Author: David Matney

Selling is a skill, and the best salespeople out there have a set of key skills that helps them achieve their success.

This isn’t about the latest technology, this isn’t about AI, this is about the CORE skills that help people sell.

In this blog, we are going to share with you the 8 skills that EVERYONE working in sales should have. If you can practice and master these skills, 2025 could be your best year yet.

1. The Skill of LISTENING

Once upon a time, salespeople were rated on their ability to “talk the talk”. Now, however, it is the salespeople that LISTEN that win in sales. We’re not just talking about pretending to listen whilst you think about what you’re going to say next,

We are talking about real ACTIVE listening. Actually stop and listen to what they say, repeat parts back to clarify, ask for elaboration, let them do AS MUCH talking as possible.

Not only will you unlock TONNES of information that will help you sell, but you’ll also build far greater trust with them.

2. The Skill of showing EMPATHY

Emotional intelligence is the secret skill of the most elite salespeople out there. They have honed the ability to truly connect with their prospects and customers.

They totally put aside ego and fully understand their customers and the world their customers live in. Treat your prospects and customers as individuals, walk in their shoes, understand their pains and show them that you truly want to help them.

Build your emotional intelligence to grow stronger and longer-lasting relationships with your prospects and customers in 2025.

3. The Skill of MOTIVATION

To be successful in sales you need motivation in abundance. You need it to push you to make more calls, send more emails, send more LinkedIn messages, drive to meetings, to knock doors. You need motivation to deal with the rejection, with the failures, with the losses.

The best salespeople NEVER rely on others for motivation, the create their OWN motivation each and every day.

They read motivating books, listen to motivating songs, take a quick 5-minute walk, focus on their goals, they do whatever they can to get the boost of motivation that they need.

4. The Skill of RESILIENCE

One of the most important skills by far, sales people need to MASTER the skill of resilience. Every rejection should wash over them like water over a ducks back, it should simply wash away.

They need to take nothing personally, they need to push further and further and always avoid giving up.

So many more sales could be one by simply overcoming one or two more objections. or by pushing through just a couple more barriers. The skill of resilience will help you go so much further in sales than most.

5. The Skill of PREPARATION

Far too many sales are lost each year due to a lack of preparation. The top salespeople out there are prepared for each and every prospect and customer interaction that they have.

They know EVERYTHING they need to know about their prospect. They know EVERYTHING they need to know about their industry. They know EVERYTHING they need to know about their product.

They go into each conversation fully prepared, and that preparation helps them deal with 99% of the potential challenges that are likely to happen. This quote best describes why it’s so important to prepare…

6. The Skill of QUESTIONING

You can’t just ask any old questions and expect the right answers, you need to be asking the RIGHT questions to succeed in sales. The skill of questioning only works when you match it with the skill of listening.

Asking the right questions is step one, then actively listening to the answers is step two.

Ask what they’re using now, ask what they’ve used before, ask what challenges they have, ask what budget they have, ask what will happen if they don’t solve this problem, ask who is involved in the decision, ask what they would like to achieve, the list of possible questions goes on.

7. The Skill of AUTHORITY

This is one of the toughest skills for salespeople to master. What makes this challenging is the huge amounts of PRESSURE that is often put on salespeople. Big targets and big KPI’s often push salespeople into being desperate for the sale.

The best salespeople learn how to deal with that pressure and always present themselves with CONFIDENCE and authority.

They show that they know their product, they show that they know their industry, they show that they are a credible person that can be trusted. In the modern digital sales world this also now includes having a strong personal brand.

8. The Skill of Establishing TRUST

It’s simple, if they don’t trust you it is highly unlikely that they will buy from you. The skill of establishing TRUST is crucial in sales, it’s achieved by being reliable, consistent, accountable and by providing a top-quality service.

If you say you’re going to call at 10:00 am, call at 10:00 am. If you say you’ll send a follow-up email in 5 minutes, send it in 5 minutes. Do what you promise and where you can, over-deliver.

If you can get your prospects and customers to trust you, they’ll buy from you. Maintain that trust and they’ll keep buying from you.

And there they are, the 8 skills that EVERYONE in sales should have to be successful.

Learn them, practice them and master them. That’s the secret to success in sales.

