This article about sales calls appeared on HubSpot and is reprinted on Savvy-Writer with permission.
Reps reach out to folks in their pipeline every day as they try to create connections with potentially great fit buyers. And this means salespeople are often hunting for the best way to start a conversation with a potential buyer.
But with so much emphasis on starting the conversation, salespeople can sometimes forget the other side of the equation. How the heck do you end a conversation with a buyer? A bad ending to a conversation can leave a sour taste in a prospect’s mouth, and derail the sales process.
Below are four key common mistakes salespeople make at the end of a call.
1. Failing to provide the prospect with next steps.
By not informing the prospect about what’s next, reps are put in the awkward position of sitting back and hoping the prospect decides to follow up on their own. Unfortunately, this often results in the prospect doing nothing.
Instead, at the end of every call, offer a clear list of next step options for the prospect to choose from. Whether it’s setting up another call or organizing a product demonstration, providing options for the prospect to choose from will keep the conversation moving forward.
2. Forgetting to review key information.
If sales reps don’t go over the key points discussed at the end of the call, the prospect will likely struggle to determine if this is the right solution for them because they’ve forgotten critical details.
A call with a prospect can last for an hour or more. Much like a teacher has a review day before a test, sales reps should set time aside at the end of every call to review key points to ensure the prospect fully understands what the rep presented and the rep understands what the prospect shared.
3. Ending the call without taking questions.
Not taking time for questions at the end of the call doesn’t allow the prospect to seek the information that matters most to them as they try to determine if this is the right solution for their business. Prospects are likely looking to clarify key facts the rep just shared with them. Without time for questions, prospects are unable to clarify and might leave the call unsure of how the product can benefit them.
At the end of every call, reps should leave 10 to 15 minutes for questions from the prospect. Not only will this provide the prospect a chance to clarify and fully understand how this product can help them, it gives the rep a chance to discover more about what matters to this prospect and the pain points they’re struggling with.
4. Not securing buy-in.
Salespeople should never hang up a call without getting some sort of buy-in into the next stage of the process. Without clear buy-in from the prospect, both the rep and prospect might be unsure of which step to take next.
By getting an agreement that the prospect wants to take the next step — whether it’s another call, a product demonstration, or something else — the rep can move the conversation forward because they know the prospect actively wants to learn more.
It’s great to have a tremendous start to every call you make with a prospect. But, as so many of us know, it’s not how you start — it’s how you finish. By taking the extra time to end a call with a prospect properly, reps can keep the prospect’s interest piqued and put themselves in a position to eventually close the deal.
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About the Author
Mike Renahan
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelrenahan/
Mike is a Customer Success Manager at HubSpot. He is a people person, data-driven professional, always learning and helping companies grow better.