybody deals with this one question Yeah. Pretty much on a regular basis. Yeah. Yeah. . And there's, I've heard so many answers to this question. Yeah. Um, but I want to know from you, when it comes to selling. The close. Yeah. Is there a the close or how does that work?
Yeah, it, it, it comes with quite a lot in, [00:01:00] in conversations and, . People feel very uncomfortable around it. And some people just don't do it. They don't ask for the business even though they've probably done a great presentation, hand the objections and they leave the meeting without asking for the business.
So it can be challenging, . For a lot of people, particularly if you're not a natural. Salesperson or you might be introverted. It can, it can be tough, but, ., It comes up quite regular. Uh, and a good question I got asked there, there, uh, Reese is, can you gimme two or three ideas that's not too salesy or, or aggressive that, that I could use?
So I'm happy to share them. So, uh, the, the first one, um, it's, uh, I haven't come up with these names by the way. Uh, the first was called puppy dog clothes. So. That would be like you, if you give a kid a puppy, you're not gonna get that puppy back from, from the, from the kid. Yeah. So using kind of CRM systems as, as an example.
So you appreciate the value of a CRM system, how it adds in terms of your sales and, and all, all that good stuff. So if you are, say for example, selling CRM systems and you had someone kinda wavering, oh I dunno. I'm using [00:02:00] spreadsheets and it's working. Well give them the CRM system for a month now. You know that if you had a CRM system for a month, there's no going back.
Yeah. And that, that's a puppy dog close. 'cause if they experience. The benefits and experience the difference of having your product or service. They, they don't wanna go back to what they were doing before. 'cause it's saving them time, energy, money, and it's more professional wherever the case may be. So that's, that's called a puppy dog clothes, not my name as, so, um, but, and, and that works really well.
Um, if you get that product, you can leave with a client or a service for, for a month or two, whatever the, the period might be. Um, and that's a nice soft one. Listen, why, why don't you just try it for a month and see how you feel? And it's not too aggressive, so, so that, that's kind of a good one as well.
Sounds like an empath. Come up with the name for that one. Yeah. Yeah, possibly. Possibly. . Second one then is kind of, I suppose it's called a summary close where. ., Like it's it, and, and this, this is where it's really important in the early parts of, of, of a conversation that you're re you're listening, . [00:03:00] Actively listening, you're picking up all the pain points, uh, of the, of the prospect.
You've handled the objections. So the summary clause is basically, listen, Kingsley, you've, you've outlined, the challenge you've got at the moment are a. B, C, and D. So what I'm suggesting for A is we, we do this, what, what, uh, what we suggest for B is this, C is this and d this. Does that make sense? And then if I haven't covered everything, at that point you're gonna say, well, listen in.
You haven't, d doesn't really work, I don't think. And then we can go back. But it's, it's, I've really kinda summarized the pain, the solutions I made sure they match. And then all I'm saying is, does, does that sound like we, we've kind ticked all the boxes, Kingsley and. 99%, you're gonna say Yeah, Dean, that, that's right.
Okay. And then I, the next steps are, okay, well the next steps are we can, we can get the ball rolling next week. I just need you, whatever those next steps are with your product or service. So, so that's, that's a summary close. Basically, you're, you're, you're kind of illustrating, I, I hear you're paying, here's the solutions, is that correct?
And then you, you move [00:04:00] on. So that, that's kind of a, kind of a soft way of doing it as well. . And that works quite well. I, I'd used that one quite a lot over the years, uh, myself. Um, and that, and that works really well, and it gives confidence as well to the prospect. They, they, so you can see, oh geez, this guy's really got me.
He's really listened. Mm. Yeah. And obviously provide the solutions. . So that would be the second one and the third one, this just, I, I'd like to get the credit to, all I know is it was a female, uh, in district 32 who gave me this one a few years ago. And I just can't remember who it is. So if you're listening, let me know and I'll give you the credit.
Great friend. Yeah. Yeah. So I do apologize, but. . I suppose you'd call it a scale close. So it's basically when you, you've gotta get to that point where you've, . Listen and got the pain, you know, the solutions and gone through all the, all the, all the objections. And basically what you're saying is, listen, Kingsley, on a scale of one to 10, is this a good fit for, for what you need?
