Ask For the Sale

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

People say to me,” Ben, I am blogging, advertising and I am even going out meeting people. I am telling everyone about my business and I just don’t seem to be getting anywhere. Do you have any suggestions?”

When I ask, “have you asked them to buy your product or service? Did you ask for the sale?”

I quite often get a blank stare back at me. “Ask?? You mean I should ask for the sale.

Yes, this is a very important part of doing business, and many people have lost sales that they would have received if they had only asked for the sale.

This is a call to action. It needs to be on every web page, every blog post, on every banner, on every postcard, on every flyer, on every classified ad, in every sales pitch … just everywhere.

Ask For the Sale

Your prospects need to know what you want from them.

• You want them to buy? Then tell them to buy!
• You want them to join your newsletter? Tell them to join your newsletter!
• You want them to write a comment on your blog post? Tell them to write a comment on your blog post!

Some people have said, “But what if they say no?” So what! In any business there are many more no’s than yes’s. This is especially true with an internet based business. Just consider the no’s one step closer to your way to a yes.

Some of the most successful marketers out there state that a 10% conversion is good. On the internet it is even less. That means over 90% were either not interested or were unable to purchase at this time due to a large variety of reasons.

“No” doesn’t mean the end of the world or the end of your business. It just means at this moment they are not interested. With so much going on in the world today as well as so much information on the internet your prospect may not even notice you – ever!

And, ask yourself, how many sales do you believe that you will get if you don’t ask for the sale. Not asking is considered the same as leaving money on the table.

Sometimes it means you just haven’t shown them a benefit that they can relate to. I have seen examples of people who have changed just a word or two on their web copy and then the sales started pouring in. Test, test and re-test your copy. Split-test if you know how.

If you need to learn how to ask for the sale, there are many books written on the importance of asking and many considered it one of the success secrets in business. There are countless articles, books and courses on closing a sale and if you haven’t read any of them, I would highly recommend that you do. They go into detail on the early close, the trial close and the final close. As well, I have seen different names given to different styles.

Sadly, the reality is, many people have a sales phobia and would rather socialize at networking event and hope someone will come up and buy their product or service.

And believe it or not, other people may think ‘yes it is a good product, I could really use that’ but if you are not asking for the sale people are not going to come ask if they can buy.

So, if the word ‘sales’ drives you into a frenzy then start by reading, ” the Aladdin Factor” by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. It is a book on how to ask for and get what you want in every area of your life. And, has in it a formula for overcoming the seven most common “asking fears”.

Anything is possible…if you dare to ask!

It is important to remember that no matter what business you are in, you are always selling yourself, product and or service and knowing how to do it well will assist and help your clients. When you have a valuable product or service that improves people’s lives, consider it your obligation to let them know that it exists. You will feel more confident than approaching them as though you are a pest. Just remember, it’s your job to ask and it’s okay if they say “no”.