How to Close the Sale: Confident Closing Techniques

How many sales slip away because we’re hesitant to ask the all-important closing question? 

In this episode, we tackle the overlooked art of confidently asking for the sale. Through lively role-play scenarios - like pitching the now-famous 'Lundgren' air fryer or selling a dream honeymoon to the Maldives - we highlight the common mistakes salespeople make when they shy away from asking for a decision. You'll learn effective strategies like the "closed question close" and discover how to overcome the hesitations that leave deals in limbo.
 
We also explore the power of assumptive closes, where picking up on customer cues can be the key to success. With engaging anecdotes, from bartending stories to retail jacket sales, we illustrate why asking for confirmation is vital - especially in industries like financial services. Plus, hear tried-and-tested closing techniques from sales training legends, and discover why a clear "no" can sharpen your sales strategy and boost your efficiency. 

Packed with personal insights, humour, and practical advice, this episode is your first step towards mastering closing techniques and ensuring no opportunity is left on the table. 

This is the first in a series of short episodes on How to Close the Sale – don’t miss the rest of this series, coming soon!

Explore resources, insights, and tools tailored to support your team's success and strategic growth at realitytraining.com.

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:01

so it's been really lovely talking to you about the different things you want to cook and um, I've explained the lungren airfryer to you and um yeah, yeah, okay, well, thanks very much for uh for taking us through it. Well, that's my pleasure that's, that's my, my absolute pleasure to have talked to you about the lungren that I'm holding here in this box.

Speaker 2 0:27

Yeah, yeah, it's been really really interesting, yeah, okay.

Speaker 1 0:33

So the air fryer? Yeah, the Lundgren air fryer. It looks like a really good product. Oh well, it really is. I mean, it really really is, isn't it?

Speaker 2 0:44

Isn't it't it? Well, look, um, we're gonna go and, uh, carry on, but, um, carry on with our day, but thanks for your day, right, yeah, so you like, you like, like the must go, must go take care.

Speaker 1 1:00

Thanks so much yeah oh, jeremy, what were you doing with that bloke? Why don't you sell him that lung room? Sorry, mike. Hello and welcome to this episode that is going to look at the topic of closing. We're going to give you two today. Yes, so I wasn't good at tipping you over the edge. There was I with the Lundgren.

Speaker 2 1:37

I could tell that you were desperate to close me, but I didn't know what to do. It went against all your instincts to be bad at closing, didn't it, jeremy? Very hard. Yeah, you're such an instinctive closer. It went against all your instincts to be bad at closing, didn't it, jeremy? Very hard. Yeah, you're such an instinctive closer as I think most people are really. But there are lots of people who do that. They talk to the customer and then they just leave it hanging and waiting for the customer to go yes, I'll have that rather than say would you like it? It's so bizarre that we don't do it, the Colin.

Speaker 1 2:04

Fry no clothes. Colin Fry is a medium on UK television and he will talk to you and your grandmother from beyond. Okay, good, and the way he wraps it is this have you ever seen this? So he says she's saying that she loves the fact you go out with the grandchildren and she misses you dearly and he'll do this and the person might be in bits or smiling and he goes and I leave her love with you so I'm just leaving the lung room with you.

Speaker 1 2:35

So, and I leave the lung room with you and it's just not knowing what to do.

Speaker 2 2:40

Actually, if you said that, read the lung room. I'm leaving the lung room with you. That's an assumptive close.

Speaker 1 2:45

And I'll leave that with you. Yeah, it might do so that's your having it.

Speaker 2 2:47

That is so. What's interesting is that what you've got? There is someone in your sketch earlier who just couldn't make a closing remark, so let's do another version. I'm going to be a travel agent selling you a honeymoon to the maldives for 12 000 pounds, okay, okay. So let's see how badly I don't close you on this are you not going to close me either?

Speaker 2 3:11

oh no let's, but let's just use as another example. So here we go, jeremy, um. So it's a honeymoon in the maldives and it's two weeks all inclusive. Oh, you've got your um water sports. You've got your um non-motorized non-motorized. Well done, you've got all inclusive, which is in the maldives. It's mostly breakfast and dinner. You have to pay for your lunch just to let you know that and um, and then you've got transfer I've got it.

Speaker 1 3:42

I've got it, jack, yeah. Yeah, you've gone through it all okay and uh, yeah, and obviously it's good, it's really good.

