Salespeople are always asking me for the closing techniques that work the best.
Here the five I have found work the best time and time again.
What’s even better is the first three are great for the new salesperson or the “non-salesperson” who suddenly finds themselves having to sell.
1. Pick a Date Close
What makes this easy is it allows you the salesperson to break the close up, so it becomes not only easier for them, but also for the customer. Example: “Which day next week would work best for you to receive the order?”
2. Assumptive Close
Power of this close is in you the salesperson being confident about the conversation you’ve been having with the customer.
With this approach you move right into the close. Example: “Since what we’ve been talking about is the right solution, let’s go ahead and set it up to ship tomorrow.”
3. Option Close
Salespeople who may not possess as much confidence as they would like will find this technique very helpful, as it allows the customer to make the decision. Example: “Would you like 5 or 7 in the initial order?”
The following two closing techniques do require more effort to make them work, so I suggest only experienced salespeople use them:
4. Suggestion Close
If the customer views you as an expert and respects your insight, this close is perfect, as it allows the customer to rely on your expertise. Example: “Based on your needs and based off of my experience with others, I would suggest we start with 4 units.”
5. Urgency Close
Nothing helps close a sale more than invoking time. The urgency close can work in several ways. One is creating urgency with the customer, because they have a problem that needs to be dealt with quickly.
Another way is by saying that due to customer demand and/or due to the time required to prepare, the order needs to be placed quickly. Now, I say this should only be used by veteran salespeople because it needs credibility in order for the customer to believe it.
Second issue is it can only be used sparingly. Nothing will bring discredit to a salesperson than making everything urgent unless.
They they are — the best five closing techniques I’ve found in more than 15 years as a sales consultant, and before that, 15 years working in sales leadership for Fortune 500 companies.
Copyright 2014, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of High-Profit Selling: Win the Sale Without Compromising on Price.
One Response
Great pointers – A personal favourite of mine happens to be the ‘Silent Close’. It’s incredibly effective as very, very few sales people ever use it and it’s also a highly emotional experience for both the sales person and the customer. Naturally sales people need to talk and customers don’t like silence so they need to fill it, inevitably silence ends up doing most of the objection handling and closing for you in the sales cycle.