It seems like every year that I have been in sales; I’ve had to attend a seminar on further developing my selling skills.  Everyone has their theories about how to effectively close a sale, motivate people or develop a sales personality.  I learned there are 22 immutable laws of marketing; so many ways to close a sale that in order to keep track of them I’d need more fingers and toes than I currently have; or how to analyze the person sitting across from me so he can think of me as his best friend and buy tons of stuff. 

Some of it was very helpful and some of it wasn’t.  But the advice I remember most was the elderly gentleman that retired shortly after I was hired for my first sales position.  He was a veteran of many years of pounding the pavement and had a great deal of success.   I asked him what his key to success had been.  His words are still an important part of my philosophy.  He said, “After you’ve made a sales call, analyze what you did right and what you did wrong.  Too many wrongs probably mean you didn’t get the sale or it wasn’t as big as you thought it should be.”

Based on my philosophy, if I analyze the past year, we have done a lot of things right.  Our membership grew by more than ten percent, however attrition took back some of our gain.  In the past, what I perceive is that we made the sale for now, but we didn’t close the deal.  While we may get a person or organization to join for the first year, many times we fail to follow up with them to keep them involved and anxious to rejoin.

Any decision to join VAMMHA involves analysis, or closing the deal.  As an organization we must stir an emotion; create a need; offer a benefit or present an improvement.  Emotion means they have invested in a reason to be a member.  Need means we offer a product or service that satisfies them.  Benefit means we offer something people are willing to pay for.  Lastly, Improvement means we can offer something that can change their lives and businesses for the better.

We may not be asking the right questions to prospective members.  Shoving an application under their nose and asking them to join is not going to be a recruiting bonanza.  If we asked that same prospect about what their expectations are regarding their membership in VAMMHA, it may lead to a discussion on what their motivation might be.  That’s known as “The Hot Button Close.”  It’s much more effective than asking, “You don’t want to join VAMMHA today, do you?”