Happy Selling,

David

If my objective is to go someplace and I don’t have a map, how will I know when I get there? 

You’d be just as lost in prospecting without a plan. No need to get frustrated, remember, great salespeople own it. They don’t create excuses.

Whether your plan is bad, or nonexistent, here are five easy steps to building one that works.

1. Don’t blame others. 

Even if you don’t have a plan currently, that’s your job.  Don’t say, “Well, my boss hasn’t given me a plan.” No, that’s not your boss’s job. It’s your job. 

You know what you need to do. You know that you need to get X amount of business. Then go get it. 

2. Set small goals that you can achieve. 

Let’s say your plan is to be earning at least a million dollars a year in one year. That’s probably not doable short-term, right? It’s not doable. However, if I set a plan that says I’m going to earn 50,000, 100,000, 150,000, 200,000, whatever it is, during the first year and next year, I make a goal to earn X. That’s how you do it.

I’m going to set small goals I can achieve to create momentum.

3. Build a simple plan and stay focused. 

So many times I see salespeople overcomplicate things. As a result, they become held hostage by their own plan.  There’s a great book out called Checklist Manifesto, and it talks about how the best checklists just have three or four items. That’s it. Because if you get more than three or four items in there, nobody follows the checklist. 

A simple prospecting plan is just three or four steps and it allows you to stay focused. 

4. Rinse and repeat. 

The best prospecting plans are ones that you just do over and over. They’re totally repetitive, which allows you to develop a routine, a system. 

5. Think 3x your sales cycle. 

Too many people build a plan, get into it for a week or two, and find it doesn’t work. Then they throw it out, as well as the next plan and the next one.

You don’t know if your plan is going to work or not unless you have executed it for at least three times the length of your average sales cycle. So if your average sales cycle is three months, you need to build your plan and not change it for nine months.

You’ve got to get enough reps in to really see if it’s going to work.

Happy Selling,

David

When it comes to attaining success, we all hear the words ‘motivation, inspiration, and dedication’. These words are important when it comes to achieving our dreams. To simplify it, inspiration is what you want and motivation is how badly you want it.

Dedication is the commitment that you make in order to achieve what you want out of life. Any form of achievement, no matter how big or small, can only be accomplished through DEDICATION.

Motivation provides the fuel to get going which inspires you to get started. However, in order to have long-term success, it takes full dedication and commitment.

Getting motivated and inspired is an important part of your success plan. But, ultimately, it’s the dedication to your goals that will make the difference. Dedication means a daily commitment and direction.

You must have a disciplined daily schedule to drive further than the previous day. There will be days when you just don’t feel like making it happen. Remember that your feelings have nothing to do with it. There will be days when you have challenges and nothing seems to be going right. When this happens, most people throw in the towel and give up on their dreams. You must remember why you began in the first place and, no matter what, never give up!

For days when you are not inspired, you must make maximum use of your time and prepare yourself. This means adopting dedication to your schedule and your habits. If you want to accomplish big things, you have to be 100% dedicated to the goal.

Dedication is the quality that you put into your work on a daily basis. That dedication will make achieving your goal much easier and faster. To be a master at your skill, it will take the total effort of your heart, mind, and soul working together. With hard work and dedication, great things are possible.

When you think of individuals who are at the top of their game, you will notice that all these achievers are people that have made a strong and deep dedication to pursuing their goals. Success is not a sprint. It is a marathon. And you must dedicate yourself to doing what it takes in order to have success.

There will be moments when you feel like giving up. Those are the times that you must decide to make every second count and choose to persevere. Success is all about dedication. At this point, you may not be where you want to be in life, but let me assure you that your future looks amazing because of your dedication.

Keeping your vision and your dreams alive will allow you to accomplish great things. Here’s the bottom line… In order to excel in anything, you have to be completely dedicated to what you are doing. There are no shortcuts to success. You must be prepared to work hard and learn through the difficult times. Your goals are worth it.

It’s time to achieve them with a 100% dedication. So this week, write out your short term and long term goals and put together a plan. Get inspired, get motivated, but, most importantly, get 100% DEDICATED!

Happy Selling,

David

Can you still prospect in the months of November and December? Absolutely! Yes, you can. 

