Closing Techniques Guide

CLOSING READINESS

Close Readiness Assessment

CLOSING READINESS CHECKLIST

BUYER READINESS:
☐ All stakeholders identified
☐ Budget confirmed
☐ Timeline established
☐ Decision process clear
☐ Champion secured
☐ Objections addressed
☐ Competition evaluated

DEAL READINESS:
☐ Value proposition clear
☐ ROI demonstrated
☐ Pricing presented
☐ Terms discussed
☐ Implementation planned
☐ References provided

READINESS SCORE:
☐ 12/12: Ready to close
☐ 9-11/12: Address gaps first
☐ <9/12: Not ready - discovery needed

Trial Close Techniques

Technique	When to Use	Script
Summary close	After demo	"Based on what you've seen..."
Assumptive	Strong signals	"When we implement..."
Alternative	Multiple options	"Option A or B?"
Timeline	Urgency exists	"To hit your date..."

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CLOSING TECHNIQUES

Closing Scripts by Situation

THE SUMMARY CLOSE:
"So let me summarize what we've
discussed. You're looking to [goal],
and we've shown how [solution] can
help you achieve [outcome]. Based
on our conversation, it sounds like
we're a fit. What do you think?"

THE ASSUMPTIVE CLOSE:
"Great. So for next steps, I'll
send over the agreement for your
review. Once signed, we can kick
off implementation on [date]. Does
that timeline work for you?"

THE ALTERNATIVE CLOSE:
"Would you prefer the annual plan
with the discount, or the monthly
plan for more flexibility?"

THE TIMELINE CLOSE:
"You mentioned needing to be live
by [date]. Working backwards, we'd
need to start implementation by
[date], which means signing by
[date]. Does that work?"

THE DIRECT CLOSE:
"Based on everything we've covered,
are you ready to move forward?"

Handling Last-Minute Objections

OBJECTION: "I need to think about it"
→ "I understand. What specifically
   would you like to think through?
   I'm happy to address any concerns."

OBJECTION: "I need to talk to [person]"
→ "Of course. Would it be helpful
   if I joined that conversation to
   answer any questions they have?"

OBJECTION: "The price is too high"
→ "I hear you. Let's look at the
   value again and see if there's a
   way to structure this differently."

OBJECTION: "We're not ready yet"
→ "When would you be ready, and what
   would need to happen by then?"

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URGENCY & COMMITMENT

Ethical Urgency Creation

LEGITIMATE URGENCY SOURCES:

CUSTOMER-DRIVEN:
☐ Their deadline (go-live, event)
☐ Budget cycle (fiscal year end)
☐ Project timeline
☐ Competitive pressure

COMPANY-DRIVEN (use sparingly):
☐ Implementation capacity
☐ Pricing validity period
☐ Promotion end date
☐ Product updates

CREATING URGENCY:
"To hit your [date] goal, we need
to start implementation by [date],
which means finalizing the agreement
by [date]. Let's work backwards
from there."

NEVER:
☐ Fake scarcity
☐ False deadlines
☐ Pressure tactics
☐ Misleading statements

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