Speaker 2 3:48

12 000, 12 000 pounds yeah, 12 000.

Speaker 1 3:50

Yeah, I can see that, yeah, yeah, good okay, um, so what I could do?

Speaker 2 3:56

I could send you the information through an email if you want and you can yeah, look at it.

Speaker 1 4:00

Do that as well, then I'll, geraldine, and I will have a good look at it later, okay, and then what shall I do?

Speaker 2 4:06

shall I leave it for you to come back to me? If you want to do Look at it, do that as well. Then I'll, geraldine and I will have a good look at it later. Okay, and then what shall I do? Shall I leave it for you to come back?

Speaker 1 4:12

to me If you want to do anything else. Sounds like that's what you'd like to do.

Speaker 2 4:14

Well, I mean I you know, if it doesn't work for you, does it work for me, does that work for you? If I?

Speaker 1 4:21

yeah, okay, yeah, okay, I'll do that, yeah god, it's so hard not to close, isn't it? I'm so desperate to go do you want it now?

Speaker 2 4:32

I'm glad we're doing these examples because you will be in situations, listeners, where someone's taking you through something or you've learned about something and you're waiting for someone to go. What do you want? To buy it then? It's as simple as that and that is the first type of close, a closed question.

Speaker 1 4:48

The closed question closed. So are you going to have this? Do you want this? Will you be the new owner? Now that's where some creativity can come in. I could say to bob are you and your fiancee going to be experiencing the honeymoon of a lifetime in September in the Maldives? And he would have to go yes, go on then You'd have to say yes, Exactly I would.

Speaker 2 5:15

I would or I'd raise an objection which we've handled in the previous three podcasts.

Speaker 1 5:19

Do you want to be the proud new owner of the 10 reams of high white wove If you're selling paper selling paper.

Speaker 2 5:28

This is the most important close to learn, because quite often you do get customers who are a bit vague or who, let's say, they're a bit reluctant to commit okay, and if you spent time with them and had a conversation with them, you've got to ask whether or not they want to buy this thing, yes or no. It's not that complex, is it? No, that's important that we absolutely ask them do they want to buy this, yes or no? Now some people say, what if you get a no? Well, at least you know which direction they're going in. How awful to sort of stand there waiting for the customer to select to buy, when all they needed was a question would you like it, yes or no?

Speaker 1 6:05

yeah, so that's the first type close questions, and I've just got to remind you of zig ziglar's story of the pool cleaner. Yep called the creepy the creepy. So door-to-door salesman going around parts of texas where zig lived, yeah, knocking on doors that had swimming pools. Given a list and Hi, sir, I understand you're an owner of a pool. Yes, I am. And then can I demonstrate a product that you plug it in and it goes around cleaning your pool and at the end of it he goes. Now you saw me get your creepy out of the box. I could go back to the van and get you another box, or you could now be the owner of your creepy and Zig just sort of thought oh wow, that's fantastic that is an assumptive close.

Speaker 2 6:57

Yeah. So that is purely assumptive in that sense where you've got the product in the actual, in the hands, in the hands of the customer, are they really going to go? No, put that creepy back in the box and I'll take another one in a box. No way, you want the one that's working. I'll take another one in a box. No way, you want the one that's working, struggling with inconsistent sales results.

Speaker 3 7:22

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The Power of Assumptive Closes

Speaker 2 7:48

So that moves us on to an assumptive close. Now, there's nothing wrong with assumptive closes. Some people say well, you shouldn't assume the customer's going to have it. Well, I think only an idiot would assume the customer was going to have it if that customer hasn't given you any signals the customer sitting there in silence. You wouldn't use an assumptive close. You would actually say do you want to buy this? You'd want to get a yes out.

Speaker 1 8:10

Yeah, if you're not sure. So when I was a cocktail barman and someone say gin and tonic, please, I'd say large one and I would turn. I'm assumptively assuming they want a double measure yeah, instead of going do you? Want a large shot or a or just a single.

Speaker 2 8:25

A high percentage would go, don't worry, just a single exactly large one and I think sometimes compliance get a bit funny. About assumptive closes yes, I really think that people should just practice how they use. About assumptive closes I really think that people should just practice how they use an assumptive close because there is a certain rhythm, that the conversation has a certain response you're getting from the customer which tells you that this person's having this you can do it with colors.