Putting in the effort now boosts your fourth quarter, while simultaneously setting up the new year for success. Let’s walk through 10 strategies and approaches that you can use to prospect during the last part of Q4.

From the home office in  Pumpkintown, South Carolina 

Here are The Top 10 Prospecting Hacks to End 2024 Strong… 

10. Break the Routine

Do things differently. Now, I’m all about having a schedule and staying focused, but never hesitate to break the routine this time of year. That means I may be making calls Friday afternoon, or at eight o’clock in the morning. I’m going to break the routine in how I reach out to people because again, schedules change. Be prepared for that. 

9. Lost customers

They left you because they weren’t happy. Don’t think for a moment that you can’t reach back out to them. In fact, you need to, because the end of the year is the best time of year. 

People begin to evaluate. Imagine hearing, “Yeah, you’re right. We left you guys. We weren’t happy with you, but we went over here. You know what? They’re not any good at all. We need to talk.” 

Year end is a great time to pick up lost customers.

8. Lost deals

You may have had an unbelievable opportunity in the first quarter that you didn’t get, and went to somebody else. Call that customer up. “Hey, how’s that working out for you? I want to find out because we are here to help you.” It’s amazing how much business you can pick up which isn’t involved in that other contract. 

7. Reach out to old customers

Old customers may be buying from somebody else and then suddenly they need you. Yes, even that is prospecting because I’m creating opportunities! You won’t know unless you contact them.

6. Speed meetings

Q4 is not the time to say, “Hey, what’s your calendar look like a couple weeks from now?”  Speed meetings are, “Hey, have you got 15 minutes tomorrow?” 

Think 15 minutes this afternoon, or 20 minutes now. What you don’t want them to say is, “Why don’t we just touch base after the first year.”

5. December holidays. 

The last two weeks of the year are always weird. This year for instance, Christmas and New Year’s fall on a Tuesday. So the holidays are going to bleed into Wednesday. It’s going to mean a lot of disrupted weeks. Just like Thanksgiving week, it’s an excellent time to be making calls. Yes, a lot of people are out, but there will be people you do get a hold of. What a way to jumpstart the first quarter! While most people are just starting to get going, you’ve already got meetings on the calendar. Focus on businesses that aren’t as busy, Tire shops, auto repair, storage units, car dealerships plus many more. 

4. The personal touch

Let’s say you see somebody make a comment somewhere, perhaps on Facebook or Linkedin. Well, you add a personal touch, you add a personal comment back. People’s mindsets shift during November and December and they’re far more open to personal conversations. Take advantage of it. 

3. Thank you calls

You may send out holiday cards, you may send out Christmas gifts, whatever it is. But what I love doing is picking up the phone and calling people and saying thank you. I do this with existing customers, people who perhaps used to do business with me or people I just know. It creates conversation, and from that–opportunities. Prospecting is all about creating opportunities!

2. Holiday hours

Here’s a fun trick Call and let your prospects know your hours, you can call a prospect and say, “Hey, I want to let you be aware that we’re going to be open X day, X time.” You communicate with prospects because they may be buying from a different supplier (and they’re going to be closed!)  Cha-ching. It’s an easy way for you to pick up additional business. 

And the # 1  Prospecting Hacks to End 2024 Strong is ….

1. Thanksgiving week

Believe it or not, it’s a great week to prospect. Why? Because so many people are on a different schedule. There are a lot of people off. I get it. That means meetings that normally occur don’t happen. So I can make phone calls on Thanksgiving week and I can have conversations with people that I don’t normally have the ability to reach. They answer the phone because they’re willing to talk, willing to have a conversation. This is especially true for higher up people that you don’t normally have a chance to reach.

Have a great weekend,

David

Listen closely and I’ll tell you a tale Of an epic and gruesome salesperson fail. Heed my warning and you won’t face doom. When dealing with leads, don’t ever assume…

Where it all began… Once, I encountered an exciting lead that seemed like a slam dunk. It seemed like the cards were in my favor that day… but I never suspected how horribly things could go.

I called the company line and was greeted by a friendly woman who informed me that my prospect — let’s call him Tim — wasn’t in the office. When I asked about the best time to reach him, she kindly offered up a number I assumed was his direct line. At this point, I was just starting out and forgot the Golden Rule in sales: “never assume.” 

