Peter Falk, who played one of television’s greatest characters, passed away last week, but not before giving salespeople one of the greatest closing techniques of all time. Tweet
Falk played Lt. Columbo, a bumbling police detective so unusual, he didn’t need a first name. Columbo was a true original, a slow-moving, hunched over man wearing a rumpled raincoat and carrying a stogie.
Columbo never seemed to know which way was up—until he solved the crime, usually by tricking the perpetrator into talking too much.
The TV detective used what we now refer to as “Doorknob Close.” His patented “close” was to turn around as he headed out the door and say something disarming like, “Just one more thing.” [Watch the 5:02 mark in the above video.]
The Doorknob Close, also known as the “Reverse Close,” works best when the detective/seller has given up and is literally saying “goodbye” to the perpetrator/prospect.
No seller ever plans to use the Doorknob Close, but it can be very useful because it contains the element of surprise. Here’s how it works.
Let’s say a sales presentation does not go well and the prospect has not been forthcoming regarding his reasons for not buying. Perhaps the prospect has ended the presentation by saying something such as, “I need more time to think about it.”
The salesperson thanks the prospect for his time and slowly walks to the door. The seller places her hand on the doorknob and then suddenly turns around and says, “Now that the presentation is over, may I just ask . . . why didn’t buy from me today?”
Peter Falk
The timing of this question makes it much more effective than if it’s asked earlier in the presentation because the prospect, thinking the presentation is over, begins to relax.
The Doorknob Close is powerful because it catches the prospect in an unguarded moment. The question, when posed from the doorway, almost always results in new information, which the seller can then use as an opportunity to reopen the discussion.
Caveat: Do not reward an honest answer by re-entering the room, taking your coat off and asking for another cup of coffee. The Doorknob close is an extra opportunity to close, but don’t try to force the prospect into immediately reversing his decision.
The Doorknob Close in Action
As with all the closes, there are many variations. One of my clients, a national retailer of automobile tires, uses what they refer to as a “second effort” to convert the sale as the prospect is walking out the door.
A person who is leaving the store without making a purchase may not return, so the employee tries to re-engage the prospect before he leaves the premises. This technique can be used on the telephone, too.
Thanks, Lt. Columbo!
The Doorknob Close has rescued countless sales through the years. Never give up on asking one more question and keeping dialog open. Sometimes that “one more thing” is the sale. RIP, Peter Falk and Lt. Columbo.
Every seller should know about 22 ways to close
Want to close more sales and make more money? Learn more sales closes from 22 Sales Closes That Work, a one-hour audio program and 30-page e-book that will help you improve your sales numbers almost overnight.
As with all of Michael Angelo Caruso’s offerings, this product comes with an unconditional money-back guarantee.
The first type likes to mosey through a do-it-yourself program. It’s a comfortable pace and they have a lot of fun.
The second type is always thirsty for ways to get practical tips that save time and produce revenue. This group also has a lot of fun, but they also find ways to build brands and make money.
The latter group likes to “Facebook with purpose” and these are the folks who tend to seek me out for help.
Here’s a partial list of what I teach in my social media sessions, which will help you improve your business almost immediately. This program includes dozens of proven strategies for securing a stronger Internet presence using Facebook (FB), Linkedin (LI), Twitter (TW), and YouTube (YT). Tweet
This is non-technical content:
Facebook is the New White Pages
- Learn how social media will help your biz when you use it as a system
- Appreciate how FB, LI and TW are alike and different
- Grow your friend list without getting slapped by the “Facebook police”
- Use Michael’s “3K Klub” trick to get FB friends to help you sell
- Protect your name online; learn valuable image marketing tips
- Discover the single best way to engage Facebook friends
- Add 100 additional connections in a flash
- Arrange for your FB posts to go to Twitter at the same time
- Use the “Notes” tab to provide more content
- Get Michael’s proven strategies for micro-blogging
- Improve dialog 0n FB, so you’re getting more biz and less small talk
Linkedin is the New Yellow Pages
- Get the most from cyber-introductions
- Learn LI’s best (hidden) feature
- Build a highly qualified list of prospects on Linkedin within 30 days
- Get a secret way to direct message groups of Linkedin contacts
- Arrange five more key Recommendations on Linkedin
- Learn clever ways to re-purpose those testimonials
- Leverage the power of LI groups
- Use LI polls to test-market ideas
- Market targeted messages to Linkedin sub-lists
- Why you should post .pdfs, even though Google can’t read’em
- Use Linkedin to push your competition off the first page search results
Twitter, Video Marketing and How They Work Together
- Use Twitter as early warning system for customer service issues
- Connect your social media platforms
- Harness the awesome power of video marketing
- Learn why Twitter is more important than FB and LI combined
- Establish a Twitter presence by making 100 your firs day
- Improve your Twitter page background and readability
- Integrate your social media marketing with your regular distribution list
- Schedule your Tweets to occur 24×7
- Learn Video production secrets to save you tons of time and money
- Keep YT from recommending your competition in “related” vids
- Use video marketing to get happy customers to sell for you
Let’s talk!
