Your Complete Guide to Closing the Sale (with Examples)

Step 9 of your Ultimate 10-Step Sales Presentation is the process of closing the sale.

In our last article, Step 7: Your Complete Guide to Handling Buyer Objections, we learned a lot about how to handle objections. Step 8 of the Ultimate 10-Step Sales Presentation process is focused on using the trial close after handling objections. Step 8 is a repeat of Step 5. So, if you need a refresher on the trial close, please refer to the article: How to Leverage the Trial Close in Your Ultimate Sales Presentation.

Now, you should be at the stage where you have flushed out and handled all the buyer’s questions and objections, it is time to close the sale. It is the moment every professional salesperson has been waiting for!

There’s a lot more to closing the sale than simply asking for the order, so let’s dive in!

Content

In this article on closing the sale, we’ll examine:

When should you try to close the sale?
What buying signals should you look for?
What makes a good closer?
How often should you try to close?
How to improve the odds of closing the sale.
What are the types of closing techniques?
What are multiple close sequences?
Does the situation impact how you close?

10 Step Ultimate Sales Presentation

When Should You Try to Close the Sale?

This is a question that almost every young salesperson asks me – when should I try to close the sale?

The simple answer is, close whenever the buyer is ready!

The technical answer to when you should close is when the buyer is in the conviction stage of the buying process (remember the buyer’s mental buying process = attention, interest, desire, conviction, purchase). In the conviction stage, the buyer is convinced your recommendation is the best solution for them.

Click here if you want a refresher on the conviction stage of the buying process.

What Buying Signals Should You Look For?

The observant salesperson is always on the lookout for signals from the buyer to assess if they are in the conviction stage and ready to buy.

Some of the most common buying signals include:

Asking questions. Buyers asking questions like “How much is it?” When can I take delivery? or “What is your guarantee?” are signaling they are ready to make a buying decision.
Asking another person’s opinion. A buyer who asks another person’s opinion is often looking for confirmation of their decision to buy.
Carefully examines the product. A buyer who starts looking at the product carefully is signaling they are in the final decision-making stage.
Gets a contract or purchase order. A buyer who starts looking over your contract or gets out a purchase order is definitely ready to buy.
A buyer who relaxes leans forward, and smiles are signaling that the pressure to make a decision is gone. They have made their decision and are ready to buy.

What Makes A Good Closer?

No one is a natural-born closer. The newspaper never makes a birth announcement that reads, “Judy, a natural-born closer, was born today at 7:00 am.” Nope. Never happen. Every good closer I have ever known was good because they developed strong closing skills.

In my experience, every strong closer has these three skills:

Always be closing. Relational salespeople who are convinced their product is a good solution for their buyer have a strong desire to close the sale. They prepare their sales presentations with the close in mind. Every element of the presentation is aimed directly at the end goal, which is to close the sale. The courage of their conviction drives them to want to ask for the order and close the deal.
Ask for the order and be quiet. I am being extra polite here. What I mean to say is, ask for the order and shut up! I can’t tell you how often I’ve watched in horror as a salesperson asks for the order, waits two milliseconds for the buyer to respond, and then jumps back in talking. They talk themselves right out of a sale. Ask for the order and DO NOT say another word. DO NOT TALK! Wait for the buyer to respond. Anything you say takes the pressure off the buyer to make a decision, and at that moment the buyer may decide against you.
Get the order and move on. The buyer said, yes. Now, finalize the deal and move on to the next buyer! Once again, I’ve seen it happen numerous times. The buyer said yes. The deal was done. However, the salesperson kept talking as though the buyer had said no. In fact, just by continuing their conversation with you may give the buyer a reason to change their mind and say no for real.

So, if you want to grow into a professional salesperson who is known as a good closer, then

always be closing,
know when to ask for the order and stop talking, and
once you have the order, move on to the next buyer!

How Often Should You Try to Close?

Someone asked Jesus how often should I forgive someone? Jesus answered 70 times seven times (490 times for you non-mathletes). I do not recommend trying to close 490 times.

On the other extreme, one study found that 64% of salespeople don’t even ask for the order! So, they do all the work of researching a buyer and making a presentation, and then they don’t ask for the order one time!

The answer to the question, how often should you try to close, is somewhere between one and something less than 490 times!

What happens in a real presentation is you are moving through your presentation, verifying information using trial closes as you go. Then, during the close, the buyer raises an objection about the product, the marketing plan, or the business proposition. What do you do? You must first handle the objection (See Step 7) and then use another trial close.