Where it all went wrong…

I excitedly dialed the number and waited patiently to the ringing on the other end. Unfortunately, I got voicemail, and that voicemail uncovered the number was a personal cell number. It threw me off, so I decided against leaving a voicemail.

During my lunch hour, Tim called me back from his cell and didn’t leave a message either. It was official: we were playing phone tag. This game is lighthearted when between friends or family members, but it can be extremely annoying when you have no idea who the other person is or why they’re calling.

However, Tim’s company was a great fit, so I opted to call him back on his personal line…

I spent about four minutes absorbing his rant about the absurdity of calling his personal cell and how I was “playing games” with him. He did not understand that the number was given to me by his office administrator — or even what “phone tag” was.

Eventually, I found the nerves to politely hang up and spent the next 10 minutes shaking and replaying the call in my head. 

The spook-tacular call.

So there I was, sitting straight in my chair, ready for Tim and the chance to end this game of phone tag. He picked up after only one ring and I jumped right into my explanation of why I was calling. I identified myself, told him how I got his number, and made a casual joke about playing phone tag. Apparently, Tim did not think I was very funny — in fact, he immediately started yelling at me.

The Lesson Learned.

I certainly learned a valuable lesson from this sales horror story: Never assume and always leave a voicemail — that way, you’ll cover your bases and avoid the potential for flip outs like this one.

Happy Selling and Happy Halloween,

David

All of us will experience pain at some point in our lives. Pain is inevitable. The good news is that pain does not have to be something negative. Pain can be turned into something very positive if we learn something from it. The truth is, pain can be a very powerful motivator.

If we choose to use our pain to help us make changes, we can create a passionate and powerful life. Pain can drive us to achieve our goals and create the life that we truly want. All of us will go through difficulty and we will feel pain. That does not mean that we are defeated.

Pain is an inevitable part of being human. We must understand that challenges and difficulties are part of the process. Do not think of pain as a negative thing. Instead, use pain as a tool to help you achieve your dreams and goals.

Make the decision to transform your pain into passion and power. Far too many people think that if you are going through pain, you cannot be feeling pleasure at the same time. The truth is pain and pleasure can coexist. This is why it’s important to use pain as a motivator for success. Take a moment and reflect on how you felt when you made great accomplishments. I am sure you felt a sense of pleasure. When we achieve our goals, it’s a great feeling, which motivates us to do even more things that will give us positive emotions.

Pain works pretty much the same way. When we go through a difficult time, we are often motivated to take action and to do something about it. Pain can be a powerful motivator. If you’re not happy with your current situation, you may be motivated to change it.

Everyone that has achieved high-level success will tell you that the road was full of difficulty and pain. They did not allow the pain to win.

They used that pain as a motivator toward reaching their goals. Going forward, understand that pain is part of the process. Do not be afraid of pain and do not avoid it. Use it as a motivator to reach your goals and achieve greater success than you ever thought possible.

So when you’re going through pain, assess the situation and see it as an opportunity for growth. You can turn that pain into pleasure. Don’t run from it. As a matter of fact, embrace it. You will be amazed what you can achieve.

So when you’re feeling pain, remember, that’s normal and it’s necessary. Embrace both pain and pleasure along your road to success. You will find that you need both pain and pleasure to achieve your ultimate goals. Your future looks amazing. Keep plugging away and enjoy your success journey!

Embrace the pain and you see the gain! 

Happy Selling,

David

All of us are lazy at times.  We can’t always go, go, go and constantly work.  The way we use inactivity or laziness will differentiate us.

Here is a very important concept for building a business.  Understand the difference between these two totally different things:  

1.  Working IN your business 

2.  Working ON your business.

To work IN your business, you must first and foremost be an employee.  Whether you are a W-2 employee or an independent contractor, think of it as a job.  You are the owner and employee of  your business.

Now let’s discuss the other side of this concept:  working ON your business.  There is only a certain level of success which can be achieved by working IN the business.  Then time must be set aside to work ON the business.  The time comes in a single member organization to wear both the employee and the manager hats.  Take time to think about the organization itself, how to delegate things, how to create new procedures, thinking outside the box about changing the structure of your business.  There are some pitfalls of being the only worker in an organization.  By working IN your business on and on, day after day, you’ll get burned out. 