Your first consultation is free! Just give my office a call at 248-224-9667. Let’s get the word out.
Internet marketers and business owners always ask me where they should be putting their marketing efforts. Of course, your company Web site is a critical place for you to spend time and money.
But what’s the second most important Web site for your business? I’ll give you a hint.
It’s not Linkedin. And it’s not your Linkedin business page, although you should have one.
It’s not your Facebook page. And it’s not your Facebook business page. You should have one of those, too.
The second most important Web site for your business is not YouTube.
It’s not even Google.
These are all valuable sites for marketing your products and services, but the one site that should be a part of every online business in 2009 is …
Here’s why in one sentence–Google crawls individual Tweets. Tweet this article.
You can post Facebook status updates all day and night, but Google will not see them. The same is true for your Linkedin status updates.
But, Google indexes your individual messages on Twitter and makes them available to people doing Web searches forever. Of course, you’ll be putting key words in your Tweets, but imagine what will happen when you’re putting your Web site address (or an abbreviated version of it) in 80% of your Tweets.
This is probably hard to imagine because Facebook and Linkedin don’t work like this. Twitter is more powerful than Facebook and Linkedin combined!
That’s why, if you aren’t using Twitter, you are missing out on the greatest opportunity for building relationships with your customers and prospects. You are missing out on the best free branding tool on the web.
And you are missing out on huge amounts of free traffic and increased sales!
There’s just no excuse for any business, large or small, to not be using Twitter, which has improved my reach immensely. I’m on Twitter at @MichaelACaruso
Learn more about using Twitter and other social media platforms from my four CD program–a home or work study course titled, Social Media for Work. For a limited time, I am including a free 30-page, social media e-book with all orders, so click today!
Best of luck on all your marketing efforts. I you want training or other types of help, let me know. Let’s get the word out!
Lots of people are frustrated by Facebook and confused by Twitter. They’re spending lots of time posting and setting up business pages, but not getting much for their efforts.
When things aren’t going right, it can be helpful to look at what you’re doing wrong. I can help you in at least two ways.
1.) I’m holding a cool social media event on Tuesday, June 14 in Troy, Michigan. This event really is social. There’ll be food, drink, music, and conviviality, whatever that is.
2.) If you can’t attend, you can get the content on audio CD. Use the Coupon Code SOCIAL to save a whopping $33, if you order within the next 24 hours.
Either way, you’ll get a ton of great information on how to improve your situation using the most revolutionary communication tool since the invention of the telephone–social media, baby.
Can I be direct with you?
I think one of the reasons for my success in the speaking and training business is that I’m a direct person. I tell clients what they’re doing right and I tell them what they’re doing wrong. I tell them exactly how to improve.
Not everyone likes my style. Heck, I don’t like being told I’m wrong. But when I get over my ego issues and really pay attention, I improve.
So, here I go again, being direct. I hope it helps you improve. Based on what I’m seeing out there…
Want to fix what’s wrong? Wanna know what you’re doing right?
Then attend my great social media event on Tuesday evening, June 14 at the fabulous Tre Monti restaurant in Troy, Michigan.
If you can’t attend, order my Social Media That Works program on (4 audio CDs). Use Coupon Code: SOCIAL to get 1/3 off; save $33, but only for the next 24 hours!)
Let’s get your social media campaigns humming so more people can purchase your great products and services!
Good or bad, true or false, it’s always good to know what customers are thinking. Customer feedback is a gift. That’s why I love it when clients tell me what they think of my training programs.
Often, the client will prepare an executive summary for his boss and cc me, which is pretty cool.
Here’s what my client Frank, sent his boss and his team, after I did a sales training program for his team in southern California a while back:
August 30, 2010
To: Our Employees
From: Frank S.
Re: Sales Training with Caruso
Greetings,
Thank you to those of you who were able to attended sales training with Michael Angelo Caruso on August 14, 2010 at La Mirada. Based on the course evaluations, all who attended the training enjoyed it and learned some very helpful ideas.