Speaker 1 8:51

So you're buying a pair of scissors and I show you them and I say, do you want the red pair or the blue pair? Oh so I'm having a pair. I just assuming I'll have the red pair. Very good, so I understand you. You're doing a lot of cooking. So olive oil, yep, we've got these types here, and do you like the smell of that one or that one? Which one do you like?

Speaker 2 9:10

oh, the smell. I mean, I've often stood in supermarkets. We're in a deli here. Oh, we're in a deli here. Oh, we're in a deli, yeah, sorry.

Speaker 1 9:16

Do you want the economical size or the smaller?

Speaker 2 9:20

bottle. How ironic that the economical one is 17 liters.

Speaker 1 9:24

But yes, very good.

Speaker 2 9:26

Now look, these are assumptive closes and they're good fun and we would definitely urge people to have a go at them. The one thing I would say and this links back between assumptive and closed question in certain industries financial services, possibly telecoms and others you have to ask the customer three times technically if they want it. Are you happy to go ahead? Yes, I am, yes, I am chat, chat, chat. Have some more t's and c's some more? Uh, key facts? Oh, hang on, I must just ask you again. And you're happy to go ahead, are you? Yes, I, yes, I am Right. Okay, and let's just go through some more technical information. Bore the pants off you with some technical guff that no one's interested in. I then say is it okay if I email you the rest of that? Yeah, and also, can I just confirm one more time you definitely want to buy this? Yes, do you know?

Speaker 1 10:14

what I don't anymore.

Speaker 2 10:15

He's really annoyed me exactly you get to the third, do you want to buy this?

Speaker 1 10:20

and they go I'd rather, I think I could have watched godfather part one during this, yes I mean that's, we'll do a whole episode on the end of calls and terms and conditions.

Speaker 2 10:29

So the close question.

Speaker 1 10:30

Close is getting a yes. Now, that's also important for another reason. Then we'll go back to the assumptive what you want after a yes is a no. Otherwise they're down on your prospect list or your potential list, and whether you're B2B or B2C you know. Yeah, I'm going to chat about it. You want them to go no. Thank you very much. I really don't want to own this. Absolutely right.

Speaker 2 10:49

I can take you off the list. Want to own this? Absolutely right, I can take you off the list. Yeah, exactly, and with assumptives how they're going to pay. Shall I take it to the till? Shall I help you out to the car with it? I'll put you down for five of them. You know, that's you just assuming they're going to happen.

Speaker 1 11:03

When I sold eight ball jackets, which was a type of jacket that had pool balls on them. Yeah, you know pool table. It had on the back of it an eight ball. They were. They were short-lived craze in the uk. My next door neighbor ran a business called devon clothing and my dad kept pestering him to give me a summer job. Brilliant, he said, will you take jay's with you to one of your shows? And he went yeah, you can come and do east of england, so I'm in.

Speaker 2 11:31

Perfect job for you.

Speaker 1 11:32

This is the perfect job for you, yeah selling middle class tat to middle class people?

Speaker 2 11:37

yeah, absolutely perfect.

Speaker 1 11:39

So he we put up the tent, which was green and white stripes. It was called devon clothing. I slept in a lorry with this guy right.

Speaker 2 11:47

He snored down and I was on the upper bit.

Speaker 1 11:48

He snored down below and oh dear he said you've got to use my clothes. He knew about sale. They said what's that? He said you put on the eight ball jacket because that's the kind of thing you'd wear. And I went all right, fine, so I put it on. And he says have a look in the mirror and imagine you're a customer. And then he walked towards me and went great, so are you going to keep wearing it around the show or would you like it in a bag? Brilliant, and so I did it. Women would try this on again. They carry on wearing it, or would you like it in a bag?

Speaker 2 12:15

and they would smile and go yeah, I'll have it perfect, I mean ironically, though they then find that they're one of 15 people wandering around with the same jacket good, well, look, this is the first of a series of episodes on closing, so remember these.

Speaker 2 12:29

The close question do you want to buy this, yes or no? And the assumptive close how would you like to pay? When shall I have it delivered? Cash or card, anything that assumes they're going to have the thing. That's an assumptive close. So thank you for listening to this. We will see you on another one soon, but in the meantime, keep closing, closing.