Online closing: definition and tools

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The closing activity emerged when the Internet became a work tool used by a very wide audience.

It should be noted that this article discusses the Closer business and not the closing as it is known in B2B sales. Learn more about B2B closing in our dedicated article to the definitions of closing and to the best sales techniques to excel in the closing phase.

Translation of the term and definition

Long considered to be the last stage of the sales cycle - in other words the simple conclusion of a contract between the customer and the company - closing is now experiencing a New definition. It is now a full-fledged ethical sales activity.

When a prospect expresses an interest in a service or product (by having contacted the company or by having subscribed to a newsletter), the closer retrieves his data and contacts him by telephone in order to exchange with him.

The objective of the call will then be to:

• understand their expectations.
• ensure that the desired product or service corresponds to it.
• Make him an offer.

The closer therefore does not simply unfold a commercial pitch to push the prospect to buy. He is really interested in her needs and adapts its marketing techniques throughout the process, answers each objection, and sometimes even chooses not to close the sale if they think that the customer will not be fully satisfied with their purchase.

What is closing on the internet?

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Unlike closing by telephone, which mainly concerns “material” products, closing on the Internet is more about services available on the web : whether it's about training courses given by speakers or digital products, this online activity is more focused on collaborating with infopreneurs and influencers (in other words a micro-enterprise) than with traditional businesses.

What defines the job of closeuse?

Closers generally own their own companies because they most of them work as self-employed. This makes them more free in carrying out their activities and in managing their schedule. Then, their income system is not necessarily the same as that of a corporate employee.

Because of the nature of their work, they spend a certain number of hours on the phone during the day: to generate attractive remuneration and close enough sales, they have to make more calls. Their capacities organization and commercial techniques mastered play a major role in the success of these calls.

However, it should be noted thatYou can also be a closer without having your own business : the job can be carried out as an employee, and if it does not have the same advantages - its lifestyle allowing less freedom in terms of hours for example - one of the main benefits remains the stable earnings.

Do you have to have sales skills to be a closer or a closeuse?

It is absolutely essential to have a good mastery of the various sales techniques in order to be a closer.

Indeed, this commercial activity is based on both negotiation and communication skills as well as the Capacity to :

• understand the needs of the prospect.
• gain his trust to convert him into a customer.
• guarantee satisfaction after purchase.
• succeed in retaining him.

To succeed in closing, you must therefore know:

• write a sales pitch comprehensive enough to present the benefits of a product or service.
• identify the expectations of a prospect in order to make him an adequate offer.
• Respond to customer objections.
• The basics of marketing to adapt to the strategy of the companies with which we collaborate.

For a salesperson wishing to start closing As a self-employed person in particular, skills in:

• The administrative management: declaration of company income and accounting.
• The prospecting customers, for example, by ensuring a good online presence and by canvassing companies on LinkedIn to ensure that you always have work and avoid off-peak periods.

What are the tools used in closing?

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It is necessary to have certain tools in order to carry out the closing activity on a daily basis. So we have listed the best allies of successful closers:

1. A smartphone : quite obviously, every good closer must have a phone with which he can not only make his sales calls, but also connect to his agenda and his various work software in order to be able to analyze his performance and organize his day.
2. A sales script : for better chances of success during a sales call, there is no question of doing without a pitch. It is not only used to define the benefits of a product or service in the face of customer potential. It is also useful for responding to every possible objection! To properly prepare it, you need to review the various stages of the sales process: first, the questions to fully identify the expectations of the prospect and ensure that they can be met. Then, know the advantages of the product or service well in order to be able to name a few, according to the needs of the potential customer. Then, you have to list all the objections that can be raised according to each situation, in order to provide clear answers and remove doubts. Finally, knowing how to make an appropriate offer and encourage the prospect to buy without being pushy, for example by offering to call him back if he seems hesitant.
3. CRM software : essential for any salesperson looking to boost their sales, it makes it possible to analyze the content of exchanges with prospects, to access customer files and to obtain recommendations to optimize their sales script and their customer approach.
4. Call software : Ringover and similar tools are ideal for keeping an entire phonebook, scheduling calls, and taking notes simultaneously. They make it easy to close a sale over the phone.
5. An office suite : whether you prefer to opt for Google or Microsoft, the important thing is to be comfortable with the various tools such as the calendar, direct messaging, the mailbox or even the functionalities that allow you to create and share various documents.
6. A quality headphone : to make yourself heard by a prospect, keep your hands free and ensure a professional quality call, investing in a good headset such as a Jabra is important. Choosing comfortable equipment is also the guarantee of better health: no more ear pain and headaches.
7. An ergonomic desk : in the same vein, having a fairly large desk at the right height as well as a good armchair can considerably improve the quality of life at work.

