Nervous or Sleazy? Time to Rethink Closing
Too many salespeople tense up at the finish line. That anxious, uncomfortable energy isn’t just a personal problem—it’s a signal. The feeling means something has gone wrong earlier in the process. If every close feels like begging for a break, it’s time to pivot.
Forget about “closing.” The real goal is to enable the customer to take a natural next step that truly benefits them and build a real business relationship in the process. The confidence to do this comes from preparation, clarity, and a relentless focus on the customer’s outcomes.
Replace Closing with Opening
Nobody likes a pushy salesperson. When a sales conversation relies on force, both sides lose. Instead of chasing the “close,” anchor every conversation in value and partnership. The objective is to create a business relationship grounded in trust.
“Closing needs to be natural. And it starts by let’s get rid of the term closing, because I don’t want to close deals. I want to open a relationship.”
Strong sales careers are built on existing relationships and referrals, not on burning bridges for a quick win. When the customer wins, the rewards keep coming.
Questions That Matter Most
Confidence at the close isn’t a trick, rather it’s a checklist. Every major deal gets easier when four questions are answered:
- What’s the urgency? What’s driving the need to solve this now?
- Do you know what the customer really wants? Are their priorities articulated and confirmed?
- Is there money lined up? Do you have commitment of budget?
- Are you with the real decision-maker? You can’t close what they can’t authorize.
If any piece is missing, the deal starts to wobble. Guessing or making assumptions? Bad news. Only confirmed answers count.
“Assumptions have no place in closing a sale. The reason being the customers didn’t speak it.”
When a salesperson pushes, the customer picks up on it instantly. They either walk away or try to squeeze out concessions, and both scenarios put the deal at risk and erode margin.
Let Confidence Do the Work
Real confidence comes from believing in the customer’s outcomes, not from pressure tactics. Customers buy on emotion. Back it up with the facts, but remember: the way sellers show up is the foundation of trust.
“The more they see you as a partner in helping them, the more confident they’re going to be.”
The best salespeople don’t rush. They help customers visualize benefits and next steps, tying decisions to clear, economic results. If there’s an issue that can’t be solved, that honesty matters more than empty promises.
Rethink the Trial Close
A trial close isn’t old school, it’s essential if used right. The purpose isn’t to hammer the prospect with questions, but to check their readiness and address their needs.
Sample questions that move things forward:
- What does success look like for you?
- If we address this objection, where does that put you on your decision?
- Would you be comfortable moving forward if we achieve X?
The key is to listen. The answers reveal when it’s time to move ahead and when to slow down.
Do Your Homework. The Rest Follows.
A healthy sales process never feels sleazy. When the boxes are checked and the customer’s goals are front and center, “closing” becomes a logical next step, not a leap of faith.
The commission comes when the customer’s goal is met. That’s not just sales advice; it’s the number one rule for sales success, old as the industry itself.
Finish every sales process with two non-negotiables:
- Know what the customer needs, when they need it, and why.
- Build enough trust so they see you as the partner, not the persuader.
Mark Hunter :
How do you close the sale without feeling nervous or getting that sleazy feeling in the pit of your stomach? Come on. It happens. Why does it happen? Well, there’s a reason why I say you sell first and you negotiate second. Because here’s the situation. You go into a sale, you go into a close without having done your homework, you’re gonna feel nervous, you’re gonna feel sleazy, because it’s going to be the only way that you’re going to close the. Hey, I’m going to show you today how you remain calm, how you get deal to close, and you make it all happen. And the show begins right now. You’re listening to the Sales Hunter podcast with Mark Hunter, where the focus is to help you as a salesman, sell with confidence and integrity.
Mark Hunter :
And now, here’s your host. Hey, I’m not saying that closing a sale is easy. It’s hard. I’m not saying closing a sale happens without just a lot of work. It does not. It takes work. But let me tell you something. There’s no reason for every muscle in your body to tense up.
Mark Hunter :
There’s no reason at all to break out any sleazy feelings. Because I’ll tell you what, the reason I say you sell first and you negotiate second. Because selling first means that you’re going through and you’re checking the boxes. And here’s the deal. If you don’t check the boxes, the boxes of preparation to close, we’ll go through those in just a second. Then you are truly hoping on the sales gods will take favor on you and you’ll be able to somehow magically close the sale. Hey, if that’s the case, you’re not selling. You know what? You’re no better than somebody who’s going out and buying lottery tickets.
Mark Hunter :
You see, closing needs to be natural. And it starts by let’s get rid of the term closing, because I don’t want to close deals. I want to open a relationship. Now, I’m not talking bff. I’m not looking to create a relationship that supplants, you know, your best friends. No, I’m talking about business relationships where there’s trust and confidence from both you and. And the customer towards each other. Remember, also, the most effective way to grow your sales is by leveraging existing customers, existing relationships.
