What do you do? Are you a mom, a banker, a graphic designer? The skills I want to talk about today will help you in any profession, business or lifestyle. Because deep down – even if you don’t realize it – you are always selling something.

Regardless of what you do, you are constantly “pitching” something! Whether it’s your product or service, the notion that your kids need to eat their broccoli, your ideas in a business meeting or even a presentation for the community… my friend, you’re always selling something!

But let me tell you a secret: most people choke when it comes to “the close” and lose the sale. You probably never read up on how to close someone, because you never realized – regardless of what you do – you are indeed a salesperson.

Luckily for you, by simply by adding this tool to your toolbox, it will help you close deals in your business, close your family on a dream vacation spot, close your boss on giving you a raise or promotion or even close a prospective employer on you for their job!

The best way to improve your closing rate is to identify the common mistakes every rookie makes – and learn what to do, instead! You may not even realize you’ve made some of these mistakes, but that’s okay, because NOW you’ll be able STOP killing your success!

Here are the TOP 5 closing mistakes every rookie makes:

You’re afraid – Most people are afraid to close, and it makes NO SENSE! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. You have to choose action over fear, because inaction will get you nowhere!

You expect rejection – If you expect to be rejected, you actually set yourself up for it. Since you expect them to say no, you give up the second they show uncertainty, and as a result, they have no choice except to say no!

You believe their excuses – Often, people will try to brush you off with a quick comment like, “I don’t have the time,” or “I don’t have the money.” Most of these comments are just that – excuses. You have to find out what drives them, what motivates them, what their real goals and needs are, and help them come to a decision – not because it’s good for you or good for business, but because it’s a solution to their needs! Don’t let them settle for their own excuses!

You don’t know what to say – Be prepared! Write yourself a script, or use one PROVEN to work, and be prepared to answer objections or questions. If you don’t know the right answer, don’t lie or pretend to have all the answers! Try, “You know, that’s a great question. Let me look into that and get back to you. May I call you back?” This actually disarms people, and it makes you come off as real instead of a know-it-all!

You don’t ask the closing question – All the talking and persuading mean nothing if you don’t ask the big question at the end! Do you even know what your closing question is? If you don’t, you’re setting yourself up for failure!

When you DO ask that closing question, make it open-ended – not yes or no questions! For example, “So, what did you like about what you just heard?” is a good question to ask.

There is so much more I want to cover on this topic! I rarely share audio messages like these, but I think it’s important for you to hear some more in-depth training on the topic of closing today. So, take some time today to listen to this live training we did awhile back!

I hope these tips helped you today. My friend, the sooner you start embracing the fact you actually are in sales (regardless of your industry or profession), the sooner you can truly begin honing your skill sets and seeing awesome results.

What are your biggest challenges in closing? Is there something that continually trips you up, no matter what you do? Leave your comments below! (Who knows, YOUR question may inspire a whole new training!)

And don’t forget to join me for The Dani Johnson Show today, where we share even more of my personally-selected tips and strategies to put you on the fast-track to success! You can find the show on your TV and radio and please remember you can always stream today’s show right here on our website. And don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with new content being published daily!

In great faith,

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