Tickle your client's fancy with this seven step sales process

(This article was featured previously on Susan Marot’s LinkedIn profile. To learn more about how Susan transforms sales for her clients, head on over to her website).

What do you think about the title of this blog post? Guess you it must have appealed to you as you have read this far already!

I have to be honest, it wasn’t my idea. I got involved in an online discussion about closing, which ended up agreeing to write a post if someone gave me the title. Thanks to the fabulous Sashka Hanna-Rappl of BrandSashka for setting me the challenge!

Well I always say selling is fun!

Anyway, as I am so passionate about giving my clients what they want/need I am more than happy to write a post about closing using this title. I haven’t even checked to see if it ticks all the boxes for google search, but liked the idea of tickling my clients fancy!

So, what is the 7 step sales process for tickling a client’s fancy?

Step 1 – Look for and buy a big feather

Step 2 – Say hello to your client

Step 3 – Ask if they like being tickled

Step 4 – Tell them how they will benefit by being tickled

Step 5 – Reassure them that they won’t laugh themselves to death

Step 6 – Ask if they are happy to be tickled

Step 7 – Tickle them with the feather

Job done!! Like it?

Of course you don’t! I appear to have only described the process of tickling with no mention of closing.

Look carefully, the closing part is there.

Spotted it yet?

Step 6 – Ask them if they are happy to be tickled.

That’s the closing part

The thing is you still have to ask someone if they want to be tickled. Just like you have to ask someone if they are going to buy from you.

If you got that right, then give yourself a massive pat on the back.

Closing is about gaining permission

If you started tickling someone without asking first, then you will probably get slapped, or at best a very swift rejection.

It is the same when you are selling. You have to ask your prospect if they are happy to let you sell them your solution.

However, the closing part of the sales process is not the only step you need to master. Each and every part of the sales process is as important as the rest.

An unhealthy obsession with great closers

If I had a coin for every time I saw an advert seeking sales people who are great at closing, I would be able to retire.

Seriously…what is it with businesses obsessed with closing?

Case Study

I was once interviewed by a world renown business coach who wanted to know if I had ever successfully sold high ticket deals and asked exactly how good I was at closing. I responded by asking all about the process that the prospect went on before I would be speaking to them.

He was talking about deals worth £2k to £8K, but I knew I had a lots of success closing deals over the phone with several more noughts on the end! The size of the numbers are never an issue to me. It is about the success of achieving the sale that drives me!

Needless to say his marketing and sales processes were very good and when I closed a £3k package paid in full on the first call in less than 60 minutes, he was gobsmacked that I could actually do what I said I could do.

Now I don't mean to sound big headed, but that was no surprise to me. My only concern was whether the first few stages of HIS sales process were good enough for me to deliver the results he wanted.

Essentially, I needed the first few stages of his sales process to send me the most interested of prospects as I knew this would then help me to close the sales

Focus on all 7 Steps of the Sales Process - Not just closing!

Asking for the business is important, but the rest of the steps are as equally important too.

Let’s get back to tickling. If you don’t go out and get your feather, then you can’t tickle the client. You could ask them if they are happy to be tickled, but if they said yes then how are they going to deliver Step 7 and tickle your clients fancy without a feather?

Every step is important, but if all you do is constantly ask for the business, then your prospects will think you are as pushy as a mother selling her soul to the devil just so her little prince or princess can play Joseph or Mary in the school nativity! Not an experience that will encourage your prospect to buy from you!

A typical sales process

Let’s take a popular sales process such as appointing a client and compare it against my tickling example.

Step 1 – Look for and buy a big feather - Preparing to sell

To be a tickling or sales success you have to prepare effectively. Knowing your products/service, prospects and market place before you start communicating with your future clients will make a big difference to the success of getting the appointment.

Step 2 – Say hello to your client - The sales introduction

A short and concise introduction as to who you are and the benefits you bring to your clients, is all you need for your prospects to want to know more. Get this part wrong and your prospect will not let you through the door.

Step 3 – Ask if they like being tickled - The questioning phase

If the prospect doesn’t bat an eye when you release the feather from its holster, then not even a snigger will be heard. It is the same with selling. Why waste time asking for a meeting if your prospect doesn’t have a need for what you do? Ask great questions first to find out if they really do have a need for your product or service, before you close them for a meeting.

Step 4 – Tell them how they will benefit by being tickled - The presentation phase

Laughter is the best medicine, so make sure that the benefits of meeting you are likely to cure your prospects pain. There is no point in explaining how great your solution is, if your client doesn’t understand what a meeting will actually do for them.

Step 5 – Reassure them that they won’t laugh themselves to death - The objection handling phase

Clients are often very cautious, just like someone who has a bad memory of a big sister or brother going too far with an over enthusiastic tickle session. Cautiousness causes objections, but knowing how to handle them effectively will ensure that your prospect is enthusiastic to meet with you.

Step 6 – Ask if they are happy to be tickled - The closing phase

As already mentioned, your prospect may actually be waiting for you to ask them for a meeting, just like they may be waiting desperately to be tickled. Don’t let them down by not closing

Step 7 – Tickle them with the feather - The follow up phase

As my husband always say, do what you say you are going to do. Feather or no feather, if you don’t deliver on your promise during the close then you are wasting everyone’s time and money.

There are millions of people in the world buying and selling every day. By making sure you put as much effort into every step of the sales process (not just closing), is definitely the way to the sales success you and your business deserves. It is also the best way to tickle your clients fancy, but without getting a slap for coming across as pushy too!