I’m in Bali for the next month and thought I’d take the opportunity to get the office refurbished. I wrote a blog a while back about procrastination and said that we underestimate the importance of our environment on productivity. So I figured that it’s time to take some of my own medicine and spruce up my primary work environment. And to be honest, the old walls look like they come out of a bad 70's movie, and I feel just a little embarrassed every time I’m on a video conference and that’s the background.

Michael from Solomon’s Flooring came by to measure up and quote for the carpet. He measured it all up, confirmed the carpet I wanted (same carpet as in the house … already made that decision once, didn’t see the point of revisiting it) and give me the price, $718.

He then said, and I quote, “do you want to come by the shop in Mitcham to finalise the contract?”

To which I replied, no I don’t … nothing against Mitcham, but can’t we just do it here? Three minutes later we had a contract saying that I’d pay the $718, and he’d install the carpet.

He then pulled out his calculator and said the deposit is $143.60. When is the balance due? The day before the carpet’s installed – in three weeks time. Michael was somewhat surprised when I said I’d just prefer to pay the whole amount.

It’s only carpet … but I reckon there are a lot of parallels between the mistakes Michael made and the way we sell ourselves in our practices. Having a sales meeting, but then not actually asking for the business – not letting the potential client make the choice.

This example contrasts starkly with a beautiful feedback card the Richard filled out at the end of our Million Dollar Expert Program the week before (thanks Richard). Richard had written some fabulous stuff about the concept of retirement being replaced by “a life to be lived being the thought leader I was born to be.”

He then wrote “thank you Pete for closing the sale and making the opportunity real.”

I was really moved by that – I think it’s the first time I’ve been thanked for closing the sale (as opposed to being thanked for delivering the program). But Richard was right – without the sale nothing else is possible.

Love to hear your thoughts – how good are you at closing the sale? You can leave them below.