Sales closing techniques & ways to improve chances of making a sale

Closing the sale is the most important stage, which determines whether all your efforts will pay off.

At this point, it is necessary not to miss opportunities using different sales closing methods, and even if you hear no, don’t give up, making repeated attempts to sell later.

Below you will get information that will help make the process easier: data about how to understand which potential clients are most likely to be ready for a deal; a list of the best types of closing in sales; and tips from experts that you can use to improve your chances of making a deal.

How to close deals with a prospect: «ready to buy» stage

Before we move on to sales closing techniques it is best to learn when the lead probably can be ready for this stage.

The more time spent on the previous stages of the sales funnel, the less effort it will take for the customer to make a decision. For example, if you

• Initially selected leads that were already partially qualified. That is, we searched for them using special search tools with advanced filters.
• Then at the first contact with the lead, we identified the decision maker and continued to communicate with them. Qualified the lead to close questions that were not closed during the search/worked on objections and prospects’ questions.

With the help of filters, you can, for example, immediately understand if the company can afford your product.

→ And then, when you get to the decision maker, finish the qualification of the prospect through the objections of the lead and bring them to the deal using sales closing techniques, already knowing exactly what approach to apply to them and eliminating the previous stages or transferring part of the leads to the heating.

That is, at the closing stage, you will bring those people who are more likely to make a deal with you.

Remember. Even if you quickly led the potential client from the product presentation to purchase, if you have not conducted a full qualification and not discussed all questions with the person, their objections and doubts may overtake you at the finish line. All these issues will have to close at the very end and then move on to the closure stage.

If each stage of the funnel had a logical conclusion, the person deciding on the deal does not actually need to be pushed to buy. Most importantly, choose the right moment to apply closing methods in sales.

The right times to apply the best sales closing techniques:

1. The customer has reached the top of the Awareness Ladder. This concept involves the prospect going through five steps, from forming a need to being ready to buy a product/service.

How do you determine whether a lead is ready for a deal?

• Availability of a budget for the product/services.
• You have formed a lead's trust in your company, or it was formed in advance by your approved reputation in the market.
• Urgency, products/services are needed now.

2. The buyer is stalling for time. They’ve passed the objection stage and have agreed to the purchase, but they want to talk to the seller. This is a good time to apply the best closing techniques in sales.

3. Manager is confident that the prospects need the product, even though they are looking for excuses. Experienced salespeople know it better than the potential customer and are sometimes confident in meeting the client’s needs even before the sale. Using effective sales closing techniques makes sense to gain an appreciation and long-term cooperation afterward.

4. Discount Days. The general excitement allows you to move quickly enough from objections to signing a contract or paying a check.

Now you know how to determine whether a lead is ready for a deal and at what stage you can apply types of closing techniques, and we can actually move on to them.

How many sales closing techniques are really effective?

We can distinguish such basic types of closing in sales, which you can use to bring the prospects to the deal:

• Short deadline
• Confidence in closing the deal
• The effect of multiple «Yeses»
• Offer an alternative
• Provide successful cases
• Showing understanding
• Take something out of the offer
• Filling out a form
• Payment question
• Unique offer
• Closing sales with «Why»

Now let's talk more about each item.

What are the best closing techniques in sales? 10 types of sales close

Sales closing techniques: Tech 1 - short deadline

The seller uses short-term promotions to give the impression of demand and scarcity of the product. They tell the customer that the product is in high demand and may not be available at the same price or with the same benefits they are waiting for.

It works great at the moment because it is an emotional technique. It is not suitable for large contracts.

This method was singled out by Georges Fallah, Manager at VBOUT, an AI-Powered Marketing Platform:

«Providing a limited-time offer on your product would urge your prospects to buy as soon as possible, but this has to be done accurately and transparently.

Avoid lying to them because if they discover that other customers are getting the same deal after the deadline, they might get discouraged, leading them to spread negative word of mouth about your brand.»

