If your sales reps don’t know how to close, the rest of their expertise won’t do them any good. There is a good deal of mystique around closing, but it’s actually very straightforward. Closing a sale is all about demonstrating the value your product can provide and moving the process forward, preventing any possibility of stalling or encountering roadblocks. Asking specific, targeted questions is a great way to accentuate your value proposition and guide your prospects to the next step. However, you also want to mix these up with open-ended questions that get your prospects to share their goals and concerns with you, for these will often provide the key to finalizing the sale. Coming up with a good set of questions to close every deal should be an integral component of a salesperson’s pipeline. The following proven questions are guaranteed to help you clinch the deal consistently.
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1. Do You Have any Questions or Concerns?
It is helpful to know what lingering objections the client might still have before going into the final stages of the sale. You want to get these out in the open as soon as possible and make sure they are fully cleared up before trying to close. This will also give you valuable info about a client’s needs and issues that you can tailor your final pitch to. The more you can get the prospect to share the better, and listening is often the essential factor in making a sale. The idea is to proactively identify and address any possible issues in order to move on to the next step.
2. How Does This Sound to You?
Asking the prospect what they think is always a good way to dissolve any tension resulting from the call feeling too much like a sale. You are inviting them to relax and share their opinion. This question will also often lead to important insights about their needs and what remains to be addressed before closing.
3. Do You Have Any More Questions or Are We Ready to Move Forward?
This can get any last-minute concerns and inquiries out of the way. It is also an example of what is referred to as “assumptive selling.” You are subtly implying or assuming the prospect is already going to buy, and in this case, all that remains to be done is answer a few questions. Assumptive selling, provided the prospect has shown some interest, is a good way of making the transaction feel like a done deal and making the client less likely to bow out.
4. What Happens Next?
According to renowned inside sales expert Mike Brooks, this is one of the most productive things you can say during a sales call. An open-ended question like this can be disarming because it doesn’t seem like you are trying to get anything, and will often lead the prospect to open up. You want to get them talking and get them to tell you what their reservations are and what would get them to make the purchase – and they will! If you listen attentively, let the prospect speak, and ask the right questions, they will tell you how to close the sale.
5. What Else Could I Do to Earn Your Business?
This question is disarmingly polite and straightforward and makes it clear that you’re there to help the prospect, not to manipulate or take from them. Most importantly, it allows them to spell out what they want. Often a prospect will guide you through the process of selling them if you let them!
6. What Are Some Possible Roadblocks We Might Face?
You never want to let roadblocks catch you unawares. The sooner you know about potential sticking points, the more you can prepare for them. This also frames these obstacles as issues you will face together, implying you are already on the same team and working together.
7. Can We Talk about Pricing?
This is an unavoidable stage of the closing process, and the best way to bring it up is polite and straightforward, yet also low-pressure. Phrasing the question this way also enables you to find out if the prospect has some lingering reservations.
8. When Can We Get Started?
Again, this question uses the principle of assumptive selling. The implication is that the sale has already taken place, and all that remains to do is decide on the timing. You can also get important data about potential timing issues. This question is an ideal way to transition to the next step of your closing pipeline. Once the prospect has mentioned a date, it feels like a confirmation of the purchase and makes it seem more ‘real’ in their mind, which is key to finalizing the sale.
9. Do You Want to Give Us a Try?
The key to closing is to make it frictionless. The prospect should never feel like they are taking a huge leap of faith or making an enormous commitment. Phasing it as just giving the product a try makes it sound low-pressure and harmless, and also implies that they have a way out. Even if this is not strictly speaking true, it will relax the prospect and make them more likely to move forward.
10. Do You Feel Ready to Sign a Contract?
Remember, it’s never over till they sign on the dotted line (actually, it’s not even over then but that’s a topic for a different article). When you are secure in their interest and readiness to move forward, you should try to get a verbal commitment as soon as possible for them. Framing it this way makes it sound like they are already planning to buy, and it is just a question of making it official. This is also a good way to gauge a prospect’s level of comfort. If they say no, you can ask follow-up questions to determine what still needs to happen before they are comfortable moving forward.
The best way to close a sale is by asking the right questions. By using these 10 powerful closing questions, you will have an easier time getting your customers on board with purchasing your products or services. Do not forget that each customer has different needs and wants so be sure to tailor your approach accordingly for every individual. If you want more information about how we can help improve sales in your company, do not hesitate to reach out!
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