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CLOSING THE SALE

Sally Hawksmore

Getting the
customer
to order

There are many different ways to close a sale. Some will suit certain products better than others. Some will suit certain customers better than others. A good salesman adapts his closing technique to match the situation. Here are three ways to guarantee success:

The direct close

This is a direct question to the customer. For example:
Are you happy to place your order now?
If the customer answers ‘Yes’, then you have saved yourself a lot of time. You can go on to the routine detail of filling in order forms. If the answer is ‘No’, then you should ask, ‘Why not?’ The customer will then tell you his main objections. Once you have dealt with these to his satisfaction, he will want to buy from you. This method of closing can be the fastest way to discover your customer's main objections. It can therefore be useful to introduce this method very early in your discussions.


The close by assumption

Here you ask a question that assumes the customer has already made the decision to buy. For example:
-  ‘When would you like delivery?
-  ‘In November.’
-  ‘Good, if you sign here I will make sure that delivery is made in November.’

This method avoids a direct request for a customer's decision to buy. It can therefore be useful if you think that the customer is nervous about making a decision.

You can also use this technique to ask a chain of questions to which the customer will answer positively. You can then lead into completing an order form in a way that seems positive and natural too. For example:
-  ‘What colour would you like?
-  ‘Blue’
-  ‘Fine. Where would you like it placed?’
-  ‘On the third floor’
-  ‘OK. Let's start getting this on the order form.


The alternative close
You appear to offer the customer a choice, but the choices already assume the decision to buy has been made. You avoid the question of whether he wants one at all. Here are some examples:
-  ‘Would you like it on lease or hire purchase?’
-  ‘Would you like it delivered next week or would you prefer to wait a week?’
-  ‘Would you like it with blue or red accessories?

Be careful if you offer a choice of size or quantity. The customer may choose a smaller quantity than he would otherwise have done. You can, if you know your customer well enough, offer a choice between what you want him to choose and something you know he will not choose. For example, here the salesman wants the customer to take the deluxe version instead of the basic model:
Do you want the deluxe or the super-deluxe model?
-  ‘Definitely not the super-deluxe one.’
-  ‘No problem. Deluxe it is.’

Source: New English Digest

GLOSSARY

will suit: will be acceptable to (se adecuarán a, convendrán para)
to match
: to be consistent with (para compatibilizar)
dealt with: considered (considerado, tenido en cuenta)
therefore: as a consequence (por lo tanto)

avoids: keeps away from (evita)
chain: series, number of (serie, cadena)
on lease: rented (en alquiler)
hire purchase: Installment plan (en alquiler con opción a compra)
otherwise: differently (de otro modo)

GRAMMAR 

Las preguntas indirectas son sólo una forma especial de Voz Indirecta (en inglés, Reported Speech). Recuerda la principales diferencias:

a) Al pasar preguntas directas a Reported Speech se debe cambiar el orden de las palabras porque ya no es más una pregunta.

b) S
i la oración a convertir utiliza los auxiliares do/did, éstos desaparecen y se reemplazan por conjunción IF + tiempo verbal que corresponda.
Ejemplo:
He asked me, "Do you smoke?" (El me preguntó: ¿Fumas?)

He asked me if I smoked (El me preguntó si yo fumaba).


Aquí hay algunas sugerencias que pueden serte útiles:

1.
Si la pregunta directa incluye un pronombre interrogativo (ej. how, when, where, who, why, etc.) se debe usar este pronombre en la preguntada reportada. Si no lo incluye, entonces usamos las conjunciones IF o WHETHER (ambas significan "si" en español).
Ejemplo:
He asked, "How old are you?" (El preguntó: ¿Qué edad tienes?)
He asked me how OLD I WAS (El me preguntó qué edad tenía yo).

2.
En lenguaje coloquial se usa con preferencia la conjunción IF en lugar de WHETHER (pronunciada uéder), pero en inglés formal se debe usar WHETHER.
Ejemplo:
He asked, "Will you buy the new car?" (Preguntó: ¿Comprarás (o no) el auto nuevo?)
He asked whether I should buy the new car (or not).

¿DIFICIL DE RECORDAR? PRACTÍCALO AQUÍ ABAJO EN ESTA ACTIVIDAD !!!

GRAMMAR ACTIVITY 

READ CAREFULLY THE SIX SENTENCES HIGHLIGHTED IN LIGHT BLUE ON THE TEXT ABOVE AND TRY TO TURN THEM INTO REPORTED SPEECH. THEN CHECK YOUR ANSWERS HERE.

1.   Are you happy to place your order now? (colloquial)

He asked him ...

2.  When would you like delivery?

He asked him ...

3.  What colour would you like?  

He asked him ...

4.  Let's start getting this on the order form. 

He suggested ...

5.  Would you like it with blue or red accessories? (formal)

He asked her ...

6.   Do you want the super-deluxe model? (colloquial)

He asked her ...

 

MAS "NEGOCIOS"   FORO   INICIO