Now, if you said to me a nine, I'm gonna know. Brilliant. Okay, well listen. We'll it sounds like, uh, we're, we're gonna be able to help you kingsy. So the next steps are [00:05:00] whatever those next steps are. But if you said to me, listen Dean, it's a four. Now say, I, I genuinely feel. I understand your pain and I've got the solution.
So if someone said to me before, what that means is I haven't explained it well enough to you, Kingsley, as in here's how we can get rid of that pain and here's how the solutions work. So basically you're just going back to, okay, well listen, I, I'm, I'm, I'm not gonna be happy unless I get you to a nine or 10.
So let's, let's go back to the, the pain is A, B, C, D, and then you're providing your solution. So you're only going back to a kind of, I suppose a summary close, but just, just saying to someone, oh, no. On a scale of one to 10. . And even if they said something like, even a tree, okay, well if it's a tree, what, what if you had a magic wand, what would I need to do to get you to a nine or 10?
And they'll, they'll tell you, well, Dean, if you could cover off X, Y, Z and it gives you the information where you can go, oh, well listen, we actually do X, Y, Z. 'cause sometimes you forget, ., Yeah. Stuff you should have shared in, in, in the, in the conversation. So I'd find those three as being kind of. If you're uncomfortable in that space [00:06:00] about closing, and we all have to ask for the business in some way, otherwise, most of 'em, it's gonna walk out the door or be left on the table.
So for me, those three are kind of soft and gentle. And, uh, what, what I'd say to people is sometimes you might not, might need to experiment with one that fits you personality wise and you're comfortable with. . I suppose if you went to the extreme, it'd be an assumption close, whereas you've got the end, the objections.
Okay, Kingsley, I'll send my 10 widgets round, . For delivery. Just sign here. Yeah, yeah. But you'd have to be super confident. And again, for me personally, that wouldn't fit my personality. . So whatever kind of type of clothes you use, it's important that it sits well with you. But again, someone might say, I just hate closing.
It's comfortable. Pick one and stick with it for a wee while. And just see how it goes. 'cause sometimes it'll take, it can take a while to bed in. Then you'll find it's just automatic. It'll be very natural. Yeah. Yeah. And it's interesting with, with all of those, it leaves the door open Yeah. [00:07:00] For, . Further discussion or follow up down the track as well.
Yeah, exactly. Exactly. And I suppose like, . Yeah. No one likes to, like, likes to be, uh, hard closed. I know. I don't So you don't wanna do it on, on another individual. So, but it is, I, I, I think the thing we, you need to highlight Kingsley, is, uh, you have to ask for the business. Uh, whatever. Pick, pick one, one way of asking for the business.
Um, I mean, like, when I started in sales, I was rubbish and, uh, like my clothes was, was, uh, my clothes was. Kingsley, do you want one? Like, I mean, which is really kind of brutal, but on the positive side, at least I was asking at least. Yeah, yeah. I was asking for the business and I, I, I did get some sales from it, just by, do you want one?
Um, but hopefully I've refined a bit over the years. But, um, but it, it's trial and error. Like you kind of, um, find that you can analyze after your meetings. Okay. Oh, oh, I didn't feel too comfortable saying that or. I've seen they flinched, it didn't flow well. And, and again, it's, you gotta stick with, with something for a while.
Yeah, you're right. It takes time. It does. [00:08:00] Until it becomes comfortable. It's like any actor doing Yeah. Playing their role. Yeah. They don't just go up and, and do it. Yeah. It takes time and rehearsal until it, until it becomes so. . Ingrained in them that you get past the automatic and you can tell it's automatic to, then it goes around again till it's a comfortable, natural thing.
So it's like, it's like muscle memory. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Exactly. So, so what I I say to people is this, there there are three kind of, I would say, soft ones. They're not in people's faces. Pick one or, or something outside of that, that trial it for a while and see how you feel. Um, and yeah, you, it takes a while to get comfortable with it as well.
Yeah. I love it. That's brilliant. Thanks Dean. No worries at all. Catch you next time. See you soon.