Since 1999
No sale happens unless the seller is in control. Allow me to exemplify in simple equations.
Situation 1: Store is in Control
We go to a store to buy an item, say a shirt. There is an item on display and for sale, it has a price tag, it is in a mode of packing, the store has its’ sales and other terms, we follow all. Some stores allow a trial and some have monitored trial rooms. We pay for the shirt as the store accepts.
All these controls that the store exerts. Without such basics, there will be utter chaos. Now, let me use an example from a complex situation.
We pay for the things as the store accepts. The Store is in control
Situation 2: Buyer in ‘Control’
I make a financial product sales presentation. The client tries his/her best to interject and disturb the flow, verbally, or by body language or in any which way. If I get disturbed I don’t compete with the presentation, there is simply no sale happening. I must follow a track and proven sales tools or ritual to complete a sale. Thus for me, maintaining a professional decorum is a given, no matter how much the disturbance. Usually, I do not even pay any heed to the objection raised during my presentation. If the objection is real it will resurface later and can be addressed at that juncture. Only after I complete the product presentation can I go into a product fit and application form, questionnaire, and ask for a signature and payment. If I let go of my control then there is no sale and I leave without business. I need to follow what I need to, period.
Allow the client to get the feeling that he/she is in control of the negotiations.
Key to Closing the Sale: Create a Feeling of Control
Now, the truth is that all through I act as if I am allowing the client to have control by:
All forms of clandestine camouflaged control make the client believe it is he/she in charge of the negotiation and the decision and is satisfied.
The crux of the Control The crux is that the control never left my hands:
There are instances when a client might just demand something out of my chosen range. I would then resort to excuses like, “I am sorry, this product is no more available” or “It would have worked but unfortunately you do not qualify for this at this time” or any other such reason Thus the control is always with me and I do not let the ultimate control go away. 
Never Lose Sight of Client’s Needs
To successfully complete a sale, control should be in your hands from the starting point to the closing. However, never forget that you need to give adequate emphasis to the product fit and its suitability to specific client needs. If you try to make a sale without taking the client’s own specific needs into account, the sale will not last.
And the Best Reward…
Always remember that my job is best done when I have a repeat order. And the client thanks me for the service and value-added assistance provided by me.
Go the extra mile… it will make the difference.
