“A-B-C. A-always, B-be, C-closing. Always be closing! Always be closing!! A-I-D-A. Attention, interest, decision, action. Attention — do I have
your attention? Interest — are you interested? I know you are. You close or you hit the bricks! Decision — have you made your decision?!! And action. A-I-D-A; get out there!!”
Glengarry Glen Ross, if you have not seen it, might I recommend it. A great film starring Jack Lemmon, Ed Harris, Kevin Spacey and so many others, including the man who said this line, Alec Baldwin as Blake, a big shot top producing real estate salesman sent to kick these other agents into high gear, or out of the way.
If you have seen the film, I will say that a lot of what is said in this iconic scene is extremely dated, the film was released in 1992. Times have changed, people have changed and the way we do business has changed, but this writer believes that the message still rings true.
Always be closing. It sounds sleazy but it’s not. It’s manifesting. If you have a product or a service and you go in with the mentality that you are going to make the sale, that you are going to convince your client to sign with you or choose your service, then you have already won half the battle. You go in with confidence in what you have to offer, and you will exude confidence. Prospecting is not an easy thing to do. Product demos to sales pitches, presentations, and even an elevator pitch can be nerve-wracking, because something is on the line whether it be your business, your income or even your integrity. If you go in with confidence you have a better chance of landing that sales pitch and gaining more business.
A-I-D-A. Attention, Interest, Desire or Decision and Action.
Attention- Getting the attention of prospective clients may sound difficult but, it has never been easier, so long as you know how the system works. The internet, as we all know, has completely changed the way we do almost everything. With access to practically every piece of information that we could possibly need, our information can be shared across the world in the blink of an eye and with the advancements in social media, our global communication has become a societal norm. Creating marketing content whether it is print, digital, verbal, direct, indirect as text, images, videos or audio may seem overwhelming but when you stop and think about what your message is and how you want others to perceive it, you are able to define how you market. Your brand then helps you determine your message. Following trends and understanding your clients will help you establish and execute your marketing to best grab the attention of exactly who you want.
Interest- You have their attention. They saw your ad and they have now opened your website, they are on your Facebook page, or they have walked into your store. Now is the time to provide the value. Let your prospect see, feel, and understand what makes you, your product or service what it is. You want to create a spark that makes them go, “Okay, I see what you are doing, tell me more.” Here is where the details are provided; costs, values, what you do, and how you do it. This is your true pitching moment. Being in that “Always Be Closing” mindset here is going to be useful to you to build your way into our next steps.
Desire or Decision- They understand what the product is. They now know what you offer, but there is hesitation. They don’t know if it is right for them, they need to understand the true value. Now is when you bring in testimonials and reviews. Positive feedback from other clients and/or users will help entice those that are hesitant because they see what the value of your product or service truly has. Stats and numbers can also come into play here to help provide the why to these prospects. At the end that is what you are doing here. You are providing the why for your service, the why your product is the best, and the why you are the greatest for your clients.
Action- Now we close. In the end, we are looking for a purchase, we are looking for a handshake, a deal, a signature, a YES! We can’t leave it open to interpretation. We must provide a call to ACTION. That call to action does not always have to be on-the-spot or in-the-moment, but it does need to be tangible. There must be something physical to seal the deal.
Sales is not an easy job when you don’t have the right mindset and aren’t executing in the right way. With practice and time, these tools become second nature and everything that you do becomes easier. Take the time to process how you do business. Understand the fundamentals of each step and walk in with confidence. Close the deal and earn that coffee
