Beyond Fade to Black

Closing the deal. Ending the sale. Finishing the contact. Much ado is made about how to initiate sales calls and conversations. There is even great attention paid to techniques in asking for the sale. However, I have encountered no place where you are told what to do after that. This is the graceful exit; the sainara; the closing of the visit.

You know the offenders- they simply don't know how to say goodbye. Maybe it's that whole "parting is such sweet sorrow" thing. I have had sales people as well as personal acquaintances and even family members find it necessary to make the departure ritual longer than the actual visit. I call this the preamble to the actual leaving. I think we can credit Cher,at least in part, for creating this phenomenon also known as Farewell Tours 1-3.

Then there are those who are at the other end of the spectrum. There is no preamble with these folks. In fact, the leaving may be so sudden & unnoticeable that you miss it if you bow your head to sign the sales contract they dropped off. I call this the fade to black. A great cinematic move if your tale has a weak ending, but not so useful in a sales environment- & downright weird in a social environment.

So here's the technique. There are really just 4 simple steps:
1. One sentence prologue.
Here's where you STAND UP and make it clear you are blowing this popsicle stand. Not the words I would suggest in the corporate setting but they will do in most social venues. In business it is generally appropriate to say, "I must be on my way."
2. Issue praise.
Indicate that the experience was a positive one from your perspective. "It was great seeing you again", "this meal was fabulous", "I am glad we were able to coordinate our schedules to go over this proposal".
3. Thank them.
Thank them for their time, consideration, purchase commitment, picking up the dinner tab. Thank them for including you/ inviting you. Thank them for listening to your proposal; for teaching you about their business & their needs. People LOVE being thanked. Be sincere. Do not minimize this piece. Volunteer organizations have learned that their greatest weapon in recruiting volunteers is simple appreciation which is frequently most eloquently conveyed by those two little words: "thank you".
4. Talk about the next meeting.
This is your action item for them. Every good speech should end with some level of call to action for the listeners. The more specific the better. This requires a smidge of forethought on your part as to when you plan to see them again. "See you at next week's Toast Master's meeting, if not before". Always allow for spontaneity- & the fact that you'll actually see this person tomorrow in a different setting but simply forgot. This is the step that says "this is an on-going relationship". This is obviously a grand idea in sales! If you're working on closing a deal with a new client you may be very specific as to when you'll be calling them to see what questions they may have after reviewing your written material in more detail; running your proposal by the actual decision-maker, etc. If this is a social setting & you have no clue when you'll see them again you still need to complete this step. The ol' "see you next time" will work.

The accompanying pieces to this are:
1. eye contact
2. physical contact

The eye contact is pretty self-explanatory- do keep what you know about their cultural considerations in mind here.

Moving in for closer physical proximity at the close of a meeting is very appropriate. The level of contact is dependent upon the nature of the meeting- & perhaps upon the advice from your corporate attorneys. In business the firm handshake is the gold standard. There are business contacts where more contact is acceptable & appropriate- such as the touch on the shoulder or the 2 handed hand shake. Hugs have their place. Use your brain here. The point is that simple, brief physical contact is a classic part of closing an encounter of whatever kind.

That's it. The next time you're saying so long, get on with it. Remember the importance of final impressions. You don't want to wash away their memory of a positive sales call with a weak fade to black exit. Or you may be saying goodbye for longer than you intended.