Every salesperson who talks with a prospect should know how to close a deal. Without a solid set of sales closing techniques in place, you cannot push prospects deeper into the sales funnel. In this article, we look at the best sales closing tips that you should learn.
What is a closing technique in sales?
A closing technique in sales is the process or a series of steps that a salesperson uses to convert prospects into paid customers. You will rarely find a deal closed in the first call, that is exactly why familiarity with these sales closing techniques is of huge value.
A salesperson’s first step is bypassing the gatekeepers and getting a meeting with the prospect. You have to pique their curiosity, show them what you have to offer, and provide them with a deal that is worth taking.
Best 25 sales closing techniques to increase your wins
Creating urgency
There are times when the prospect is dilly-dallying and asking you for time to think over the proposal. Creating a sense of urgency in the minds of your prospect is the best way to close. The ability to close such deals depends on how you phrase it.
“If you can sign up today, I would be able to offer you an upgrade in the features.”
“Clients who sign up today get free call support.”
Speak about different features
If a client isn’t sure about a particular feature, shift their focus to a different one that has an impact on their bottom line. The goal is to focus on features that meet their expectations.
“I am sure features A and B can make a huge impact on your bottom line.”
Be brutally honest
Prospects who trust your words are more likely to buy from you. Coming across as trustworthy when you are selling something is difficult. Why? Because every prospective buyer has always encountered salespeople who have tried to make a sale by hook or crook.
You can be charming, suave, and sophisticated, but none of these qualities evoke trust. The easiest way to win over a prospect is to show them products that will work best for them. Recommending the highest-priced product might look like a simple way to increase your commission. Honesty, as everyone says, is the best policy.
“I don’t think this product is right for you. This is beyond your budget as well. Let me show you something more appropriate.”
Put across your points carefully
The average buyer is overloaded with information, some of which might not even be relevant to their needs. This is why it is imperative that you show your customers how precisely their pain points are solved by your product. Focus on how they benefit from being your customer.
[Talk about the points] “This is exactly why I think product A is the perfect solution for you.”
Trust me, if executed right, this is one of the best sales closing techniques out there for you.
Eliminate objections
Even a simple doubt can stop your prospect from opening their purse. Ask them a series of questions to make sure that there isn’t an iota of hesitation in their minds. By asking several questions to understand their mindset, you will be in a position to close the sale. Your prospect needs to know if they are making the right decision.
With every objection you address, you instill more confidence in your prospect towards making the buying decision.
“Is there anything else you would like to know about? Are you clear about the ROI part?”
As a sales manager, you must be frustrated with objections that the prospect throws one after the other at you. In that case, check out 10 Objection handling tips to prepare you for your next call.
Appeal to their analytical side
Prospects who have an analytical bent of mind, are more likely to look at things objectively. After a few conversations, you will have a better idea of the prospect’s purchasing triggers. Show your prospects why your product is better than that of your competitors with a comparison chart. Appeal to their logical side and leave the rest for them to decide.
Use empathy
Empathy is a powerful emotion that humans feel. Objectivity might not win you deals always. If you can put yourself in the shoes of your prospect and elucidate your benefits from their POV, you are more likely to close a sale.
“If I were in your position, decision A is the one I’d make because you are facing problems X and Y.”
Assume the deal is closed
This technique has more to do with the kind of winning attitude you possess than technical skills. The average salesperson encounters more nos than yeses. It is easy to get weighed down by the constant rejections that they face.
Walking into a meeting with the belief that you will win the deal no matter what will result in a tectonic shift in your mindset. When your thinking is positive, the words you use and your solutions will result in a win-win for all.
If you’d like to know more about how you can change your mindset, check out the Best 15 sales books that you must read to level up your sales skills
Offer incentives
When you offer a little more than what customers usually expect, you are more likely to close the deal. The incentive can be something simple, like an extension of the free trial or a premium support upgrade.
It depends on what the customer values. You can even be upfront and ask, “How can I sweeten the deal for you?” In large deals, this is one of the right sales closing techniques to opt for when the prospect isn’t fully convinced yet.
Free Trial
Is your prospect having second thoughts? Have they already burnt their pockets trying out a few options? It is a given that they don’t want to be bound by a contract for a product that they are not sure will benefit them entirely. This is where you can offer them the full version of the product for a certain time period to allay their fears.
“Why not take a free trial of the product for 30 days? I’ll add all the premium features to make you see what you are working with.”