If the buyer raises another objection, handle it, use a trial close, and try to close again. At some point, you will either get a yes from the buyer or a firm no. If you hear yes, then wrap up the details of the deal and move on to the next buyer. If you hear no, then thank the buyer for their time and the opportunity to serve them and move on to the next buyer.

Improving the Odds of Closing the Sale

All right, we’ve now established that you are a professional salesperson, who can pay attention to buying signals. You are anxious to close this deal. However, there are still a few things to keep in mind that will improve your odds of closing this sale.

Have the right attitude. Present enthusiastically with confident assurance that what you are selling is a great solution for this buyer.
Begin with the customer in mind. Plan your presentation and tell your story from the buyer’s viewpoint. The product you’re selling is solving a problem or filling a need that is important to the buyer.
Focus on benefits, not features. Explain the key benefits of your product and how they meet the needs of the buyer.
Ensure buyer understanding. Make sure you tell the whole story about your product and that the buyer understands what you tell them.
Handle objections. Answer every question. Smoke out objections. Handle every real objection and confirm with a trial close.
Use a trial close before you close. Make sure you use trial closes to confirm buyer understanding and agreement as you go through your presentation. Don’t wait until the end of your presentation to check in with the buyer!
Look for buying signals. Watch your buyer closely. Always look for buying signals that will tell you when it’s time to close.
Never, ever stop at the first no. Use the objection handling techniques we learned before and follow up with a trial close. Keep going until you’ve answered all the buyer’s questions, then ask for the order!
Ask for the order. Close with a question asking for the order and then stop talking!

There are no magical closing techniques that will ensure you close the sale every time. In fact, odds are you will hear no more often than you hear yes. However, you will improve the odds of closing the sale by employing each of these nine tips.

What Are the Types of Closing Techniques?

Like many teenage boys at the time, I loved working on my cars. Over time, I bought a complete set of socket wrenches, screwdrivers, and even some specialized tools to help me get the job done. Knowing which tool was the right tool for the job was important. Closing the sale is similar.

There are different closing techniques, and each is a tool in your closing toolbox. Each closing technique is best suited for specific closing situations. A professional salesperson evaluates the buyer’s state of mind and readiness to buy and selects the right closing technique for the situation.

For example, I had one buyer with a, particularly large ego. I often found a compliment close worked well with him. Another buyer, who always had trouble making a decision responded to the alternative-choice close.

The point is, I needed to assess the buyer’s state of mind and select a closing technique that I thought was best suited for the specific situation.

In my opinion, there is no one closing technique that always works in every situation. Therefore, the professional salesperson masters several closing techniques and keeps them at the ready in their closing toolbox to be used when the need arises.

Here are twelve of the most common closing techniques that I think you should master.

Alternative Choice Close

The alternative-choice close does not give the buyer an option to not buy. Rather, the alternative-choice close asks the buyer to choose between two options.

For example. When I was roughly eleven years old, our Boy Scout troop would make and sell wreaths at Christmas time to raise money. I would trudge through the snow in my Boy Scout uniform carrying a wreath. I knocked on a neighbor’s door, and when they answered I held up a wreath made my pitch. It is surprising how many people will say no to a cute kid in uniform out in freezing weather, trying to raise money for his scout troop!

The next night before I went out, my dad suggested I take two wreaths and change my close. My close changed from “do you want to buy a wreath,” to “which wreath would you like to buy?” I assumed you’re going to buy a wreath; the question is, which one do you want? I sold a wreath to nearly every door using the alternative-choice technique.

The alternative-choice technique does not allow a choice between something and nothing. Rather, the choice is only between alternatives.

Assumptive Close

The assumptive close, as the name suggests, assumes the buyer says yes. The salesperson presents the suggested order, assumes the buyer says yes, and continues to close the deal.

For example. When I was a young sales manager, I developed a great relationship with a senior buyer at a wholesaler. I came in early, evaluated his inventory, completed the purchase order for him, and then met with the buyer. Using the assumptive close, I simply handed the completed purchase order to the buyer, asked him to review it, and add his signature.

The assumptive close is effective when the buyer and seller have established a strong, trusting relationship.

Balance Sheet Close

As the story goes, the balance sheet close was developed based on a decision-making tool of Ben Franklin. When faced with a decision, Ben would grab a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. He then wrote pros on one side and cons on the other side. If the pros outweighed the cons, he would go ahead. If the cons outweighed the pros, he would not do something.

