The 3 Most Crucial Moments In Your Sales Process

Not all moments in the selling process are created equal. Some moments are more critical than others if we are going to effectively persuade our prospective buyers.

​There are three key moments, or opportunities, that we must get right. Maximize these powerful opportunities and watch the sales come steaming in.

1. The First Impression

First impressions have power. When a person first decides whether they like you or not, they tend to stick with their initial decision. Why? It’s just easier.

​There’s even a name for this, it’s called “The Law of Least Effort.” This law states that we spend as little physical or mental energy on any one thing as necessary to preserve our strength.

​So, if upon meeting you for the first time, I like you, then I keep liking you because continuing to revisit my decision would be exhausting. But if I don’t like you during our first encounter, I keep not liking you, because that’s just easier to do.

So how fast do people decide if they like us? Research out of Princeton University says 1/10 of a second or the blink of an eye. Surprising?

​So, what can we notice in 1/10 of a second? Easy. In the blink of an eye, we can make judgments or decisions on energy level, nonverbal expressions and appearance.

It we follow the rule, it is easier to sell or influence people who like us, then the first impression is critical to the sale, and we must get it right.

2. The Discovery Process

Far too many salespeople rush through the discovery process with the buyer so they can get right down to selling. Here’s the problem, you can’t sell effectively if you don’t know anything about the person in front of you.

Let me lay it out there for you. The most important sales question to ask is:

“Why are we talking”?

You need to find a more eloquent and relational way to ask this question, but stay with the core principle. The single most important piece of information you can know about your prospect is their motivation for purchasing.

The discovery process done well makes the buyer feel heard, appreciated, respected and understood. Salespeople performing mastery level discovery skills can learn more about their buyers in five minutes than the competition will ever know. And isn’t that what all buyers want, to be heard and understood?

If you can get your customer talking about the “why” of their situation, the rest of the sales presentation will roll out in front of you. That’s why we recently released our brand-new online course, The 4:2 Formula Fundamentals. Master the discovery process to UNDERSTAND YOUR CUSTOMER’S MISSION better than any of your competitors. And sell more homes by focusing on your customer first.

3. The Final Close

This is all the marbles. The moment of truth. The grand finale.

​When done correctly, the final close is easy and comfortable. If we have asked the right lead up questions, then the final close should just be one more easy ‘yes.’

This moment of influence should not feel salesy, pushy or manipulative. It should feel helpful.

​Proper influence and persuasion is about helping a buyer do something that is in their best interest to do. Closing then, is just the start of helping the buyer to improve their life. If you have the proper mindset, paired with proper technique, this moment of influence is not only easy, it’s fun!

So how are you doing in these three areas? How’s your mindset? What’s your technique? What do you need to address to improve yourself in these key moments of influence?

You might notice that each of these moments sets up your success ( or your failure) in the next moment. Start by focusing on the first impression you are giving your buyers, then build strength in your discovery process and finally, ask the final close with confidence and competence.

​Remember, your buyer is counting on you!


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About the Author: Amy O'Connor

As one of the most in-demand sales training consultants in North America today, Amy O’Connor brings a decade’s worth of industry experience and knowledge, along with a fresh female perspective on leadership, to her impactful and enlightening seminars.