It struck me the other day that I had lulled myself into a sense of fulfillment with a potential investor on our bhag project (Harehills Middle School). Unfortunately, this was 20/20 hindsight.
You know how the story goes:
You get that great lead on a sale or funder or programme benefactor. They meet with you and all seems like sweetness and light. Time moves on, you begin to see that the deal is not going to close….but, instead of moving on, you think the small speedbumps along the way are "part of the process of getting to a close". More time moves on and some of the issues seem to be recurring and you eagerly continue the dialog. What’s wrong with this picture?
You aren’t asking for and getting a definitive answer. This is the most difficult part of the sale (investment / partnership deal) and most people hope the client simply rings them up out of the blue to "make a deal". While this sometimes happens, most deals happen only because someone "closed" the deal.
So what? You say you don’t want to be pushy or demanding. You think your product or service is so good customers will always close you? Think again.
Every day that goes by with the client on your radar ,without asking for the close, is a day you are losing to a new lead or opportunity. In fact, one way to remind yourself the importance of the close is to practice your ABCs. That’s right, "Always Be Closing". Crude, but an effective way to remember that you must always be making a point to clarify the mutual expectations of the meeting and drive towards your objectives.
Try it. Ask your client what are the next steps, how do you get to a sale or completed deal. You will find it liberating because it takes the guess work out of the equation. Sometimes, getting the "no" sooner can mean getting a yes sooner from a new client because you achieve an efficiency with your time.
Remember: Always be Closing.
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