In the balance sheet close, the salesperson draws a line down the middle of the paper. Then, either list the pros and cons themselves or invites the buyer to participate in building the list. The cons, especially if mentioned by the buyer, are clues to possible objections. Cons should be offset in some way by pros.

I must admit, in all my years of selling, I never used the balance sheet close. However, I have had it used on me. A stockbroker I consulted used the balance sheet method to outline the pros and cons of a particular investing strategy. The complexity of the strategy made the pros and cons list a valuable guide in helping make my decision. As a buyer, the balance sheet helped me get clarity on what investment approach was right for me at that time.

Modified Balance Sheet Close

The modified balance sheet close uses the same strategy as the balance sheet close. However, only pros are listed on the paper. The idea is to state a case for why a purchase is a wise decision without bringing up negatives.

In this way, the modified balance sheet close is similar to the summary of benefits close.

Compliment Close

Everyone loves compliments. The compliment close is especially effective with

buyers with well-developed egos,
buyers who consider themselves to be experts, and in some cases, with
buyers who have low self-esteem.

Sincere compliments tend to open communication and cause the buyer to listen with an open mind.

For example. I loved selling to chefs. Their creativity and attention to detail always impressed me. Most chefs considered themselves to be experts in their field, and many had life-size egos to go alongside their expertise. They were perfect candidates for the compliment close. To a well-known dessert chef, I said, “Chef, you’re the expert at making frosting and decorating cakes. Our shortening is designed to meet the exacting standards you require for your cakes. I’d like you to try making some frosting with our shortening and see what you think.”

Impending Event Close

The impending event close suggests some impending event requires an immediate decision from the buyer. If you think about it, you are surrounded by the impending event closes. Advertisers love to use the impending event strategy to drive consumers to buy now.

“Sale ends Thursday.”
“Going out of business sale. Everything must go!”
“Buy now before prices go up!”
“Supplies are limited. Order now!”

I used the impending event close regularly when I was selling consumer goods.

For example. Whenever there was a price increase, I called on buyers to tell them to place an order right away before the prices go up. Or, when resources were in short supply, I called buyers telling them about the predicted shortage and urged them to increase inventories by placing orders while they could.

The impending event close is very effective, but the impending event needs to be real and not simply an attempt to manipulate the buyer.

Summary of Benefits Close

The summary of benefits close works well when the salesperson has identified the key benefits important to the buyer and has verified them through the use of the trial close.

In this case, the salesperson summarizes the benefits discussed throughout the presentation, confirms with a trial close, and then asks for the order.

For example. As a young sales representative, I was selling displays of Folger’s coffee to independent grocers. In one presentation, I said, “Ken, you said increasing gross sales and sales per square were foot was important. Do I have that right?” (Summary of benefits and trial close.) “Great. I suggest you buy 100 cases of Folgers for display on the first of the month to take advantage of increased store traffic. The display will increase gross sales and sales per square foot.” (Reinforce key benefits.)

Continuous Yes Close

The continuous yes close is similar to the summary of benefits close. However, instead of summarizing the benefits, the salesperson develops a series of benefits questions linked to a trial close, then follows with a summary of benefits close.

For example. Using the situation above, I could easily create a continuous yes close.

Me: “Ken, you said increasing gross sales was important. Is that right?”

Ken: “Yes, that’s right.”

Me: “And you said, increasing sales per square foot was also important. Right?”

Ken: “Yes, absolutely.”

Me: “Well then, since gross sales and sales per square foot are important, I suggest….” (Close using summary of benefits close)

Minor Points Close

Some buyers are indecisive or reluctant to make a final decision. These buyers tend to respond well to a minor point close. When a decision is complicated, it is easier to get a buyer to choose between two seemingly minor points that eventually lead to which product to purchase.

A menswear salesman used the minor point close technique with me when I was in the market to buy a new sports coat. I told him I was interested in navy blue but hadn’t made up my mind. He put two blue sports coats next to each other on the table. Then he asked which one do you like the feel of the fabric the most? Which one has a pattern you like the most?

In some ways, his approach was similar to an alternative choice close, but instead of asking which sportscoat I like he guided me through asking about minor points of preference.

For example. Recently my wife and I were shopping to replace her aging car. I used the minor point close with her to help her decide which model she preferred. You see, deciding which car between the two models was a huge decision. However, I started by asking her to sit in each one and asked,

“Which seat seems most comfortable to you?”
“Which one can you see out of the best?
“What color interior do you prefer? The black or the beige?”
“What color exterior do you want? The red or the silver?”

