There is a saying in sales that you have probably heard of – ABC. It means Always Be Closing.

Here at NCAB, closing, in this case, means that you make sure that there is a next step. So closing here does not always mean that we get the order, but it does mean that we are in an agreement with the customer on a next step and what that is.

Typically, a next step can be a date for the next call, confirmation on a meeting, agreement to send information, etc. A tip is to surf on success. If you get the business, what else can we support with, and when can we support with that?

If the customer says “I will call you when I know more”, that’s not ABC. The ABC should always be in our hands, meaning that we are doing the next activity. Closing means that we should have the customer’s agreement to call back, and having that agreement makes it so much easier to start the next conversation.

Asking for agreement shows the customer that we take Full Responsibility, and that we want to build Strong Relationships. We live our values.

Sometimes we do lose an order, but in that case, closing can be an agreement on the next project, so we are in the game of possibly winning the next opportunity. So we can’t win all the orders all the time, but it’s our job to make sure that there is always a next step. Either on a coming project or with a person or on a company level. So don’t limit yourself by only talking about projects – what’s the next big thing we can do for you as a customer, person or company? And the agreement is a win because it brings us closer to the orders now and in the future.

So at the end of every call or customer visit you make, make sure you got further steps accepted and agreed on and deliver on them. A tip is to always have a short and long-term commitment with the customer. A short-term is a next step in the project or the next meeting. A long-term can be a seminar in six months, or something that happens further down the line.

ABC, Always Be Closing.