We all can use a good selling tip that will help us sharpen up our sales strategy by using a new sales technique. This sales technique I have used and taught for years and I really would say that it is most effective in a retail environment -- but it can be altered to work in other types of sales situations. Using this technique will help you determine your customer's buying temperature and will often surprisingly be the catalyst for the close.
Sometimes when we are engaged in a sale, we find that even though we have gone through the sales presentation efficiently, have been thorough in answering all objections and have even narrowed down the make, model or color that your prospect wants; we still find that our customer is not making that buying decision. In other words, we just can't seem to close the sale. It may be that your customer is hesitating for some unknown reason. It could be as simple as they were planning to go to dinner after talking to you and never intended to purchase right away or perhaps even that they wanted to use a credit card that they left at home. This is the type of scenario where you can very effectively use what I call the "Box-Step" sales strategy.
As soon as you have detected that your customer is waffling or stalling on making a buying decision, very politely step away from the customer and towards where ever it is that you keep your product inventory. It could be a stock room, a listing in your manager's office, or an adjacent building -- it doesn't matter, just take a step or two in that direction, then turn back to your customer and say, "Mr. Customer, I'm going to go check my inventory for you (pause)...if I have one in a box (or in stock) should I bring it up for you?" It has been my experience that if you have done everything else right up to this point, your customer will say, "OK -- sure!" If they are agreeable, then you can assume the purchase. Go ahead and bring the item up and write up your sale. It is very rare that you will bring the item up and the customer decides they don't want it. Congratulations -- you made the sale!
However, it may also happen that after you've asked them if you can bring it up, that your customer will tell you "no thanks". If this happens, then do not go to check your inventory, but instead turn and step back towards your customer and continue with where ever you were in the sale. In doing the "Box-Step" sales strategy, now you know how hot or cool your customer is to a decision to buy. Once you have stepped back to them and returned to the sale, you may discover that there was a detail that you missed. If so, resolve the issue and try the "Box-Step" strategy once again and see what happens. Often you will get a "yes" the second time around!
By the way, never worry about a customer questioning you as to why you did not go check your inventory. It almost never happens if the customer is truly not ready to buy.