Below are some key points discussed at the sales training. We need to practice and reinforce these habits with all PTO team members. These small acts of politeness and respect to our customers (and everyone you come into contact with) have already made a difference in helping us grow customer relationships and our sales.
1)Smile, say “hello”, and introduce yourself to every customer you come in contact with. Smiling releases endorphins, which will make you will feel better throughout the day.
2) Get the customer’s and name and “listen” to your customer very attentively. Many times, when customer is given the opportunity to explain the whole issue, you learn exactly what you need to close the sale. Ask more questions and then listen for other sales opportunities.
3) After a customer receives a product quote and says “Let me think about it”, respond “what specifically do you still have questions about?” Then remind the customer that we have the right product and we are ready to deliver it ASAP.
4) When appropriate, ask the customer about their weekend or family. Try to learn a little bit about the customer. Building customer relationships, builds loyalty.
5) After a sale is complete, shake the customer’s hand, give him your business card, and genuinely say “thanks for the business.” Then, close with “we look forward to seeing you next time!”
6) Call at least the top 5 largest invoices from the prior day and thank the customer for their business and make sure the sale was problem free. If they are not available, leave a “thank you” message on their voicemail.
7) Michael made a good point about teaching customers how to treat us. Our store employees are much more than just clerks. We will now refer to our counter personnel are now “Parts consultants.”
With everyone focused on these little things, we will continue to grow our company together. Thanks for your help!
Summary
Frank’s company has been a client of mine for over five years and I’m grateful. I find the above feedback immensely gratifying for two main reasons:
a) They like me, they really like me! (Apologies to the actress, Sally Field.)
b) These great people are now in a better place when it comes to improving sales and providing better customer service.
The moral of the story is to pay attention to what customers say after you’ve served them.
I know I do. Customer feedback is a gift. What’s your favorite way to receive feedback? Written? Verbal? On a blog or via Linkedin?
-Michael, MichaelAngeloCaruso.com in Royal Oak, Michigan
Want to get more from Twitter? Here’s a list of best practices that’ll help you maximize the awesome power of this great social media tool.
Twitter is not as difficult or as mysterious as it first seems. As Bob Dylan sings, “The times, they are a changin.’” Thanks to Twitter, now you are the newspaper. You are your own advertising company and public relations firm. Let’s get the word out!
Here are 5 cool ideas for using Twitter:
1. Talk about things central to your brand or personality. It helps if your tweets are relevant to what’s going on in the media. “Trending” topics almost always get more attention online.
2. Be funny. If you’re not funny, tweet messages from people who are funny. People like to share witticisms.
3. Post an original tweet about every two hours. Do not share information that’s been shared to death. Avoid clichés like the plague. You may also want to stay away from negative news.
4. Leave trails to your Web site. Use the first 70 characters of your Tweet to ask a question or pose a problem. Use the second 70 characters to answer the question or offer a solution. Often, but not always, the solution should contain a link to your Web site. Use tiny URLs that don’t use a lot of characters.
5. Get with the program. Follow those who follow you. Retweet messages from the cool kids. Recommend people on Follow Friday, by posting “#FF” and their Twitter names, e.g., @MichaelACaruso.
These are just a few ideas for sweet tweets. See how you can use these techniques and more by following me on Twitter at @MichaelACaruso.
It’s been a both a pleasure and an honor to be a professional speaker for over 15 years. I’ve learned a few good techniques along the way and here are 5 Cool Ideas to help you be a better presenter.
1. A good pre-game show will help you get your game on. When creating your presentation, write it backwards, starting with the call-to-action.
2. Use my “Power of Three” to speak without notes. Many people are nervous when speaking in front of an audience. Nerves only make it harder to seem relaxed and stay on message. The secret is to focus on only three points.
3. Do six things in the first five minutes of every presentation. I cover all six tips in on the DVD, but here are two:
a) Teach the audience something they don’t know and they’ll pay attention to the rest of your talk and
b) Get the audience to do something right away, such as write something down, raise their hand, etc. This precedent will come in handy when you issue a call-to-action at the end of your presentation.
4. What you say with your body is more important than what you say with your mouth. Body language doesn’t lie. Saying you’re confident is wasted breath, if your body language says the opposite. Learn to present with congruity.
5. Always ask the audience to take action. If you are very specific and give a reasonable time frame, attendees are more likely to follow through.
