Asking For The Sale, Closing The Deal And Other Scary Stuff
When you are approaching potential sponsors to partner with your organisation, the part that is often forgotten in negotiations is asking whether they want to go ahead with the partnership, or ‘closing the sale’.
There are a number of theories on the best way to close the deal and secure sponsorship.
There’s the ‘alternative’ close that offers people a set of limited options to choose from, the ‘assumptive’ close which assumes the person is ready to make the purchasing decision, and the ‘best time’ close which emphasises that now is the best time to buy. The list goes on and on…
I think the best theory lies in recognising that we are all human, we each have our own style and way of communicating and that each one of us thrives on respect and honesty. We are well aware when someone is trying to persuade us or push us into a decision we may not be ready to make. Nobody appreciates feeling like they are being tricked into a purchase decision.
The best way to close a deal? Simply ASK for it.
Now, that might sound simple in theory, but when I say ‘ask for it’, I don’t mean ask for the $50,000 cheque.
Asking for the sale is really about asking for their commitment to go to the next stage until the next stage becomes… the signed contract!
Not sure how that might look?
Here are some questions to help you find the approach you are most comfortable with in trying to secure a partnership.
- Is there any further information you need to make a decision regarding everything we’ve spoken about so far?
- Many brands we deal with have timeframes around moving forward. We have everything in place to support you to start getting visibility straight away. How do you feel about moving forward?
- We know this partnership will put you in front of people you are not currently doing business with, is there anything else that we need to cover off before we move to the next stage?
- We feel great about how this relationship is developing and would love to discuss a longer-term partnership. How do you feel about that?
- We’re keen to make sure we understand whether everything is shaping up the way it needs to for you to be involved. Do you feel that we are close to what you need here?
- It’s great that we both feel there is an alignment between our organisations. What do you need in order to move forward with this?
- If we were to imagine the very best case scenario, what would the next steps look like for you?
Feel free to mash them up and make up your own. The most important thing? Don’t forget to do it!
The key is to remain open and transparent.
Keep communicating about your needs and timeframes, and being curious and respectful about your prospective partners desired outcomes.
The longer it takes to build the relationship, the stronger and more sustainable the partnership will be.
