The Perfect Close

1. Intent Trumps Technique: Genuine Help Drives Sales.

If your intention is flawed, the best technique in the world will not save you.

Mindset matters most. Approaching sales with a genuine desire to help the client is more effective than relying on manipulative techniques. Mirror neurons and micro-expressions reveal true intentions, making authenticity crucial.

Warmth and competence. Studies show that warmth (friendliness, sincerity, trustworthiness) is judged before competence and carries greater weight in social reactions. Focus on building trust by demonstrating pure intent, helpfulness, and ethical behavior.

Three steps to the right mindset:

• Lose the ego: Focus on the client's needs, not personal gain.
• Create positive emotion: Use positive recall and posture techniques.
• Enter with the right intent: Use affirmations to prime your autonomic system.

2. Closing Defined: Commitment, Not Just Contracts.

A close is anything that puts the customer in a position involving some kind of commitment.

Beyond the signature. Closing isn't just about getting a signed contract; it's about obtaining commitments that advance the sale. This includes minor steps and agreements that move the process forward.

Avoid closing gambits. Manipulative techniques and high-pressure tactics are counterproductive, especially in complex sales. Research shows that salespeople with a favorable attitude toward closing techniques are less likely to hit their targets.

Embrace the advance. Focus on achieving an advance—a significant action requiring energy from the client—rather than an all-or-nothing close. This approach keeps the sales process moving forward and builds momentum.

3. Planning is Paramount: Clarity Fuels Success.

Good selling depends on good planning more than any other single factor.

Planning drives results. Sales planning is strongly correlated with sales success, including call planning, strategy planning, territory coverage, and daily activities. Yet, most salespeople fail to set realistic goals for each encounter.

Sales vs. call objectives. Distinguish between your overall sales objective (the revenue you anticipate) and your individual call objectives (the desired outcome of each encounter). This clarity helps you stay focused and achieve incremental progress.

Four elements of a sales objective:

• Related to a specific product or service
• Specific and measurable
• Target date for completion
• Realistic from the client's perspective

4. Advances Over Continuations: Action Drives Engagement.

Without a ‘next step’ you are likely working with someone who is fully not engaged.

Distinguish advances from continuations. An advance is a significant action requiring energy from the client, while a continuation is a situation where the sale continues without a specific action agreed upon.

Action and energy are key. The acid test for an advance is whether the client takes action and expends energy. If not, it's likely a continuation, which can lead to wasted time and stalled sales cycles.

Commitment and consistency. Securing small commitments (advances) leverages the psychological principles of commitment and consistency, making clients more likely to continue moving forward. Endowed progress also motivates clients as they perceive they are closer to their goal.

5. Call Objectives: Client-Focused, Action-Oriented.

The true goal for a salesperson is to help the customer win.

Avoid common mistakes. When setting call objectives, avoid being too general, unrealistic, or focusing on your actions rather than the client's. Call objectives should be specific, measurable, and client-focused.

The acid test for advances. Remember that the acid test for an advance is action and energy. By setting call objectives that require both action and energy on behalf of your prospective client you will get a clear understanding of their commitment level while continually moving the sale toward closure.

Three magic pre-call questions:

1. Why should this client see me?
2. What do I want the client to do?
3. How can I provide value on this encounter?

6. Value Proposition: Why You, Why Now?

The only person that can decide what is valuable... is the customer.

Articulate your value. A value proposition is the measurable value you deliver to clients, differentiating you from competitors. It's crucial to have a clear understanding and be able to articulate the real value you bring.

Three core components of a value proposition:

1. A Metric
2. A Direction
3. Magnitude

Discover client metrics. Uncover the metrics your clients use to measure performance by asking questions like, "What tells you when you are doing well in this area?" Using their terms increases your value and credibility.

7. Unexpected Value: Surprise and Delight Your Client.

Value doesn’t happen by accident. It is the result of deliberate planning and preparation.

The disappearing sales process. With the rise of the Internet, buyers can research options thoroughly before contacting a salesperson. To stay relevant, you must deliver added value from the sales experience itself.

