People forget price but they'll never forget poor quality or a poor choice. They generally give the salesperson a generous portion of the blame. Some of that goes with the territory, but too much blame means you won't have the territory for long." Instead of buying a cheaper option that’ll have to be replaced in a few months, your product will last for years, maybe even a lifetime, and function properly: The Client must feel like the most important person in the world, don’t focus on what you are selling, focus on whom you are selling it! And this book summary alludes to all aspects of the selling process. What do you do when the prospect refuses to buy? In most cases, offering a significant price reduction is just not possible. What you can do is to shift the perspective. If you can make the prospect feel about your product the way you do, they’ll buy if they can come up with the money.

First - the good. Zig was one of the fathers of sales. When in that context, you can't help but give this guy amazing props for his groundbreaking (at the time) ability to get to the nut of the sales process. This is at a time when sales was learning to be about the customer and much about getting the sale. From an educational standpoint, if you are in sales, this is a must-read. He really got things from a psychology perspective and understood how to move them to a position of making a decision. You can't miss on that front. He even often mentioned how important it was to meet the customers' needs and drive the sale to that conclusion, although it was inevitably going to be closing the sale, because obviously they need your product. And let's just say - the guy was a word-magician - he could take any objection and show you with math or other way why buying the product is the right choice for you. To see him in action in person would have been something to watch for sure - like a TV show! I like that technique of not undermining the other person's judgement. For example when he was going to buy a car the dealer told him he made a good decision with his current car and asked if he got a good deal out of it. Zig said it's the same with raising kids. If you have a kid that is going out with a boy or girl that you don't approve of you don't want to undermine your kids judgement by saying he has a crappy boyfriend/girlfriend. Abraham Lincoln would likewise present the defendants case before presenting his own. If your prospect wants to invest X dollars but his needs come to X-plus dollars, then your real sale is the amount beyond what the prospect had already committed, in his own mind.”

Say, “Cost can go on forever, as long as you have the product. Wouldn’t it be better to pay a fair price one time than to keep paying the little costs of a product that’s not as good as what I’m offering?” Be an assistant buyer. Help the customer solve their problem by acquiring your products or services. Handle objections by asking, “If there were a way I could show you that the price is fair and the product worth every penny, would you take advantage of the offer today?” That helps determine if the objection is the price or something else. If they answer no, ask, “Then there must be some other reason you’re hesitating. Would you mind if I ask what that reason is?” I listened to the audio version of this book and I enjoyed it a lot. Zig was an amazing story teller and he provides tons of insights and tips for closing sales within real-life situations. This book is a must-read for salesperson and even if you are not into the sales business, a situation will come where you will be selling an idea, a project or yourself to someone.

Simply by breaking down the extra price by months, weeks and days, she showed him that for a few extra dollars a day, they could have their dream house. When prospect says they need to think about it, say, "Sometimes when people say, ‘let me think about it,’ what they're really saying is they don't like the idea. Let's speak frankly for a moment. Please – don't just be polite. Is there something you feel uncomfortable about? Something else you want to know?”

Secrets of Closing the Sale Summary

Another point, Prospects don’t buy what you tell them they don’t buy what you show them they buy what they believe in. Ziglar summarizes his approach early in the book: Learn as much as you can about your prospect and capitalize on that information. Learn how to use voice inflections, which we will thoroughly cover throughout 'Secrets.' Break the price into small segments. Optimistically sell, and be hard of hearing. Ask questions to identify the problem and lead the prospect to the decision. Find out what he needs to solve his problem, and show him how he can solve his problem with your product. I think every salesperson and maybe even every entrepreneur has read at least one book written by Zig Ziglar. We can easily call him a guru in his field. Who Should Read “Secrets of Closing the Sale” And Why?