Many entrepreneurs go into business for themselves armed with great expertise in their field. All too often, however, they are missing one critical skill: salesmanship.

Someone once said, "Nothing gets done until something is sold." This statement is especially true in small business. Without the ability to sell a prospect on your product or service, your business will not survive.

There are three critical steps to closing the sale and getting your prospect to say "Yes."

1. Make sure your prospect is a qualified buyer.

My first year in business, I wasted precious time selling to people who either didn't have the funds or the need for my service. Once I learned to qualify prospects by asking a few key questions, I was able to separate the buyers from the "tire kickers" pretty quickly.

Qualifying questions look something like this: "Would you like a price quote?" "How soon do you need it?" "Will you need financing for that?"

By qualifying your prospects, you'll funnel your time and energy into more productive, revenue-generating activities-like closing more sales!

2. Find out his "hot button" buying motives.

A buyer's "hot button" is, simply put, your prospect's unspoken motive to purchase. If you can get him to tell you his hot buttons, you'll know what selling points to mention. Do not assume you know his motive until you've asked a question or two like: "How will you be using this?" "What is the most important feature you are looking for?" "What has been your experience in the past with other service providers like me?"

Once you ask your question, be quiet and listen very closely. Listen for: 1. The first thing he says 2. Anything he repeats 3. Anything spoken with passion.

These three things represent his motivations for buying your product or service. Make sure everything you mention about your offering is relevant to his hot-button answers. That will greatly increase his interest in choosing your services over your competitor's.

3. Don't forget the call to action!

Once you've made your very best sales presentation, it's up to you to let your prospect know what action to take to close the sale. Your aim is to get her to say "Yes" to your offering. You must tell her how to accept with the way your question is worded. You could ask her: "Shall we take care of the paper work today?" "When is a good delivery day for you?" "Shall we schedule your project for next week, or is the first of the month better for you?

If your prospect is not ready to take action, ask the following key question: "What concerns do you have that prevent you from making your decision today?"

This is your second opportunity to uncover her hot buttons and sell to her motivations. If your prospect needs to "think about it" before taking action, ask permission to follow up in a few days. Use an open-ended question like, "Do you prefer that I call you on Monday morning or Tuesday afternoon?"

Remember, some buyers really do need to "think about it." This type of buyer will resist being rushed into a sale, but they will respect your persistence in following up with them.

Once you perfect these three key steps of the sales process, you'll see your sales climb and your profits grow. And more importantly for new business owners, you'll greatly increase the odds of your business' survival, giving you long-term endurance in your competitive market.