Top 5 Closing Techniques for Sales

No two sales teams are the same, nor are their techniques. However, certain best practices work better than others when it comes to the sales funnel, especially at the closing stage. After all, this is usually the make-it-or-break-it point—very few people will give you the option to remarket to them if you can’t seal the deal the first time around. 

And besides, do you want to invest the extra effort trying to win their affection a second time? If you get it right the first time, you won’t have to worry about it. More than a third of all salespeople say that closing is the most challenging part of selling, so you’re not alone if you’re struggling here. 

Of course, there’s a wealth of information out there, along with dozens of sales methods and techniques that all claim to be the “best” for getting the job done. How are you possibly supposed to figure out which ones actually work? Trial and error is one thing, but you certainly can’t afford the time and effort to try them all. Fortunately, you don’t have to. In the guide below, we’ll cover five of the best closing techniques to make sure that your team is closing more deals and leaving fewer transactions on the table. 

Assume the sale 

This is perhaps one of the most effective and most utilized sales closing techniques. Instead of asking if someone wants to buy or if they are ready to make their purchase, you assume the transaction is a done deal and speak accordingly. For example, if you’re selling a car, instead of asking if they are ready to sign papers, you might say:

“So, do you like the model we’ve got here, or would you like to customize your own specs and options?”

Or

“Was the SUV a good fit or do you think the crossover is more your style?”

This changes it from a yes or no question to a “which sale” question—essentially assuming that they’re going to buy something. Now the only question is what. There are several ways to do this, but it requires confidence and a sense of self-assuredness to be effective. 

Create a sense of urgency 

Urgency and a healthy fear of loss are helpful in closing sales deals. Of course, you have to provide true information—you can’t say it’s a “limited offer” if it’s a regular stock item, for example. Making it seem like it’s essential that people buy now will eliminate a lot of hesitation relatively quickly. Some people who are on the fence may stay there. Many, however, will immediately jump to make a purchase because they don’t want to miss out. 

It's human nature to want something that other people don’t have or to want to get the best of something. Everyone wants a limited offer or special deal of some kind. It doesn’t have to be huge, either. Just make sure that you can find a way to create urgency around the transaction so that people don’t get comfortable “thinking about it.”

Offer an alternative 

One of the most common groups of prospects are those who are *so* close to making a decision, but they’re uncertain about a feature or price point, or another concern they have. This is the perfect time to offer another alternative that better meets their needs. If you have another product or service that can address those concerns, you’ll be giving them a choice. 

And instead of their choice being between you and the competition, it will become about which purchase from you is the best choice. When you’re the only option, it’s easier to close a deal. People like having options and being heard. Offering an alternative does both of these things, which will get you big points. 

Include something “extra” 

Customers of all kinds love free stuff. If you’re looking to close more leads, consider how you can offer something for nothing to increase their likelihood to convert. For example, you might include an additional product or service at no cost, or you might inform every customer that a lifetime warranty comes with every purchase. 

Don’t cheap out here or give something just for the sake of it. Whatever you offer needs to have meaning or value to your leads. Otherwise, it doesn’t matter what you offer because now you’re giving things away and still not getting the conversions you want. 

Bonus tip: Take a poll or conduct some A/B testing to see what kind of freebies and incentives would most likely get your prospects to convert so you know you’re choosing the right extras. 

Discuss the opportunity cost 

What benefits will be lost if a prospect doesn’t decide to complete their purchase? It’s not just about getting the solution (the product or service), but also the benefits it brings. For example, someone buying a new cloud-based software platform might be missing out on a huge ROI on hardware costs that they can’t afford to keep paying as it is. 

Essentially, you’re looking to get them to see your product or service not just as a purchase, but as an investment. That investment is going to provide certain results that help improve their business. Show them not only what they’re getting, but what they would be missing without it. 

When the leads increase, are you ready?

Increasing conversions and closing more deals are the goals of every sales team. However, it’s also important that you have plans in place to handle that uptick in business, including a 24/7 answering service to ensure that you never miss an opportunity. When you partner with the virtual receptionists at Smith.ai, you’ll get that along with support for lead intake and appointment scheduling, too. 

If you’re looking to get more prospects, ask about our assistance for outreach campaigns. Plus, every client gets a custom strategy to handle all the details. To learn more, schedule a consultation or reach out to hello@smith.ai. 

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