How many of us think that hearing YES to a proposal is the end of the sales process? Rich Delaney is doing a webinar this month on the Art of Negotiation and he and I both agree that one of the toughest lessons a salesperson has to master is when to close. But there’s another trap I will talk about shortly.

Closing signals are sent and missed quite often. I have mentioned in the past that Barbara is one of our best salespeople but she often allows the close to slide right by her.  She is skilled in vision and brimming with enthusiasm, which makes her a great salesperson. But she has never taken basic sales training, which might help her notice when the prospect is ready to sign. None of us want to ‘mess with her mojo’ because she is obviously doing something right!, so quite often I will go with her on a prospect call when her sales funnel gets beyond the negotiation stage, and close the deal when I hear the yes.

That may be the close of the pitch but we believe at Synthesis that the REAL sales process begins at the YES!  Follow through and accurate delivery are hallmarks of Synthesis. After the close, we become the masters of the detail – and this is where we set ourselves apart, quite often, from our colleagues.

Once a deal is made, I believe there are Four Stages of Completion:

1. Reiteration of the deal in writing – either by email or proposal. Even if you have a signed agreement, reiterate the scope of work and expectations in writing. Sometimes deals are verbally adjusted and agreed upon at the table and then the scope is forgotten or misunderstood once each party is back at work. Putting it in writing once again will circumvent misunderstanding.

2. Timeline it. Let your customer know when each phase of the deal is coming to fruition. The first scope should be delivered within 2 days of the signing of the deal even if the project is scheduled for next quarter, and then updated as needed.

3. Communication – make the follow up call. When you deliver a phase, call the client for feedback. Many salespeople are also responsible for implementation, but whether you are or you aren’t, it is still YOUR customer that trusted YOU with the business.  Do not rely on other members of your team to ensure the satisfaction of your client and your services. Don’t be shy – get continued feedback from the client. However, don’t forget the folks who are involved in the implementation for your company either – there are ALWAYS two sides to every story.

4. Testimony – if the customer is happy with your services, anchor it with a testimony! If they have a complaint, handle it – both the testimony and the recovery of a mistake are great opening opportunities for the next deal.

Remember not to rest on the YES! It can be the first stage of another great sales cycle.