The Psychology of Selling: Increase Your Sales Faster and Easier Than You Ever Thought Possible pdfdrive com

The “Hot-Button” Close
This brings us to one of the most powerful of all closing techniques. It is
called the “hot-button” close, and it is used over and over by the highest-paid
salespeople. It is quite simple. As the result of asking questions and listening
carefully to the answers, you finally ascertain the “hot button,” the leading
benefit that this customer seeks in your product or service. You then concentrate
all your energy on convincing him overwhelmingly that he will get this key
benefit.
The success of the hot-button close depends on your ability to discover the
prospect’s most important reason for buying. You then repeat it over and over
again.
Concentrate on selling that one main point. Do everything to convince a
potential buyer that he will get that one benefit that is decisive for buying action.
Bring the whole decision to hang on that one question. Press the hot button over
and over.
How do you uncover the hot button? Simply ask, especially when the prospect
is hesitating or holding back, “Mr. Prospect, if ever you were to buy this product,
at any time in the future, what would cause you to do it at that time?” Then
remain completely silent.
When you make it a theoretical question, the prospect will often say, “Well, if
ever I was to buy this product, I would have to be convinced of [the hot
button!].” Like a Freudian slip, it will often fall out of the prospect’s mouth. You
are then charged with convincing him that he will get that benefit immediately if
he goes ahead with your offer.
Fast, Cheap Market Research
Here is a powerful exercise that can double your sales in a very short time.
Make a list of your last ten customers. Phone each of them and say these words:
“Mr. Customer, I just wanted to call you and tell you how much I appreciate
your buying this product from us. How is everything going? Is there any way

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that we can help you?”
The customer may or may not ask you a question or have a problem with the
product or service. If he does, though, promise to take care of it immediately
after you get off the phone.
Then ask, “Mr. Customer, may I ask you a question? You could have
purchased this product or service from another company, but you bought it from
us. Could you tell me exactly why you decided to buy from us rather than from
someone else?”
This is a powerful market research question. Remain perfectly silent. Let the
customer think about it for a few seconds before he replies. Don’t interrupt.