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Summary: Fifty years ago salespeople were taught “closing techniques” as if that’s all there was to making a sale.

I get a migraine every time I hear a salesperson use a classic closing technique that is ill timed and inappropriate. I get an even bigger migraine when I hear someone teaching these techniques to an unsuspecting group of new sales recruits. Classic closing techniques are outdated. Not only are they outdated but customers and prospects can see them coming a mile away. Please remember that most purchasers, decision makers and buyers have seen more of these techniques than you have.

Below are some of my not-so-favorite classic closing techniques (I’m not making these up):

Companion Close – the salesperson actually sells to the person with the decision maker.

Compliment Close – the salesperson flatters the prospect into submission.

Distraction Close – the salesperson catches the prospect in a weak moment.

Doubt Close – the salesperson shows the prospect that they doubt the product and lets the prospect disagree.

Hurry Close – the salesperson goes fast to keep the prospect from thinking too much.

Selective-deafness Close – the salesperson responds only to what they want to hear.

Shame Close – the salesperson shames the prospect into buying.

Treat Close – the salesperson convinces the prospect that they should give themselves a treat.

If you view the sales process as a series of steps you don’t need heavy handed closing. The final step of the sales process should be just another step to completion. This is why I like to refer to the final step in the sales process as finishing the sale versus closing the sale. If you’ve done all your homework and connected all the links in the sales process, the closing should be a non-event, sometimes needing virtually no input from you at all.

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Tags: closing

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