You may be saying, “I’m making sixteen sales a month and can’t seem to make any more than that.  I have customers for whom I need to care.  I have other things going on in my life.  I’m making decent money, but how do I get past this?”

• First, continue working IN your business as you have been.

Continue making those sixteen sales every month and working the same hours.  If you’re burned out and feel you can only give ten hours a day [or whatever number], do that.  But then take thirty minutes or one more hour and work ON your business.  Do this at the beginning of your day when you’re still fresh.   Prospecting, closing deals, and paperwork become so mundane that you could probably do those in your sleep at this point.  Now take some time every morning to think –

*Is there something that I could delegate?

*What daily tasks could I pay someone $10 or $12 an hour to do?

*How can I put procedure in place?  What is step one, step two, etc?

*Think on creating the work load you can delegate.

That is called working ON your business!  There are going to be pitfalls during this transition…

• Hire your first employee. I have used Fiverr and Workup for virtual assistants.  Maybe you have a friend who could do it as well. 

Your mind will be filled with all kinds of bad scenarios when you hire the first person.  You’ll be terrified he/she is going to make a mistake.  Let me save you a lot of time and heartache by assuring you the first new hire WILL make a mistake – every possible mistake you could imagine and other mistakes you didn’t even think of!  That IS going to happen when you hire your first person.  Just embrace it and enjoy the exciting transition.  Making mistakes is awesome; it means we are learning, growing, and expanding.

• Delegation

Don’t delegate a core task to new hires.  For a sales professional who is successfully selling, the new hire should not be the person who closes deals.  If he/she sucks, then you just ruined your whole business!  No, no, no – have the new hire do the paperwork when you close the deal.  Or have him/her do the follow-up phone call.  After establishing procedures and taking the new hire with you a few times, have that person eventually do installation.  Another possibility would be hiring someone to go prospecting for you.  Unless you plan to pay somebody as much as you are making, don’t expect your new hire to do everything as good as you would!  You probably want to hire someone younger and less experienced.  Pay a new hire $25,000 to $35,000 a year while you train him/her.  Then increase the compensation as his/her value to the organization grows.

Think about making a procedure for delegation.  Know where it’s written down or where the screen shot video is.  Then you’re prepared to plug the next new hire right in by saying, “Watch these four videos.” Or “Read these procedures and let me know if you have any questions.”

• Resentment toward your new hire will set in.

You’ll feel the new employee is stealing your attention from more important tasks.  This is a bold-faced lie which every leader faces when hiring begins.  The feeling is, “Why am I spending two hours with this person to help him/her learn how to do something I knew how to do six months ago?” (I learned this the hard way) You don’t ever want to have to do that job again.  So, you must delegate it to be free of it!  Then create a procedure through that delegation process.  When your new hire inevitably moves on and leaves the organization, the next delegation will be even easier.

• Lack of communication.

Lack of communication with your employees is absolutely an irrevocable death sign for your organization.  Without communication your business cannot grow; it will die.  The business will rise no higher than the leader.  The organization will make no more than those sixteen sales you were getting before hiring.  Maybe there’ll only be fifteen sales, instead, now that you’re also dealing with new hires.  You’re wasting time with the new hires if not really communicating with them.

In summary, leverage your laziness by converting thirty minutes to an hour to work ON your business.  That’s the key to growing your organization to the next level. 

Keep working IN your business just as zealously.  Decide how to delegate the things you’ve created which are successful. 

Wear the employee hat AND the manager hat.  You will be set for success!

I hope these tips help you grow your merchant services business.

Happy Selling,

David

On our success journey, we all WILL experience difficulties, defeat, failures, setbacks, and many trials.

The road to success is always under construction. Always remember that this is part of the process. The important thing to understand is that you have a choice.

Whenever you face these challenges, you can listen to all the naysayers and throw in the towel or you can remember WHY you began in the first place.

When you understand that challenges are part of the journey and you are committed to achieving your goals, nothing will stop you. No matter where you are in life, you are never too old to set another goal or dream another dream.

Whenever you fall flat on your face, that’s a good thing. At least you know that you are moving forward. Get back up and go at it again. Things are not always going to be smooth, but you must keep marching forward and not let the small things get to you.

