The bottom line is that if you’re not closing sales, you’re not making money. It won’t be long before you’re out of a job. Unfortunately, many salespeople don’t know how to close the deal. Or they try to close too early.

60% of all sales are made by only 4% of sales people. This is an incredible number. These 4% close so many deals, because they persist. They know how to close the deal.

But let’s back a bit. Before you can close you need to establish yourself as a problem solver to the prospect’s problems. You need to ask questions first to find out the problem. Then you need to ask questions to help the customer discover how your product solves their problem.

If people don’t trust you, they won’t buy. This is the number one reason why people don’t buy. People probably don’t think you’re a liar. But they probably don’t have enough information to fully believe that your product is the solution to their problem.

They bottom line is that you can’t close until you have established sufficient value in the client’s mind. Don’t do it too early. If you do, the client won’t buy. You know how it is on the buying side. If you don’t see the value, no matter how persuasive the salesperson, you’re not going to buy.

So Zig Ziglar, one of the world’s leading success coaches says that you must “Start with your most valuable point”. This is the biggest selling point for the client. Show how your product can solve the prospects most pressing problem.

Once you’ve started with your most valuable point, you can start adding trial closes: How do you feel about what you’ve heard so far? Are you interested in saving money? When would you like to start saving money? These types of questions will help you get inside the mind of the customer and help you understand what kinds of questions you need to address.

Ziglar also says, “When the client says no they are not going to change their minds. They make new decisions based on new information.” What does this mean? It means that when the customer says “No”, it’s because they don’t have enough information to say yes. You must provide them with that additional information so that they can say yes.

Persistence really does pay. If you really believe you have a solution to their problem, you will persist until they understand what you have. Hone your closing skills and you’ll find yourself rising to the top of your profession. Zig Ziglar has many more programs on selling and personal development that will help you in your personal and professional aspirations.