You are the biggest factor. Studies show that the salesperson is the most influential factor in the buying process, often two to four times more important than any other element. This underscores the importance of creating enjoyable and valuable experiences.

Deliver insight, not just information. Buyers seek insight—actionable steps that understanding the information provides. Good insight is relevant, novel, and actionable.

8. Collaborative Agendas: Shared Goals, Shared Success.

The secret of your success is determined by your daily agenda.

Agendas mitigate risk. Agendas are powerful tools that mitigate risk and improve the likelihood of a successful meeting. They position you as a professional, define objectives, set expectations, and provide structure.

Collaborate with your client. Involve your client in creating the agenda to ensure key objectives are addressed, timeframes are realistic, and attendees are engaged. This increases buy-in and support for your meeting.

Key elements of an agenda:

• Logistics (date, time, location)
• Meeting Objective (stated from the prospect's perspective)
• Housekeeping (introductions, welcome)
• Items (topics for discussion)
• Next Steps/Action Items (assignments, deadlines)

9. The Perfect Close: Two Questions to Advance Any Sale.

If the language you use to close makes you uncomfortable, then it probably isn’t good closing language.

Simplicity is key. The Perfect Close involves just two questions, making it easy to learn and use in any situation. It eliminates stress and tension for both you and the client.

The two questions:

1. "Does it make sense for us to X?" (where X is a logical advance)
2. "What is a good next step then?"

Focus on timing, not action. The first question is a timing question, not a direct request for action. This subtle difference avoids putting pressure on the client and keeps the conversation open.

10. The Suggestion: Guiding the Inexperienced Buyer.

There are a lot of smaller ‘asks’ that you need to make on your way to the final ‘ask.’ You can’t move the final ‘ask’ forward by skipping the ‘asks’ that should have come before it.

Help the unsure buyer. For clients lacking purchasing experience, use "The Suggestion" variation to guide them through the typical buying process. This involves adding a statement before question one: "Other clients at this stage typically take X as a next step in their evaluation."

Example: "Other clients at this stage typically schedule a meeting between us and your team so we can get their input and participation on what would help them the most Does it make sense for us to schedule a meeting with your team, so we can get their input on what would be most beneficial for them?”

Clear the path. By suggesting a logical path, you provide value and shorten the sales cycle for inexperienced buyers.

11. The Fall Back: Always Have a Secondary Advance.

The true goal for a salesperson is to help the customer win.

Prepare for resistance. When your ideal advance is rejected, use "The Fall Back" variation to suggest a secondary advance. This keeps the conversation moving forward and demonstrates your flexibility.

The Fall Back Model:

1. "Does it make sense to do X?" (Ideal Advance)
2. "Clients at this stage typically do Y. Does it make sense to do Y?" (Secondary Advance)
3. "What's a good next step then?"

Example: "Isaac, does it make sense for us to talk about getting your credit approved while we go through the other details together?” "Oooh... I don’t know,” (body language says he’s clearly uncomfortable). “All right. Well, most clients at this stage will complete the financial goals part of the plan and then schedule a time for us to go over it together and talk through some options. Does it make sense for us to schedule that?”

12. Something Special: End-of-Quarter Magic.

There are a lot of smaller ‘asks’ that you need to make on your way to the final ‘ask.’ You can’t move the final ‘ask’ forward by skipping the ‘asks’ that should have come before it.

Address end-of-quarter pressures. Use the "Something Special" application to explore concessions without telegraphing them or sacrificing margins. This involves asking, "Does it make sense for me to see if we can do something special for you if we can get everything wrapped up by the end of the quarter?"

Preserve your options. If the timing isn't right, you avoid discussing concessions altogether. If it is, you can explore what the client values most and tailor your offer accordingly.

Position yourself as an advocate. This approach positions you as an advocate for the client, working to find a win-win solution. It preserves revenue and commissions while addressing end-of-quarter pressures.

Last updated: February 5, 2025