Sales close examples by this method:

Methods of closing the sale: Tech 2 - confidence in closing the deal

A technique in which the salesperson assumes that the customer is going to make a purchase and acts accordingly - presents options and acts as if the decision has already been made.

This is one of the favorite techniques of Mladen Maksic, CEO/Founder of Play Media digital agency:

«As a CEO and salesperson, I've found that one effective closing technique is to use the «assumptive close». This involves that the client will make a purchase and move forward with the details rather than explicitly asking them to buy. For example, instead of saying, «Do you want to buy this product?» you might say, «Great, so we'll go ahead and process your order now.»

Sales close examples by this method:

Techniques for closing the sale: Tech 3 – the effect of multiple «Yeses»

This closing formula involves playing on human psychology. When a person gives several positive answers, it will be more difficult for them to answer the final question «No».

An example when selling a lead finder tool:

Closing sales strategies: Tech 4 – offer an alternative

A technique in which the seller gives the customer two options and directs them toward the one that is more favorable to the seller.

According to Georges Fallah, this is likely to bring satisfactory results when the customer is somewhat hesitant to buy due to doubts about features or price. In this case, provide a substitute that would bring value (two for the price of one, add-ons for the same price, etc…) and let them choose between two options.

Sales close examples by this method:

Closing techniques for sales: Tech 5 – provide successful cases

A sales story/positive experience is a great decision to support. Prospects tend to rely on the words of a third party more than yours.

Use social proofs and case studies, especially those that are most relevant to their business, and answer their pain points or challenges. Reveal how your product helped your existing customers solve their problems.

Types of sales closing: Tech 6 – showing understanding

A technique in which the salesperson responds to the customer's objections by showing that they have heard and understood their concerns and that other prospects/customers have had similar concerns but, in the end, decided to buy anyway, and make a compelling case for why they decided to do so.

Paying close attention to what the prospect is saying and asking clarifying questions can help you understand their needs and objections and position your product or service as a solution.

Sales close examples by this method:

How does it work? The salesperson says something like:

«I understand how you feel. Other customers have felt the same way, but here's what they found…»

and then gives evidence or a reason why the product is still worth buying.

Сlosing methods in sales: Tech 7 – take something out of the offer

You sell a package of 3-5 offers - basic and auxiliary. Or you offer a product with a complete package. You name the price. The buyer hesitates. The cost seems excessive.

You make this move: you offer to lower the price, but then you have to remove a few accessories.

When the buyer has already appreciated the benefits of a complete package, it will be harder for them to refuse something, and the difference in price will seem insignificant.

Sales close examples by this method:

Would a person be willing to miss out on a number of opportunities because of a not-so-substantial difference in price?  They'll likely agree to the extended package if you describe the range of options by telling them the difference between them.

Sales closing strategies: Tech 8 – filling out a form

A technique in which the salesperson asks the customer to make a small commitment, such as filling out a form or providing contact information, to advance the sales process and which can serve as a test of their interest in the product.

How to move the sales process forward with this method? Example

Effective sales closing techniques: Tech 9 – payment question

This technique is great for completing a transaction over the phone. When the manager is at the computer and places the order, the application immediately enters the client's data. After working through the objections, the manager moves on to questions about payment, which makes it difficult for the client to refuse to buy.

Sales close examples by this method:

You can begin questions about payment with the phrase «If you have no further questions, allow me to clarify…» and continue:

Closing strategies in sales: Tech 10 – unique offer

Effective closing technique is offering a few discounts or incentives as a way of thanking customers for their time and engagement.

Yes, of course, first the sales have to try to conclude the contract on the most favorable terms for the company. But if it doesn't work that way, they have room for maneuvering, they leave additional offers and discounts for the very end of negotiations.

Sales close examples by this method:

Closing strategies in sales: Tech 11 – closing sales with «Why»

Another technique is closing the «Why» when you give the lead a compelling reason to buy.

