4 D’s of Making a Deal

June 16, 2013

Evolution of Markets: from sales-centric to customer-centric

“Most people think “selling” is the same as “talking”. But the most effective salespeople know that listening is the most important part of their job.” ~Roy Bartell

“I closed a sale” – these are the four magical words that every salesman wants to utter. All their diligence, dedication and determination ultimately narrows down to that one moment when they finally make a deal with their customer. In the janitorial service industry, the customer or prospect is any commercial building that you hope to include in your account.

There was a time when success in sales was measured by the number of closed deals; very little thought was spared to continuing the relationship with the customer AFTER closure. This attitude was fine in a sales-driven market.

But, today, we live in a customer-centric era, which means closing the deal isn’t just about bagging an account. It’s about establishing a rapport with your client so you can enjoy a long-lasting, profitable relationship.

An article on inc.com specifies the “4 D’s of closing deals”, which emphasizes the importance of customer relationships in sales:

Discovery: listening to your customers’ needs and responding accordingly

Diagnosis: help your customers understand their inefficiencies and performance gaps

Design: help your customers get a very clear picture of the desired outcome and their expectations.

Delivery: present the product and make the sale

Click on the following link to access the article and learn more about the techniques to close a sale: http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/05/closing-the-sale.html

As you read through the write-up, keep the following in mind: “You don’t close a sale, you open a relationship if you want to build a long-term, successful enterprise.” Patricia Fripp

So get out there and create a relationship!