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Closing the Sale

Written by: Richard Mulvey

Article Overview: If you don't close you are working for the opposition! Actually if you don't close you will be working for the opposition next year anyway, so best we learn how toi close more sales now

Closing the Sale

Each product and service is different, each situation is different and each customer is different, so each close is different. There are some guide lines however, that will be of assistance in the process of closing. the basic close comprises of three separate steps:

Watch for buying signals
Summarise the benefits
Ask for the business

Let’s look at them one at a time

Buying Signals

“There is a certain tenseness, a certain electricity in the air when they are ready.” Tom Hopkins

I like that quote because it sums up that feeling you get when you know it’s time to close the sale. It is hard to explain but it is there none the less. If you are not sure about this there are some other, more tangible, signs you can look for.

You know it is time to close

When they start to ask lots of questions.
When they talk about how it would be when they own one.
When they grunt agreeably.
When they smile or get eye contact.
If you are selling to a husband and wife, when they get more affectionate (with each other!)
When they want to see the demo again.
When they use positive body language signals
Leaning forward in their chair
Unfolding their arms or uncrossing their legs
When they stop thinking positively, (Chin stroking with their head to one side) and bring their head down to look you in the eye.
Smiling or nodding
When they say “Will you go over that one more time

This is not a complete list of buying signals and you have probably noticed others in your work. Watch for them and you will get better at knowing exactly when to close.


Summarise the Benefits

This depends very much on your product or service but it is good advice to try and remind the customer of all the very good reasons why he wants the product before you ask him for the order. It doesn’t have to take long.

Sales Okay Mr. Customer, just to make sure I’ve got it all correct. You are interested in the X Series with the sunroof to take advantage of our long hot summers, air-conditioning to ensure that you arrive at business meetings cool and calm, CD player so that you can play your complete Beatles collection on those long journeys in the Free State, and in green to match your tie. If you would just like to sign here.


Sales We have agreed that this new range of cleaning materials will be easier for your staff to use saving on training time, provide higher standards of cleanliness which will keep your customers happy and reduce your cleaning costs by at least 25%, would you like delivery on Thursday or would Friday be better?

When you summarise the benefits it is useful to use the words “We have agreed”. This tells the customer that this is not new stuff but items that you have already reached agreement on. You will also notice in the two examples above that I have not just told the customer about the feature (CD player for instance) but also how the customer will benefit from that feature ( "so that you can play your complete Beatles collection on those long journeys in the Free State")


Ask for the Business

There are many different approaches to the final close question but when the top UK sales people were asked which type of closing question was most effective 75% of them said that the alternative close worked best for them.

It seems that customers are happy to listen to the sales person and agree on the minor issues but when it comes to the Big Question they start to get second thoughts. The beauty of the alternative close question is that it focuses on a choice between a couple of minor issues rather than the big issue of whether to buy or not. The customer then makes a minor decision making the big decision irrelevant.

The Alternative Question Close

Will you be paying cash now or do you want me to invoice the company?
Do you require delivery on Tuesday or would Thursday be better?
Would you like it in blue or red?
Do you prefer the diamonds or the sapphires
Would you like the handle on the top or the side?
Will you be taking it in the 25 or the 50 litre drums?

As this is the most successful type of closing question I would recommend that you take some time and list a few alternative close questions that would work in your business. Once you have them written down, practise them.

The next stage is the most important. Once you have asked for the business you SHUT UP! You keep quiet for as long as it takes for the customer to make up their mind. The first person to talk, looses!

Related Articles
  The 5 “Secrets” of closing the sale
  CLOSING THE SALE - IT'S HIGHLY OVERRATED
  CLOSING - IT WILL MAKE OR BREAK YOU!
  Sure-Fire Techniques for Closing Sales
  The Close

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