Sales close example by this method:

Note. You can't pick one technique and use it all the time. Closing should be determined by the conversation, interaction, and dialogue you have with your potential client. There is never «one solution». There are many different sales closing techniques, and it's essential to find the one that works best for your situation.

Tips for closing sales from experts to improve chances of making a sale

While there is no one magic formula that will work for everyone, there are a few sales closing tips that can help salespeople improve their closing skills:

• Build trust with TA
• Prepare for objections
• Step into the customer's shoes
• Become an expert
• Use AI tools
• Analyze with A/B testing

Tips on closing a sale. Advice 1: Build trust with TA

Mladen Maksic is sure that the most important thing is to establish trust, to understand the needs and pain points of the target audience:

«I recommend always being prepared and clearly understanding the client's needs and pain points. It's also essential to build rapport and trust with the customer and to be confident and decisive when it comes time to close the deal.»

Tips on closing a sale. Advice 2: Prepare for objections

One of the most essential sales closing tips, in our opinion, is always to be prepared for objections.

As Hao Huang, CTO at Hot Frameworks, salespeople need to anticipate the customer's concerns and be prepared to address them:

«If you can show that you have the customer's best interests at heart, they are more likely to be willing to buy from you even today»

Pay attention. If prospects decide not to buy from you, thank them for their time and be professional. There may be other opportunities to do business with them in the future.

60% of prospects may say «No» several times before saying the coveted «Yes» to salespeople. And nearly 50% of sales professionals never attempt a follow-up. I'm sure you don't want to be in this sad statistic of «lost opportunities». So always continuing to work later, even with those users who were rejected.

Tips on closing a sale. Advice 3: Step into the customer's shoes

Step into the customer's shoes to get into their mindset. Do everything to put yourself in your customer's shoes, understand the internal dialogue going on in their mind, and then when you pitch them, all you are doing is meeting their needs.

Always focus on the key closing factor: Demonstrate value - so they can quickly see why your company/your product are a good fit.

Tips on closing a sale. Advice 4: Become an expert

CEO and co-founder of SP Home Run Joshua Feinberg believes it's important to become an expert in what you sell first.  Enough so that your customers feel like they're getting a free consultation rather than talking to a salesperson.

This is a wonderful way to improve your closing skills. So how do you get there? Take every reasonably relevant course at your disposal, listen to relevant podcasts, read relevant blogs, and join relevant communities.

Tips on closing a sale. Advice 5: Use AI tools

Debra Cancro, SVP of Data Products at Bigtincan, is sure that to improve your sales closing techniques and increase your chances of making a sale, you need to use AI tools:

«Some AI offers specific data about how salespeople are perceived, ranging from personable to pushy. This objective feedback offers actionable insights on how the audience reacts to customer-facing messaging, ultimately empowering the company to understand how they can improve in message/communication quality.»

Tips on closing a sale. Advice 6: Analyze with A/B testing

It is necessary to carefully and scientifically test your approach to communication. You often need to do A/B split testing to determine the most effective messages, media, timing, and (of course) closings. Always analyze open rates, reply rates, clicks, conversions, and customer feedback to operationalize and optimize the most effective sales process.

Summary 

• The better time for the application stage best closing techniques in sales are: when prospects have reached the top of the Awareness Ladder, when they are stalling for time, when you are confident that the prospects need the product, and when discount days.
• Basic types of closing in sales, which you can use to bring the prospects to the deal: short deadline, assurance of a positive outcome, the effect of multiple «Yeses», offering an alternative, providing success cases, showing understanding to a prospect, take something out of the offer, filling out a form, payment question, unique offer, closing sales with «Why».
• Tips on closing a sale that can help salespeople improve their closing skills: build trust with TA, prepare for objections, step into the customer's shoes, have more practice, become an expert, use AI tools, and analyze with A/B testing.