Possibly the most important stage of the sales process is closing the sale. Before you get to the close it can be helpful to ask some pre-close questions. These questions guide the prospect towards making small buying decisions so they are prepared to make a larger one down the road. Examples:
- “How do you feel about […]?”
- “What haven’t I covered yet that is important to you?”
- “Based on what you have heard so far, what are your questions?”
- “How do you expect your customer to respond to our products?”
The ability to close a sale like a pro takes time to develop, and there will be prospects that you are unable to close. Don’t get discouraged, nobody bats 1000. Approach each sales call with enthusiasm and a positive mindset. Prospects will be able to tell when you’re phoning it in and not being sincere. Be direct with the product offering and ensure you answer any and every question they have to the best of your ability.
Closing Methods
There are over 50 different methods to close a sale, some play into the prospects emotions and some appeal strictly to their logical side. It is up to you as a salesperson to determine the best and most effective way to close a prospect.
- 1-2-3 Close – close with the principle of three.
- Adjournment Close – give them time to think
- Affordable Close – ensuring people can afford what you are selling.
- Alternative Close – offering a limited set of choices.
- Assumptive Close – acting as if they are ready to decide.
- Balance-sheet Close – adding up the pros and cons.
- Best-time Close – emphasize how now is the best time to buy.
- Bonus Close – offer delighter to clinch the deal.
- Bracket Close – make three offers – with the target in the middle.
- Calendar Close – use an upcoming event/date.
- Companion Close – sell to the person with them.
- Compliment Close – flatter them into submission.
- Concession Close – give them a concession in exchange for the close.
- Conditional Close – link closure to resolving objections.
- Customer-care Close – the customer Care Manager calls later.
- Distraction Close – catch them in a weak moment.
- Dollarized Close – Dollarized proposal total.
- Economic Close – help them pay less for what they get.
- Embarrassment Close – make not buying embarrassing.
- Emotion Close – trigger identified emotions.
- Empathy Close – empathize with them, then sell to your new friend.
- Empty-offer Close – make them an empty offer that the sale fills.
- Future Close – close on a future date.
- Golden Bridge Close – make the only option attractive.
- Handshake Close – offer handshake to trigger automatic reciprocation.
- Humor Close – relax them with humor.
- Hurry Close – go fast to stop them thinking too much.
- IQ Close – say how this is for intelligent people.
- Minor Points Close – close first on the small things.
- Never-the-best-time Close – for customers who are delaying.
- No-hassle Close – make it as easy as possible.
- Non-committal Close – Give this a try.
- Now-or-never Close – to hurry things up.
- Ownership Close – act as if they own what you are selling.
- Limited-time-offer Close – for those that delay their decision.
- Puppy Close – acting cute to invoke sympathy and a nurturing response.
- Quality Close – sell on quality, not on price.
- Retrial Close – go back to square one.
- Reversal Close – act as if you do not want them to but the product.
- Save-the-industry Close – buy now and help save the industry.
- Selective-deafness Close – respond only to what you want to hear.
- Shame Close – make not buying shameful.
- Silent Close – ask them a closing question and wait for the answer.
- Standing-room-only Close – show how others are queuing up to buy.
- Summary Close – tell them all the things they are going to receive.
- Testimonial Close – use a happy customer to convince the new customer.
- Treat Close – persuade them to ‘give themselves a treat’.
- Trial Close – see if they are ready for a close.
- Valuable Customer Close – offer them a special ‘valued customer’ deal.
- Ultimatum Close – show negative consequences of not buying.
- Yes-set Close – get them saying ‘yes’ and they’ll keep saying ‘yes’.
If you are unable to close a prospect than all of the time and effort you’ve spent on them may feel like a waste, but it can be used in the future should they decide to purchase, or as a learning experience for your next sales call.