At certain times, many firms specifically seek to hire closers. This could be because their staff consists mostly of relational openers and not enough sales people whose main skill is closing the deal. It is therefore imperative for the recruitment team to know exactly what to look out for among prospective candidates. One of the main qualities among sales-closers is that they overcome obstacles. For every product or service that the salesperson needs to sell, most potential clients have thousands of reasons why it is not for them, or why it is not the right time, and so on. Closers see these are obstacles which they generally overcome by enabling the client to recognize their need for the product and consequently, make a financial commitment.
Displayed Confidence
Closers demonstrate no hesitation or reluctance. They project the image of being comfortable in their own skin, which in turn puts people around them at ease. This is demonstrated during the sales process in that closers do not hesitate to ask for a sale or for a client’s business. This is important because, as much as it is important to build a rapport with clients and engage them relationally, a call to action is what usually closes the deal.
People Skills
When most people hear the term “people skills”, they think of aspects of behavior such as smiling, being a good listener and so on. While it is true that all these elements are important, a sales-closer can be identified during the sales recruitment process as the candidate who is able to ‘read the room’. Being an integral skill among sales people, communication is as much about what the person is not saying, as it is about what they are saying.
For instance, during a sales pitch as the salesperson is attempting to close the deal, it may be evident that the prospective client is drifting off and that the sales professional no longer has their attention. Closers are able to identify this and either change to a different approach, or a more engaging subject.
Another example is where a prospective client says ‘no’. Sometimes, this means that the client is on the fence and needs some convincing. At other times however, the client may feel as though the salesperson is pushing too hard and is only after their own interests, namely: to land the contract. The way the sales person handles the client at this stage could either guarantee a contract or alienate the client for good. By reading the client’s nuances and body language, a closer is able to tell whether the client needs a little more information to nudge him/ her over the fence towards making a purchase, or whether the professional needs to back off and possibly build their relationship with no pressure to buy.
Ability to Bounce Back
During sales, even closers get turned down. For this reason, it is important to see whether and how they recover when they are disappointed. Closers recognize that even though they are experts at encouraging clients to make commitments, they may not be able to close every deal. It may therefore be helpful to throw the candidates a few curve-balls during the recruitment process in order to see how they handle the unexpected.