______________
Get more great tips by ordering Michael’s Present Like a Pro DVD. It’s a 45-minute video that both shows and tells how you can be much more effective when speaking to groups. www.MichaelAngeloCaruso.com or 248-224-9667 for more info.
I think it was Thomas Jefferson who said, “Always act as if you’re on television.”
Or something like that.
Anyway, a long time ago, I was delivering a public seminar in Kansas City, Missouri.
It was a crappy, rainy day. The hotel was crappy. I was in a crappy mood. And then only 11 people came to the program, which only made things worse.
But, I put on the actor’s mask and tried to give what the Disney people call “a good show.”
Turns out that one of the attendees was employed at the famous Hallmark greeting card company. You may remember their famous slogan: “When you care enough to send the very best.”
Always do your best
I did my very best that day and that nice lady from Hallmark eventually booked me to speak at her company. It was a major gig for me at the time and Hallmark was a blue-chip client that got a lot of attention when added to my client list.
Over the years, that client list has come to include other high-flyer clients such as Rayovac, the Barbados Ministry of Tourism, Verizon Wireless, the United States Navy, and AT&T.
And yet, this brilliant strategy doesn’t usually make the list when someone is considering options.
There are many ways to solve a problem
Wikipedia lists the following problem-solving techniques. How many of these do you use?
* Abstraction: solving the problem in a model of the system before applying it to the real system
* Analogy: using a solution that solved an analogous problem
* Brainstorming: (especially among groups of people) suggesting a large number of solutions or ideas and combining and developing them until an optimum is found
* Divide and conquer: breaking down a large, complex problem into smaller, solvable problems
* Hypothesis testing: assuming a possible explanation to the problem and trying to prove (or, in some contexts, disprove) the assumption
* Lateral thinking: approaching solutions indirectly and creatively
* Means-ends analysis: choosing an action at each step to move closer to the goal
* Method of focal objects: synthesizing seemingly non-matching characteristics of different objects into something new
* Morphological analysis: assessing the output and interactions of an entire system
* Reduction: transforming the problem into another problem for which solutions exist
* Research: employing existing ideas or adapting existing solutions to similar problems
* Root cause analysis: eliminating the cause of the problem
* Trial-and-error: testing possible solutions until the right one is found
Summary
So, when thinking about how to solve a particular problem, consider making things worse.
Sales are the lifeblood of every organization, right?
Even non-profit businesses and Rotary clubs must generate revenue in order to survive.
And yet, it seems to be getting harder and harder to sell. The government instituted a “Do Not Call” list in 2008. Savvy prospects are often one step ahead of the salesperson. Sales expert Jeffrey Gitomer is right when he says, “People don’t like to be sold to.”
Lisa Mininni
That’s why I got involved with referral marketing a while back. This is positively the easiest way to generate new business because you get your strongest advocates to help you sell.
They’ll gladly do this because you will provide valuable referrals for them.
They’ve also asked two of the best speakers in Michigan, Tim Green and Lisa Mininni, to share their great strategies for growing your business.
This referral selling concept is quite a bit more involved than just exchanging business cards.
But I promise that Tim, Lisa, and I will make sure you don’t leave our program without a brand new, effective skill set–a proven referral marketing system to get more customers.
Just look at what we have planed for you:
- Teach your best customers and vendors to bring you customers
- Hear from three world-class speakers for the price of one
- Learn a four-step system to kick your referral marketing into overdrive
- Discover the VCP Process™ & how it create referrals from thin air
- Get out of your own way when closing a sale
- 4 key ways to achieve a 98% conversion rate
- Keep your customer pipeline filled even during slow times
- Create massive exposure for your business
- Never worry about cash flow or operating income again
- Receive more qualified referrals
- Get cool ideas for leveraging your online and offline networks
- Work a room as if you own it
- ION’s proven method for regional networking
Seating is limited, so register today. Bring/send your entire sales team. If you don’t have a sales team, send your leadership team. Anyone can do referral marketing, if they have the right training. We’ll show you how to make every employee at your company a revenue center!
When: Friday, May 6, 2011, 8am – 5pm (nice lunch included!) Where: MSU Management Ed. Center, 811 W. Square Lake Rd. in Troy Investment: Only $299* per person; group discounts available
ION members are admitted free. *Use promotion code 100 and get $100 off your tuition–another reward for reading my blog once in a while.
There are two types of people using social media.
I think one of the reasons for my success in the speaking and training business is that I’m a direct person. I tell clients what they’re doing right and I tell them what they’re doing wrong. I tell them exactly how to improve.
You may also want to stay away from negative news.
I think it was 