Your dream is worth it and your goals mean something. Nobody ever said it was going to be easy. No matter how difficult the journey may be, it is always worth it to keep fighting, to keep striving, and to keep marching forward.

It’s important that when you do face challenges you understand you will get through them. It’s just a temporary season. Use any failures you encounter as learning opportunities. Once the storm is behind you, it is gone.

One of life’s lessons is to always keep moving on. It’s okay to look back to see how far you have come, but always keep moving forward. When you are facing difficulties, make sure you are surrounding yourself with good mentors and people who are going to encourage you to keep moving forward.

Never allow those who do not know where you are going derail you from your path to success. You must always believe in your dreams and believe in who you are. You are created for greatness.

Your dream is real and you will accomplish it. Nothing will get in your way. Believe in yourself and all that you are. There is something big inside of you that is greater than any obstacle that comes your way. Everyone who is successful has a list of things they have failed at. That list is not kept in our minds to remind us of the things we did wrong. It is there to motivate us so we do not let those failures be what we are known for.

It’s the commitment to the dream and never giving up no matter what comes our way. We must always keep going and, when we do that, we will achieve our goals. So if you are going through a storm right now, be encouraged. The challenge will make you a stronger and better person.

Someone once said,” If you’re going through hell, keep going.” Keep marching ahead and keep climbing. The fruits are on the top of the tree. Stretch out your hands and keep stretching them further and further. Success is at the top waiting for you.

No matter what obstacle comes your way, KEEP GOING!

Happy Selling,

David

Transform your relationships into growth opportunities with these proven strategies for success. Fostering strong relationships with your customers is essential for business growth. In this blog post, I’ll explore the Top Ten actionable strategies that can help you cultivate lasting connections, achieve your goals, and create a success-oriented mindset. 

From the Home Office in Alligator, Mississippi,

Here are the Top 10 Ways to Get Out of a Sales Slump

10. Leverage existing customers. 

Your current customers are your best asset for generating more business. Focus on deepening these relationships to unlock new opportunities.

9. Give more referrals. 

We all enjoy receiving referrals, but it’s important to give them too. When you provide referrals, it energizes you. 

Don’t forget to ask for referrals in return!

8. Contact old customers. 

Do you have former customers who you haven’t seen in the last year? Reach out to them. Find out how they’re doing. A simple check-in can lead to resigning them and valuable feedback. Often, past customers are happy to hear from you and may share fresh ideas.

7. Gratitude and thankfulness. 

Show appreciation for your customers regularly. When I am thankful for my existing customers, I’ve got my context. 

Start each day by writing down five things you’re thankful for. This practice shifts your mindset and strengthens relationships, making customers feel valued. It’s amazing how it begins to change your perspective. You can demonstrate it by picking up the phone, calling people and saying, “Hey, I’m thankful for you.” 

6. Set achievable goals. 

While aiming for big achievements is great, focus on smaller, attainable goals. Success creates success.

5. Build a Mastermind. 

Consider forming a mastermind group with a few like-minded individuals. You connect, you support one another, you help each other out. You motivate each other, challenge each other, celebrate successes. 

4. Help others achieve their goals. 

Zig Ziglar said the fastest way to achieve your goals is to help enough other people achieve their goals. There’s something magical when you help others achieve their goals. 

3. Establish an early morning routine. 

The day will quickly get away from you unless you control it. Top performers prioritize their mornings, setting the tone for a productive day ahead.

2. Celebrate your wins. 

No matter how small, celebrate every achievement. Avoid thinking, “this win is nothing compared to…” If that’s your tendency, I recommend you stay off of things like Facebook and Instagram and so forth. Comparing yourself to others can be discouraging; instead, focus on your progress and recognize your successes.

And the #1 Way to Get Out of a Sales Slump is …

1. Have a mindset of success. 

By implementing these 10 strategies, you’ll naturally develop a success-oriented mindset. This shift in perspective will help you see opportunities and challenges in a completely different lens.

A sales slump could be caused by external factors, such as an economic downturn or by your own emotional state. But whatever the cause, you can beat your slump by working proactively on your process, shifting your focus, practicing mindfulness, and surrounding yourself with people who motivate you to give your best.

Remember: Motivation isn’t a one-and-done affair. Consistency is key.

