I often hear people complain that they are able to attract 
prospects, but they struggle to close the sale. And, more often 
than not, it is because they are in too much of a hurry!

Business relationships are based on trust. People buy from people
they know, like and trust.  And trust is not something you can 
create. You have to earn it. Building trust is a prerequisite 
for closing the sale. And you ruin your chances if you try to 
close the sale prematurely.

Trying to make the sale before the prospect is ready to make a 
decision, is like shooting yourself in the foot. While your 
offering may be the best available, the prospect will reject 
it because of the perceived pressure.

This means that selling usually has to be a multi-step process. 
In most cases, it simply isn't possible to establish trust at 
the first contact with a prospect. So the selling process has 
to be spread across a number of different contacts.

According to the National Sales Executive Association in the 
US, 80% of sales are made during the 5th-12th contact. Here 
are statistics from their survey findings:

   2% of sales are made on the 1st contact 
   3% of sales are made on the 2nd contact 
   5% of sales are made on the 3rd contact 
   10% of sales are made on the 4th contact 
   80% of sales are made on the 5th-12th contact

Each step in the sales process is a different contact with the 
prospect. Certainly, selling some products is easier than 
selling others. And different numbers of contacts are required. 

For example, when you buy a bottle of milk, you don't need more 
than one contact. As long as the product looks like it has come 
from a reputable source, and the price is reasonable, you will 
buy it straight off the shelf. 

But if you are buying a state-of-the-art computer system that 
costs thousands of dollars, you will be a lot more circumspect. 
The sales representative will have to convince you that the 
system is appropriate for your requirements, that adequate 
support will be available and a whole lot of other things. 

Clearly, the number of contacts required depends on the price 
of the product or service. The higher the price, the more 
contacts are required. 

The opposite is true for tangibility of the product or service. 
The less tangible the product/service is, the more contacts are 
required. Intangible services like, for example, business 
consulting can only be sold after a lot of trust and confidence 
has been established. So many contacts are usually required.

So what does all this mean for the way you go about making a 
sale? Well, first you have to get a feel for how many contacts 
are required. Then, spread your sales process across these 
contacts in a way that leads the prospect to making a buying 
decision.

For example, the process for selling a business consulting 
service could look something like this :

   1st Contact - Advertise Workshop to target market
   2nd Contact - Take bookings from people who want to attend
   3rd Contact - Do workshop and collect business cards from 
                 attendees
   4th Contact - Phone and arrange meetings with attendees who 
                 express interest
   5th Contact - Meet with prospect and assess requirements 
   6th Contact - Deliver proposal to prospect
   7th Contact - Follow up and ask for sale

We are up to 7 contacts already. And, depending on the 
circumstances, closing of the sale could take a few more.

The important thing to note here is that there is a logical flow 
in the sequence of contacts. And no attempt to close the sale is 
made in the early stages of the process. 

The secret is to use a stepped process to gradually build 
perceived value and trust. You have to lead your prospects to 
the point where they are totally comfortable with the process. 
And they are convinced that buying from you is in their best 
interests.