Q: What is the Rapid Fire sales technique?
Mark Zokle: This is a way of speaking that sparks a quick dialogue and discourages overthinking. It is often done with enthusiasm, especially when the buyer will truly benefit from the purchase. The salesperson will speed up the conversation with short bursts of information and closed questions.
Q: Can you give an example of dialogue characteristic of this method?
Mark Zokle: “Are you comfortable? Great. Now, let’s get to business. There are only a few models left and we don’t have much time before closing. You like the SUV in silver? Great choice.” At this point, the salesperson has made it clear that they are interested in the buyer’s comfort, they value the buyer’s time, and are laser-focused on what the buyer has expressed interest in.
Q: Doesn’t talking too fast eliminate the possibility of the buyer asking questions?
Mark Zokle: Yes, and it should. By the time you start moving things along in this manner, your buyer has already been given all the pertinent information they need to make a decision. Pausing too often will give them time to object, which is not what you want. You want to avoid repeating yourself over and again and instead help the customer feel confident about their purchase.
Q: Will this work every time?
Mark Zokle: I’ve said before that no sales tactic works all the time, for all products, or for all buyers. Experienced sales agents learn to use different methods according to the situation, customer response, and item being sold. Something I have found to be effective is combining this rapid fire way of speaking with Scarcity Principle, meaning that there are only “so many” of the product and you must hurry along before someone else snatches it up.