Video follow-ups
The most impassioned email will come nowhere close to the trust that a simple video can elicit. Use videos (with your face) to address objections, and explain features and benefits. Use it to send them a reminder with the summary of your pitch. It is the quickest way to build rapport.
Offer your competitors
If you hit an impasse during the negotiations, the best thing to do is suggest your competitor’s solution. As counterintuitive as this might look, your prospect will appreciate your honesty and might stop looking elsewhere.
When you don’t think twice about asking your prospects to choose other products over yours, you show the prospects that you care more for their needs than your bottom line. Obviously, this could be on of the most impressive sales closing techniques for you to adopt.
Ask light questions
When you are speaking with a cold lead, you cannot ask, “What’s troubling you?” It is an aggressive tone to take and can put off most people. Your objective must be to communicate the value of your product and see if they would like to hear more.
“Would you be interested to know more if I can promise to increase your conversion rates by X%?”
Suggested Read: Top 15 Sales Discovery Questions You should be asking your Customers
Offer a comparison
A simple way to tilt things in your favor when faced with a hesitant prospect is to show them the list of pros and cons of your product vis-a-vis your competitors. It helps the prospect get a clear idea of why choosing your product can be beneficial to them. All you have to do is show the prospect that there is a higher ROI with you.
Use appealing visuals
Visuals are not only appealing to the average human, but they are also extremely powerful in putting across a point. They can be immensely powerful in showing what your offering can do.
Images, videos, infographics, memes, presentations, screenshots, slide decks, charts, graphs, etc., are some of the top visual formats that have the power to convert a customer who is thinking “meh” into “ok, let’s do this.”
Show them the opportunity cost
You need to show the prospect how they will benefit, including the kind of end result that they stand to gain from investing in you.
Use case studies
There are few things that are as convincing as seeing other professionals like themselves recommending a product that they are thinking about purchasing. Social proof is the currency of your offering’s credibility. Prospects who are on the fence are likely to get swayed when they see a solid recommendation. Sales teams should invest in getting case studies and testimonials to prop up their product’s value.
Showing that your product is high-value
In selling, perception matters. Your prospect should know the kind of effort that has gone into creating your product. Show them the number of skilled professionals, time, resources, and intellectual property it took to create. When customers perceive the product to be of high value, closing the deal is less of an effort.
Provide a “now or never” offer
Having a special offer that is time-bound and cannot be availed after it can result in the prospect making the decision to buy.
“The 45% offer is only available today since it is a part of our offer for our 10-year anniversary.”
The “now or never” part will work better when the offer is irresistible. You want them to make the decision without giving too much thought because the offer is too good to miss out on.
Re-frame your offering
“What’s the angle?” It is a phrase that journalists love and salespeople should adopt as well. Why? When you encounter a prospect who isn’t interested, the only way you can regain their attention is by reframing your offering. Don’t dwell on things that your prospect already knows. Make your product look better by finding a different angle to pitch.
Focus on their needs
Find ways to satisfy the prospect’s needs. If the prospect had mentioned 2 to 3 needs during your conversation, concentrate on it alone. List out these needs and show your prospect how your product fulfills them. Impress the prospect about how effectively your product addresses those needs and pain points.
The Good Samaritan Close
Why not offer your prospect something valuable that they would have least expected to have? Once you give them such an offer, they are hooked. To make sure that the initial interest doesn’t wane, let them know that the offer will expire in a day. This sales technique works best when the product’s features alone don’t help make the selling decision.
Gauge their interest
Here’s a simple way to find out how interested they are in your product– ask them. The answer will tell you how effectively you’ve communicated about the product’s USP and it also puts you in a position to address sales objections, if there are any.
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
Everyone values things that are scarcely available. Get a prospect to buy by focusing on this fear of missing out. Let’s say that a prospect is interested and you want to make that much-important nudge to make that sale. This is when you sweeten the deal with an offer only for them, but only if they act on it immediately.
Focus on their losses
Businesses want to avoid losses more than anything. Pitch in such a way that highlights what they stand to lose by not being associated with you. Show them a month-on-month projection.
With all that said, you shouldn’t hesitate to walk away from the negotiation table. There are prospects who will never be happy with what you offer. Some of the demands can be unreasonable and it might not make any sense to win the prospect anymore.
Wrapping up
When you apply the above sales closing techniques, you will be able to increase your conversions. There is no one-size-fits-all technique for every situation as the chances of you encountering a completely unique situation are incredibly high. Becoming a master closer will take time, but if you use the right techniques, you can increase your wins, and that matters the most.