Are there free courses to become a closer or a closeuse?

Today we find numerous free training contents on the web.

There are a whole lot of YouTube videos and items that allow Train for the job And of manage your situation as an auto-entrepreneur as best as possible.

Here are some examples of resources that you can easily find online:

• Commercial techniques.
• Administrative advice for creating a company or filing an income tax return.
• Advice on taking into account and calculating VAT.

These courses are an excellent way to discover closing and the best sales and customer negotiation techniques. They are perfectly suited when you are considering a professional retraining or if you want to train at a lower cost.

Is it easy to find a job when you are closing?

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Finding companies to collaborate with can be difficult when you are starting out in closing and have not received real training.

In fact, if To be formed allows above all to improve your sales technique and to learn more about marketing and the commercial environment as a whole, it is also theAn opportunity to create a network of potential customers with whom to work once certified.

That said, it is also possible to find collaborating companies in prospecting via word of mouth or through professional social networks such as LinkedIn.

To do this, you must first take care of your online presence and your image, then possibly call on software to recover data of a person working in a coveted company: by obtaining his professional telephone number or email address, it will thus be possible to offer him his services and his rates.

This process can also be done directly on LinkedIn with a personalized message, but keep in mind that many professionals are contacted on this network on a daily basis - so it can be difficult to stand out.

How do I find a closing agency?

Some closers prefer to work in a company to take advantage of the advantages that come with the employee lifestyle: stable earnings, fixed hours and the certainty of always having missions, regardless of the company's situation.

So there are closing agencies that precisely allow connect these closers with salespeople and businesses needing their services to facilitate the conclusion of contracts with prospects and boost their sales figures.

Integrate these agencies However, it does not come without effort. Here it is Three steps important to achieve this:

1. To be trained : on the web or in person, to obtain certification. Without it, it will in fact be difficult to be taken seriously, as companies have difficulty trusting a person whose resume does not attest to their qualifications in the closing.
2. Take care of your online presence and your e-reputation : closers work a lot with digital tools, it is important to have a good image and to regularly update your professional social networks, for example by sharing your successes on LinkedIn. The agency's clients and the agency itself will thus have an easier time trusting a closer who seems to be successful in its business.
3. Apply to several major closing agencies such as Closing Mastery, Closer Evolution or ClosetOnDeal. Often looking for collaborators, these agencies regularly recruit for their partner companies. Note that by training directly with one of them from the beginning, you considerably increase your chances of being retained at this stage, the agency in question cannot doubt your skills.

What does a closer have to do to make a living from the closing?

Depending on their status, the lifestyle of a closer may be relatively different from one individual to another.

In fact, the Independent closers will be confronted with administrative tasks in their daily lives. as to the declaration of VAT and the remuneration received for their various missions. Their time management will also be different from that of closers working in agencies: as auto-entrepreneurs, they are the ones who decide on their hourly volume and whether or not they want to work during weekends and holidays.

To live well as a self-employed person, it is important to have a certain number of recurring customers to avoid periods of trough, and to decide on more or less fixed hours, in order to preserve your free time and moments of rest.

Finally, whether you are self-employed or in an agency, Organize your days is also essential.

To be effective, the easiest way is to proceed in stages and to reserve time slots for each task throughout the day and the week.

First of all, prepare your commercial calls: this involves reviewing the sales pitch, the marketing techniques that may be used according to the profile of the prospects, and the potential objections for each offer.

Afterwards, Take a moment after each call to analyze what may or may not have led to the conclusion of a sale : review the content of exchanges and learn from mistakes, in particular using CRM software to obtain personalized recommendations.

Finally, take the time toUpdate your customer data files and schedule new appointments by phone with prospects who have shown an interest in the products and services sold.

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