To be effective your sales people need to be able to recognise the point when they have convinced the customer to place an order with them. Continuing to sell, rather than 
attempting to close the sale, when the customer is convinced, is a common error made by the poorly trained sales person.
There are at least ten buying signals the sales person needs to look out for:
1. The customer agrees unreservedly with the sales person’s persuasive arguments, reasoning or information by giving affirmative replies or by making affirmative gestures, such as nodding.
2. They ask questions about the use of the product, which show that they are thinking about the application of the product for their situation.
3. They ask about other models in your range. This means that the customer is considering how they can make your product fit their specific situation.
4. They ask about details related to the processing of the order: delivery options, payment terms, service provision, rights of return etc.
5. They ask additional questions about points which have already been discussed. This shows they want to clear up the last few uncertainties.
6. They keep on inspecting and touching the product, sample or brochures. This behaviour shows they are ‘itching’ to own it.
7. The customer becomes absorbed in intense thought. They turn their gaze ‘inward’, away from the sales person and their presentation materials.
8. The customer exchanges questioning glances with their companion: ‘Should we chance it?’
9. The customer gets fidgety. The approaching moment of decision is making them nervous. They shift about on their chair, rub their hands or touch their face.
10. Having been taciturn so far, the customer suddenly becomes much more talkative. They show interest even in minor details of the offering.
If your sales people see any of these ten buying signals they should stop selling and instead change to one of the many techniques for closing sales. As a sales manager, you must ensure that they are trained so that they recognise and can respond appropriately to such signals.