Mark Hunter :
So let’s right now get that term closing off the table and let’s replace it with we’re enabling our customers. You see, here’s the whole thing. When we enable customers in a natural way, the outcome is clear. It’s absolutely knowing that what the customer is going to do is the right thing for them. You see, here’s the whole thing. When you are attempting to go through this motion that we don’t like to use the term closing and a customer raises an issue. Whoa. This is where so many salespeople become nervous and they tense up.
Mark Hunter :
You see, you’ve done your homework and you’re prepared for it. Because when the customer raises an issue, you know what it probably is and you know why it needs to be solved. You have an answer for that because you’ve gone through the rehearsal phase, the practice phase, the role playing, the coaching, your, the self reflection to know that when you close this is, these are going to be the types of responses you’re going to give should this come up. Now how do you go about that? Again, it’s by going through and understanding and knowing what is the importance of the customer solving this. Now if you can’t answer that question, why, why does this need to be solved now? In other words, you understand that there’s some sense of urgency. I’ll unpack that more in just a bit here. You understand that this is critical because getting this done is going to allow them to do X, Y and Z. Getting this done, it fits into their KPIs.
Mark Hunter :
Getting this done is going to allow them to take care of these customers, grow this whatever it might be. But you and the importance of doing it. Now, you see, here’s the whole thing. If you don’t understand that you’re, you’re, you’re, you’re screwed. Because again, the, the, the timeliness of closing the sale is more important than ever. Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to do many massive, massive deals. And I can tell you the ones that went smooth were the ones where I had answers to each of these questions. So it’s not just, you know, what is the problem? What is the importance of getting it done? What’s the importance of the actual problem? Where’s the funding coming from? And am I dealing with the decision maker, the one who’s actually going to make the commitment, the economic buyer? If I don’t have answers to those.
Mark Hunter :
And let me tell you something, I’ve gone into some massive deals where I haven’t had answers to those and they fall flat on their face. I’ve been called in on numerous occasions and I could walk you through stories and it’s interesting, but when you’re sitting there saying, you know, why does this have to be solved now? This is why You’ve got to be prepared to ask tough questions. The tougher the questions you ask up front in the sale makes it easier for you to close the sale. Again, let’s just walk through this. What’s the urgency? Why do they need to solve it? Two, what is it that they’re really looking for? Have they articulated and more importantly, have they told you? Three, do you have the commitment of budget? In other words, do they have the money to pay for it? And are you dealing with the right decision maker? And again, if you have to push to try to get answers to some of these, you are just out of luck, period. And here’s the problem. This is where I see so many salespeople breaking down. They think they know what the critical thing is.
Mark Hunter :
They think they know this. That’s assumptions. Assumptions have no place in closing a sale. The reason being is because the customers didn’t speak it. In other words, for each of these, you’ve got to make sure they’ve spoken. You see, if you have to push, something was missed. If you have to push to close the sale, this means you’re guilty of assumption. You are guilty of trying to circumvent something.
Mark Hunter :
Pushing to secure a sale smells very quickly and the customer is going to feel it very quick. And when they do, they’re going to respond one of two ways. Stop thinking about this. They’re either going to put up a wall and walk away or they will see it as a way to gain more leverage. Either way, you’re in trouble. If they put up a wall, walk away now you’re, you’re potentially back to square one and you got a big issue on, on your hands. Two, if they see that you really need to close the sale and they need it, they’re now going to leverage you for more. And what happens? You wind up giving up margin.
Mark Hunter :
Like I said, either way, you’re, you’re screwed. You see, all of this comes down to you having to feel absolutely confident. It’s about you believing without any hesitation in how you can help the customer. Now, something that I find in every top performer I get to work with, there’s a real passion for what they do. And this plays out well in both the questions that are being asked and how to get to the close. You see, the top performer is absolutely passionate because they believe in the outcomes that they’re going to help you create. This is absolutely key. And your commitment has to be there because again, if they don’t feel that, if the customer doesn’t feel that you’re Passionate about the outcomes they’re going to create.
Mark Hunter :
Now, again, not from a rushing standpoint, but from a clarity standpoint. Because the questions you’re asking. Yeah. Now you’re going to run into some issues and how do you respond? Well, first of all, focus on next steps, not on pressure. Now big difference here. You keep the focus on what comes next, why it’s important for them to make the decision. This is why I love to say by making the decision today, we’re going to be able to get this going now, which is going to help you do X, Y and Z in the next 60 to 90 days. In other words, I’m always equating the closing today with a date and economic value that they gain by making that decision.
