Closing Sales Deals Like a Pro: Critical Steps When Creating Sales Quotes Knowpia

Closing a deal sounds quite simple in theory. In fact, it's just a few steps - being prepared, having the right pitch, doubt clarification, asking for a sale, and finally following up till a definite yes is received from the prospect.

But, in reality, the process is more complicated. Whether you are new to the business setting or an established player, closing a deal, every time, is a tough nut to crack. There are some theoretical principles as well as some experimented methods to impress clients. You need to develop the art of closing sales deals like a pro by striking the right balance between the two. You can also consider technologies like a sales quoting software to become more efficient at your job.

Tips to close a deal successfully:

Create a sense of urgency - If a customer is in two minds about sealing the deal with your company, creating a sense of urgency will do wonders for you. Here are a few ways you can adopt to do the trick:

Announce a short-term discount - This will act as a bonus offer and persuade the customer to immediately consider your offering.
Emphasize the positives - Do a deep dive into the problem that is worrying your prospect the most. Urge them to choose you by showing how you can instantly solve their issue.
Declare shortage - A limited offer will automatically create a sense of urgency in the customer’s mind. This will encourage them to make rapid decisions.

Have an accepting attitude - As a provider, your job is to try and convince the prospect with utmost patience. You need to understand that a ‘no’ can also be a ‘maybe sometime later.’ According to a sales report published by Marketing Donut, 92% of salespeople give up after hearing a “no” four times from the prospect. On the other hand, 80% of prospects report saying “no” four times to a deal that they accept later. These numbers prove the worth of thoughtful and consistent efforts.
Follow up - If you are not following up wholeheartedly, you are missing potential conversions. By following up at a considerable rate, you continue to be on the customer’s radar and increase your chances of closing the deal. Remember to not be very pushy with your attempts as it might annoy the prospect. A gap of two days is considered to be ideal before the next attempt.

Automate the sales quotation process - Companies worldwide are going digital and are pacing up. Automating your sales quotation process through a sales quoting software will step up your game. It will enable you to manage workload and improve efficiency. Other benefits of automation include lower operating costs, faster turnaround time, and consistent production.

Pay attention to soft skills - You need to empower your sales team with people who are good at handling clients. Salespeople with active listening, empathy, confidence, and effective communication skills will be a boon to your company. They will not only help you close deals but will play a significant role in building and managing good customer relationships.

Ask simple and straightforward questions - This might sound obvious, but salespeople find it quite tricky. They are excellent at giving demos and answering queries but asking for the client’s opinion scares them. The best way to eliminate doubts and speculations is to ask for business directly in the meeting. This way you will have a clear idea of the prospect’s thoughts. You can also ask the client’s concerns, so you can work on them and customize your offering accordingly.
Have an impactful CTA (Call to action) - CTA has a direct relationship with sales. You should have a clear and interesting CTA in your sales quotes or even in the client presentations as it will guide the prospect to the next step of the sales funnel. The right CTA with the right placement will bring in leads and benefit your organization.

When do you know the prospect wants to indulge in a serious deal with you? You know it when they send an RFQ (Request for quotation). RFQ is the request sent by the prospective customer to receive the details of the products/services they want with the exact pricing details. In response, you need to prepare a sales quote mentioning all the possible information to establish clarity and build customer’s trust. Shifting to a sales quoting software will empower you by providing you with a wide range of features.

Critical steps to follow while creating sales quotes

Understand customer’s needs - You need to ensure that you always deliver what you promise to the customer. For this, you will have to step into the customer’s shoes and look into their challenges and needs. This will help you understand better and find the right ways to create quotes that resonate with the customer’s expectations.
Research - A thorough research about the prospective customer is critical while preparing sales quotes for them. It will help you gather relevant information about the customer’s unmet needs, future expectations and internal beliefs. All this information will help you line up your offering as per the customer’s requirements, increasing the chances of deal closure.
Customize the sales quotes - Presenting a generic quote is not enough to persuade the customer to choose you over others. Competition today is fierce and you need to stand out from the crowd. Customization is the key. It is a great business strategy to keep your customer happy and satisfied by offering services that add value to their business. Deloitte found that one out of five customers is willing to pay 20 % more for a personalized product.
Be correct and accurate - The primary aim of sending out a quote is to provide pricing details to the customer. Present all the information in concise tables and avoid jargon. Include all applicable taxes and recheck all the calculations to eliminate silly mistakes. Being accurate will help drive customers, close deals and build your overall brand image.
Arouse customer’s interest - What will decide the success of your sales quote? How will you judge your sales quotation process? The answer is in the ability to arouse the customer’s interest in your products/services. Always mention the unique features of your offering and highlight your past successes to gain customer’s trust. Educate your customer about the various benefits they can avail from your product or service offering if they opt for it. These are some psychological tricks that might work for you to arouse customer’s interest.
Incorporate eSign into sales quotes - You need to maintain industry standards to be in the race. Adapting to the current scenario is the key to closing more deals. eSign is among the world’s fastest-growing products currently. Switching to eSign in all of your sales quotes and other business documents is the need of the hour. It will save time, cost and will enhance the customer experience.

Clinch your deal right away - How to stand out from competitors?

Construct your quote well - Do not start drafting the final document all at once. Spend time deciding a proper structure for your sales quote. Use appropriate visuals for clarity and format it properly for a professional look. Each step of the sales quotation process demands time and attention to reap the desired benefits.
Have a brand identity - Your brand logo, website, collaterals, and other. documents are essential parts of your overall brand identity. The colors, shapes, and textures have a psychological impact on the customers. You must spend time, resources, and energy on building your brand visually to attract more customers.
Deliver quickly - A quote that reaches the prospect on time has better chances of being accepted. You can excel at creating and sending sales quotes by using a sales quoting software. It will help you use readymade templates, customize them, and send them quickly to customers. Your customers will be able to make quick decisions and it will shorten the length of your sales quotation process.

Avoid abrupt ending - The final thumbs up from the prospect should not mark the end of your conversation with them. You need to keep the conversation going to make the customer feel valued. Schedule some feedback calls, answer their queries (if any) and let them know you are available for them at any given point in time. This will leave a good impression, and the customer will want to engage more often with your organization.

Know the right way and make a difference!

Do not go overboard, but don’t be too subtle. Let the prospect know what you want out of them. Be completely aware of your short term and long term goals. Plan each and every customer interaction to convey things properly and to avoid discrepancies.

Do not just directly sell the product or the service, instead try to sell the final output. This will help you close sales deals like a pro.