timing your ask

The ask...

One of the biggest skills to master as a sales professional.

There is so much to it really. My focus today will just be on timing.

When do you ask?

If you ask too early, you haven't earned the right to ask yet. You haven't fully understood your customer and his or her needs. You don't fully understand his or her problem. How can you possibly solve it?

On the other hand, if you ask too late, you could completely miss out on the opportunity.

So, some tips:
🔹 Make sure you are getting to know your customer thoroughly. Ask questions to truly understand. This means going beyond the superficial level. This means asking open ended questions.
🔹 Trial asks are good. When you are starting to understand your customer and you think you are getting close, you can start to ask for the business. You do it without assuming and you gain more information by asking. You uncover the objections you will face.
🔹 When you've earned the right and you know that you have objections you've solved, ask with conviction and provide the insights you've uncovered along the way of why you are the best answer to your customer's problem. This means revisiting the objections and the answer points to them in your final close.