Have a Great Weekend,

David

Master this concept and close more deals. Use buffer statements so you can close multiple times without making merchants angry.

 Learn how to close three or more times without making merchants angry. This one concept distinguishes that 1% of sales professionals who make double or triple the average revenue.

I believe a salesperson should always close at least three times on every single appointment. Here are two prerequisites to that:

1. The merchant has all the needed information [not what the merchant thinks is needed, but what you know is necessary] to make a decision.
2. YOU believe the decision the merchant should make is to go with your services. Have the integrity and transparency to admit it if you know deep down this isn’t the best decision for the merchant.

As long as both those prerequisites are in place, you should always close at least three times.

Salespeople often say, “David, even closing once, they just about kick me out of the store. How could I try to close again after they’ve said ‘NO’?”

What’s missing that would allow more than one close?    (Check out Using Buffer Statements  and Getting Them to Agree) More on this below. 

This will help define you as a Top Salesperson.

Learning to close multiple times without making merchants angry is the definition of top salespeople, in my opinion. I’m referring to the top 1% who have a six- seven-figure income, making $30,000 to $50,000 per MONTH!

I know an independent agent who closed 600 merchant accounts in one year. He had a team which helped with telemarketing, etc. But he closed all those accounts himself. The same agent recently told me he closed at least 300 accounts last year while only working three days per week.

Closing multiple times is the way the top sellers get those numbers. These salespeople want to get the deal. They don’t seem to be closing hard because even the ones they don’t sell are still happy.

Use Buffer Statements

Using buffer statements is the key to closing at least three times without making merchants angry.

Using the permission close, your closing could be, “With your permission, I’d like to go ahead and get the paperwork started and get the ball rolling to move forward.” Then be quiet; see if you get permission.

However, inserting buffer statements before that close is much more powerful and less offensive:

“LD, I want to thank you so much for your time investment today. I know you have a lot to do. I really appreciate your time. I’m very confident in everything we’ve talked about that this is going to be a great value for you. I’m confident we can make this work and give you the value you’re looking for. With all that in mind and with your permission, I’d love to go ahead and take a few notes on the paperwork so we can get the ball rolling.”

Notice the buffer statements used in that close. If you failed to thank the merchant for his time, you are losing many sales! Some of you go through your entire presentation and even the close without thanking the merchant!!! I can’t believe that. Thanking the merchant generates great positive momentum.

If I have a prescheduled appointment, thanking the merchant is usually the first thing I do.

“Thanks so much for agreeing to meet with me. I’m a local business owner just like you and am busy just like you. I know how hard it is to carve out even 15 minutes to talk to someone. I really appreciate that. I want you to know I’m definitely using the time wisely today, so let’s jump in.”

As you move toward close, thank merchants again. They’ve actually given you their time. Leverage that positive momentum.

Sales Psychology

Here is some deep sales psychology that may help you. Saying “no” takes a little of the energy of the day out of a person. Saying “no” is hard – harder for some people than others. I know some people who can’t say “no” to anyone. But others can say “no” more easily.

Business owners are also like that. Saying “no” is much harder if you really like the person. The owner realizes that saying “no” will damage or lessen the connection established with that person.

Saying “no” to someone you don’t like is not as difficult. Become a person merchants like; they’ll have a much harder time saying “no” to you.

After your first close, the prospect may say, “I need to think about it.” That’s the time to use a buffer statement,

“I certainly understand where you’re coming from. Let me just say I would never want you to make a decision with which you’re uncomfortable. Let me just throw one other thing out real quick.”

That usually encourages merchants to express the real reason for delay. They might say, “I need to check with my business partner,” etc.

Another Close

Use the buffer statements to make merchants think you’re done. Then remember something else. (The proper tone of voice for this is vital.)

“That’s a really valid reason. I totally get where you’re coming from with that. I believe you’re wise to think along those lines. I definitely want to follow up with you. How about we set a time on Thursday at 4:00 o’clock? [Remember something else.] You know what, though – one thing I just thought of. If I was able to do _____, would that make you feel a bit more comfortable about moving forward? Just a thought?”

Practice these concepts in the field. Take time to be accustomed to them and get good at using them.

Then you’ll be at the top of your game.

Happy Selling.

David