The Fab Four Closes

by Graham Denton

There are literally dozens of closing techniques, with new variations being invented practically every day. Tom Hopkins, whose seminars on "The Art of Closing the Sale" are among the most popular events in the sales training business, has identified more than forty of these "getting commitment" strategies. The following four are in his "proven effective" sales kit.

Sharp Angle Close. In this close, you respond to a customer's challenge by equating the fulfillment of that challenge with an agreement to buy. Suppose, for example, that the customer asks this "sharp angle" question: "We'd only be interested at a 20 percent discount. Can you manage that?" The salesperson would then respond: "If I can get you that discount, do we have an agreement?" This transforms that one objection into the pivotal (and sole) condition. If the customer agrees, the deal is virtually done -- provided, of course, that you can deliver on the condition.

I Want to Think It Over Close. Hopkins argues that this common challenge is really just a stall, and he meets it by transforming the vague objection into a specific financial issue. When the customer says that she needs to think it over, the salesperson acknowledges that this is a good idea, and that it would be helpful for him to understand more clearly just what it is she's thinking over. "Is it quality? Is it something I've forgotten to mention in my presentation? Or could it be the financial considerations?" Since you'll often get a yes to this last question, you automatically position yourself for the next close.

It Costs Too Much Close. Again, the salesperson begins by acknowledging the validity. "Most things do these days, Jim." Next, he seeks some clarification about actual figures. "Can you tell me about how much too much you feel it is?" Then, when Jim gives a figure, the salesperson utilizes a "reduction to the ridiculous" math analysis, showing how for example $1000 "too much" may be reduced over a year's time to less than twenty dollars a week, or about $2.75 a day. And that's if you only use the product for one year. If you use it for two years, it's $1.37 a day, and so on.

Balance Sheet Close. Popularly known as the Ben Franklin Close, this one rests on a cost-benefit analysis that was allegedly used by the famous Founding Father whenever he weighed the pros and cons of a possible action. In this close, the salesperson sketches a simple balance sheet on his pad or notebook and assists the customer to list the benefits of buying on one side, the disadvantages on the other. Since a well informed salesperson always will have more benefits to cite than a customer will have disadvantages, this "weighing of the facts" generally results in the benefits (mathematically, at least) outweighing the drawbacks.