Mark Hunter :
Now you see what it is, is you want to make it absolutely important for them to make a decision. I’m not talking about charity. They’re not, they’re not just giving you a yes decision. It means there is a problem if they don’t do it. Now, now this doesn’t mean that you scream risk for not doing it. No, but you need to feel confident. Again, this is what I see top performers, because they’re so confident in the outcome that they’re going to help the customer achieve. See, what it comes down to is helping the customer to feel confident in their decision.
Mark Hunter :
Customers buy an emotion, I don’t care what it is, it’s emotion. And yes, they back it up with facts. But let me be serious. Confidence is a key element of their emotion because this is why you, you see and, and the role you, you’re playing with them in the sales process is key because the more they see you as a partner in helping them, the more confident they’re going to be. And this is why it’s important for you to be transparent and authentic. And now this is what’s critical. Authenticity. In other words, if there’s something that they’re raising an issue on and you can’t absolutely address it, you’re tell them that authenticity is good.
Mark Hunter :
Because if what you’re selling is world peace and something that’s going to solve world hunger, red flags can go up. Their level of trust and confidence starts with you, what they see, feel and experience from you. This is why the one called close technique is not viable unless what you’re selling is, is totally inexpensive. You know, customers need time with you. They need time with you because again, they’re looking to make a decision that they’re not going to look stupid. They need to allow their decision making process to Evolve. Sadly, I’ve got to tell you a personal story I’ve had and for some reason I thought it’d be a no brainer. But what I thought did not matter because it’s what the customer thought.
Mark Hunter :
Let me unpack this. I had a call with a customer, one call, first call. And I went all in for the close. Yes, I felt good. I felt good that I could deliver outcomes. I felt good I could do it in a timeframe. I felt good about everything I could do. I knew I could help them, et cetera, et cetera.
Mark Hunter :
But I wasn’t giving the customer enough time to believe in the outcomes. Yes, I closed the sale. I entered the call or though I thought, simply put, I was assuming way too much. A day later I got a short email and a customer saying no sale. Simply put, I validated every state, every step. But I just went through it too quickly. I didn’t give the customer time to breathe. Now let’s talk about one other variation on this.
Mark Hunter :
The trial close. Right, the trial close. And when and where it fits in. Because it does the. The trial close is absolutely key. Here’s something. The trial close works because you can get a sense from the customer as to their level of confidence. Your trial close can be really early on.
Mark Hunter :
And one of the questions I love to ask in terms of trial close is what does success look like? You allow them to explain what does success look like and you let them share that with you and you ask them a couple questions. So that’s good. So if I can lay out a strategy that’s going to help you achieve that level of success, does that feel good to you? Well, yes, it does. You see, what I’ve done is I’ve gained a trial close. It might be putting out a suggested date or what a first order might look like. It might be asking them to complete the credit app or whatever else is needed. But trial closes are very good early on. Now don’t sit there and pepper the customer with eight, nine trial closes.
Mark Hunter :
That’s such an. The 80s are calling. They want that technique back. You can use it a couple of times, especially in a complex sale, because you’re taking things off the table and, and you’re dealing with issues. And I’ve also found that when the customer raises a valid objection and you can very much upset, hey, this is great. You got a great objection. I want to handle this. But we get this objection handled.
Mark Hunter :
Where is that going to put you in the process to make a decision? You see, I’m again asking them for a trial so you can ask them for trial. Closes. Here’s the whole thing. If you go through and do your homework as to what we’ve talked about, you can go into the close feeling absolutely confident because you’re not closing. You’re opening a relationship. You’re opening a relationship because you’re now going to be in a position to help the customer. And remember, my definition of sales is to help others see and achieve what they didn’t think was possible. That’s my definition of leadership also.
Mark Hunter :
This is what you’re doing and you can do that with absolute confidence. I love this process. I love this. Take the time. Go back and listen to some of my previous video, my previous podcasts, because I’m unpacking this whole how do you gain the commitment from the customer? But you gotta do your homework. Rushing and being focused on your commission is not gonna close the sale. Take the time. Be committed on the outcome that the customer is looking for.
Mark Hunter :
Your commission will come. Your commission will come. In the words of Zig Ziglar, the number one way for you to achieve your goals is to help enough other people achieve their goals. My name is Mark Hunter, the Sales Center. Do me a favor, leave me a review. Would you leave a review on your favorite podcast? Just make a comment whether you’re watching on Spotify or Apple or YouTube, whatever. It’s great. Want to hear from you.
Mark Hunter :
And if you’ve got a sales meeting coming up, you got a challenge, reach out to me. I want to help you and your company solve your sales issues. My name is Mark Hunter, the Sales Center. Two episodes a week. One like this, short single topic. Second one where I do a deep dive with a subject matter expert. Great selling.
