4 years ago
July 14, 2020

How to Close a Sale with a Tough Prospect: 8 Tips that Work

Every sale is different. Some are quick and easy, some take some work, and then there are tough customers. They are difficult to win over, have more objections, and every…

Rhys Metler

Every sale is different. Some are quick and easy, some take some work, and then there are tough customers. They are difficult to win over, have more objections, and every step seems more challenging than it should be. They may even try to strong-arm you into giving them a better deal or more value and cut into your profit margins. It’s the nature of the game. As a salesperson, you will face tough customers from time to time. You need to be prepared to manage them or you could lose them very quickly.

You can’t treat everyone the same. You need to use a different strategy and technique to close a tough customer. The same strategy that works on some will not work on others. No one wants a deal to drag on and on. In this blog, Toronto sales recruiters provide you with some effective tips to help you close those tough customers you encounter from time to time.

8 Tips to Help You Close a Sale Tough Prospects

Use these tips to be better prepared to deal with tough customers and still close the deal:

1. Stay Confident

Regardless of the type of customer you are dealing with, you need to stay confident. Unwavering confidence is especially important when working with a tough customer. If customers sense you’re nervous, desperate to close, or are lacking confidence in your abilities, they could use this to try to leverage a better deal from you. Stick to your sales process and resist the urge to make concessions just to appease the customer.

2. Don’t Let Your Emotions Get the Best of You – Don’t Take It Personally

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Sales is a business, but it’s also very challenging not to take things personally. It’s completely normal to get slighted if a customer is making a sale difficult to close. You might also be tempted to take their comments to heart. Even though it’s not easy, don’t let your emotions get the best of you. Keep your emotions in check. Remind yourself that it’s just business at the end of the day. If you allow your emotions to rule, a tough customer could use that to their advantage.

3. Create a Dialogue About the Customer’s Top Challenges

Getting a grasp of what a customer wants to achieve is important. One way to do this is to gain a deeper understanding of their top challenges. Try to spark a conversation with the customer about the challenges and obstacles they are facing. This will help you gain a deeper insight into the type of solution they seek. It will get them to lower their guard to some degree and allow you to prove you want to help them. Most importantly, it will help you adjust your sales solution and customize it to the customer’s unique needs.

4. Understand the Customer’s Larger and Long Term Business Goals

Think long term with tough customers. Think beyond the transaction at hand. Try to better understand the customer’s long term business goals and objectives. This information can help you see where the current transaction fits into the bigger picture. Use this to position this sale within the context of the customer’s future plans. Prove you are doing more than just trying to get a sale now.

5. Be Firm – Stand Your Ground

It’s important to stand your ground, especially if you have already offered concessions. Perhaps you’ve already offered a discount, did what you could to expedite delivery, and done other things to sweeten the deal. There is a time when you need to stand your ground if a tough customer asks for more. Be firm. Avoid giving into the pressure to do even more, even if you really need to close a sale.

6. Focus on Solving the Problem, Not Selling

Tough customers can be even more of a challenge if you focus on selling rather than trying to solve their issues and help them with business challenges. Regardless of their attitude, all customers come to you because they need help with something. They have a need to be filled. Focus on solving the problem first before selling. This could help soften a tough customer’s stance and get them to open up and be more receptive to the solutions you are offering.

7. Offer an Alternative Solution

Trying to hammer away at the same solution and continuously facing objections will only get you so far. Expect tough customers to want more. So, be prepared to offer alternative solutions. Give them a number of options to consider if they oppose what you initially proposed. This will give you more to work with and help you move forward to closing a sale.

8. Know When to Move On

As we all know, you won’t close them all. There comes a time when you need to seriously consider walking away rather than continuously trying to close a difficult customer. Think about how much time you are investing in this deal compared to the time being taken away from other deals and prospecting. What is the best use of your time? Where is the best opportunity? Sometimes stepping away is the best move. Remember, saying no to a deal now doesn’t necessarily mean no forever. Just not right now.

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SalesForce Search is a Toronto sales recruiting company that specializes in the recruitment and placement of sales professionals. We recruit salespeople in every sector of the economy including, software, manufacturing, financial services, and medical devices. Find the right salesperson for your organization, start your search here.

Rhys Metler

Rhys is a tenacious, top performing Senior Sales Recruiter with 15+ years of focused experience in the Digital Media, Mobile, Software, Technology and B2B verticals. He has a successful track record of headhunting top performing sales candidates for some of the most exciting brands in North America. He is a Certified Recruitment Specialist (CRS) and has expert experience in prospecting new business, client retention/renewals and managing top performing sales and recruitment teams. Rhys enjoys spending quality time with his wife, son, and daughters, BBQing on a hot summer day and tropical vacations.

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