Deciding on which car was an immense decision, but by guiding her through minor points, it was easy to narrow down her choice to the exact model that now sits in our garage!

(I hope the salesman learned something as he observed how I guided my wife through the decision. I think he owes me part of his commission!)

In addition, the minor points close is especially effective with complex purchase decisions or when a buyer seems unsure of themselves. Deciding on a minor point is easier for most people, so the professional salesperson simply must guide the buyer through a series of choices until a clear decision is in view!

Probability Close

The probability close is helpful when the buyer says “maybe,” or “I want to think it over.” If this happens, the salesperson asks the buyer to state a probability that they will buy the product.

If the buyer gives a percentage between 50% and 85%, there is likely a significant objection you need to flush out and deal with before you can close the sale. Ask the buyer to describe what issues are in the remaining percentage. In this way, you force the buyer to think of the objections that are holding them back from buying. Then, you deal with the objections and move on to close the deal.

If the buyer gives a percentage between 85% and 100%, there may be some minor issues or objections. If so, you should use a minor point close or a summary of benefits close to guide the buyer through to a decision.

However, if the buyer gives you a number that is less than 50%, you have little chance of closing the sale the way things stand. At this point, the only thing you can do is start the selling process over because there are some major issues or objections you need to flush out and handle.

Negotiation Close

The negotiation close is effective in industries where terms and conditions are often points of negotiation. Good examples of industries where a negotiation close is common are in home sales, commercial property, and vehicle sales.

The desire of the professional salesperson is to close the sale with both the buyer and seller, feeling like they got a fair deal.

Price is a common point of negotiation, but so are the terms of the sale, delivery timing, add-on features, and a host of other things.

The key to using a negotiation close effectively is to be positive, enthusiastic, and demonstrate a sincere desire for both you and the buyer to be happy with the deal.

What is a Multiple Close Sequence?

As I mentioned earlier, there is no one closing technique that works every time in every situation.

Professional salespeople who are strong closers learn how to use most, if not all, of these closing techniques. When a buyer shows some signs of resistance to one approach the strong closer switches to another closing technique and keeps going.

One of my personal favorite closing techniques is the summary of benefits close. However, if the buyer said no, I needed to change my approach. I need to determine what objection I missed, use trial closes to handle the objection, and then continue.

Instead of staying with the summary of benefits close, I might use the continuous yes or the minor points technique to close the sale. The reason I would choose continuous yes or minor points techniques is they both allow me to move slowly, confirming each specific benefit point until I can try to close the sale a second time.

Moreover, being able to assess the situation, the mood of the buyer, and switch closing techniques is what marks a professional salesperson, who is a strong closer.

Does the Situation Impact How You Close?

The professional salesperson who is a strong closer seems to know intuitively what will work best in any given situation. However, that intuition takes years of experience to develop.

So, here is a shortcut guide to help you decide which specific closing techniques are most effective in specific situations.

The customer is indecisive. You need to force a decision. Use the alternative choice, a summary of benefits, compliments, continuous yes, minor-points, balance sheet, impending event, probability, or negotiation techniques.
The customer is an expert or is egotistical. You need to let them make the decision. Use compliment, balance sheet, probability, or negotiation techniques.
The customer is hostile. You need to calm the situation. Use compliment, continuous yes, probability, or negotiation techniques.
The customer is a friend. You have a trusting relationship. Use assumptive, probability, or negotiation techniques.
The customer has preconceived notions. You need to focus on benefits. Use balance sheet, probability, or negotiation techniques.
The customer wants a “deal.” You need to help them feel good about their purchase. Use impending events, probability, or negotiation techniques.

Again, my disclaimer is every buyer, and every situation is different. What will work beautifully with one buyer may also result in you having the door slammed in your face with a different buyer. This is precisely why you must master multiple closing techniques and learn how and when to employ them to close your sale!

The Ultimate 10-Step Sales Presentation Series

Step 9: Closing the Sale is the ninth in a series of articles, which have been created to teach you how to craft and deliver the Ultimate Sales Presentation in 10-Steps.

If you missed a previous article in this series or you want to review one again, you’ll find them here:

If you want to make sure you don’t miss one of these articles, you can sign up to receive the series here.

Join the Conversation

As always, questions and comments are welcome. Which closing techniques do you feel most comfortable with now? Which closing techniques do you need to master to increase your closing rate?

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Category: Salespeople