For over thirty years, I have built my livelihood on teaching people effective sales closing techniques…

Despite my track record of success, I still have those who doubt my process. 

One of the top excuses I hear is, “Yeah, that sounds great. But my product/service is too expensive for these techniques to close sales.” 

Needless to say, I disagree. 

However, these high-ticket deals do require you to have specific skills — and they have to be applied with finesse. 

In this article, I’m going to show you my most gangster techniques to closing those big-money deals. 

But before that, we need to handle some basic reasons you may be coming up short in the close…

Why Do Closers Fail?

To start, without ironing these problems out, my sales closing techniques will do you no good. In my book, “The Closer’s Survival Guide”, I go in-depth into the ten reasons salespeople choke in the close. 

It can be one reason, several, or the whole list… but these are the ONLY barriers keeping you from inking more deals. 

No Ask = No Sale

First, have you even asked the customer to transact? 

The number one reason why closers fail is never attempting to close! 

There could be many factors at play here, like fear of rejection. Still, closing takes courage — especially high-ticket sales. 

If you are willing to fail and be told no, you’ll be surprised how many deals you make just because you asked. 

No Perseverance

The second thing tripping you up in making a sale is perceiving pressure as a bad thing. 

At some point, you have to turn up the heat. Many salespeople don’t want to push their qualified leads because they don’t want to seem “rude.” 

I assure you there are ways to remain professional and courteous while urging clients towards the solutions you offer. 

That being said, if they didn’t need to be encouraged to buy, there would be no use for salespeople… 

It’s your job to get them over the finish line. 

Not Handling Reactions

Third, being unwilling to deal with emotions is going to hinder your ability to close. 

People get touchy about situations which involve money, even when it comes to buying something they love. You need to understand that these outbursts have nothing to do with you. 

So, here are the steps you need take when your potential customer reacts:

• Acknowledge the prospect’s needs and statement 
• Stay calm
• Continue to persist to the close

When you emanate stability, your clientele will naturally become confident as well. 

Not Sold

This next reason will absolutely murder your capability as a salesperson… lack of belief in your product. 

HOW CAN YOU EXPECT ANYONE TO BUY YOUR PRODUCT IF YOU WOULDN’T?

Don’t worry if you’ve lost some of the love for what you sell over time. Even the best closers need to “reignite” their passion for their product occasionally. 

Just remember, whoever is the most sold does the most selling. So, be your product’s number one fan. It will show up in your bottom line. 

Not Prepared

Knowing what it takes to achieve a goal is half the battle. Therefore, an incorrect estimation of effort is another aspect of why closers fail. 

What I mean is a lot of you are equipped to score a sale with no hiccups or variables. Unfortunately, life likes to throw a wrench in the best-laid plans. 

You need to be ready to handle all of a prospect’s problems, from credit issues to their spouse not being on board, to aliens invading Earth… and still get them to sign the dotted line. 

There is no such thing as being over-prepared. For this reason, sales training is the difference between amateurs and professionals. 

Not Unreasonable

Whether you believe it or not, being “reasonable” in sales is hurting your sales pipeline and closing ratio. 

Society has ingrained the need to “seek balance” and take our time in all areas of our lives. This approach only serves you if you want to stay average, which I hope you don’t. 

To be successful in anything — not just sales — you have to go into every action with urgency and the intention to complete it as fast as possible. 

Personally, I notice the more I do, the more I realize I can do. 

So, keep up momentum and be “unreasonable.” 

Close the deal now, not later.

No Financial Planning  

In my experience, I have observed that staff who aren’t hitting quotas often have no financial plan in place. 

If you’re wondering what bearing this has on your ability to close, consider this question:

HOW MUCH DOES LOSING ONE SALE COST YOU PER WEEK? PER MONTH? PER YEAR?  

When you have a solid financial plan and know the importance of each close to your family’s future, you take things more seriously. 

A financial plan helps keep motivation at the forefront of your mind. 

Not Understanding Complaints

My veteran salesmen are especially prone to this next one…

Often, you guys fumble in the close because you are handling objections that are only complaints or pain points. 

This trips you up beyond the fact that it lengthens your sales process. 

In general, complaints only need acknowledgement for your client to move past them. However, the problem is that if you handle complaints like objections, they become bigger and more real to the potential client as reasons to not make a purchase decision.

Consequently, I treat all negative statements from the other party as complaints until I am proven otherwise. 

Learn the difference between complaints and objections and proceed accordingly. Don’t stall the close because your customer doesn’t like the rain outside. 

Not Enough Closes

To no one’s surprise, a shortage of closing material is a common reason for someone to struggle in sales. It’s the equivalent of showing up with a knife to a gun fight — you’re at a disadvantage from the start. 

Having a well-rehearsed script for every closing situation means you can better navigate any circumstances which arise in the sale. You can take advantage of the hundreds of tried and true scripts I’ve tested in my Cardone University training platform. 

Wherever you get your closing material, learn MANY closes — not just a handful — and learn them well. 

The material you study is what will allow you to come out on top and close. 

No Accountability

Last, it is common to have the incorrect barrier if you are failing to close. 

In sales, we’ve all heard our coworkers complain when they don’t make a sale… 

“That guy was cheap.” 

“They have no idea what they really want.” 

“He or she isn’t ready to buy yet.” 

In short, they blame the customer. But the truth of the matter is that it is never your client’s fault. It’s yours — 100% of the time. 

You’ll hear the sales team in my office say, “I take full responsibility for that,” when they are on the phone. This is because it’s true… when you get to the root of it. 

These individuals came to you with an active interest in your product and looking to solve a problem; then, they walked out empty-handed. 

WHOSE SHOULDERS DOES THE ISSUE LIE ON?

When you accept responsibility for your sales, you will exponentially close more deals. 

The good news is that learning the following sales closing techniques is the first step to doing that… 

Check Out the Hottest Sales Closing Techniques in My Arsenal

As I have mentioned before, handling high-ticket deals takes a higher caliber of salesperson. And despite how intimidating that sounds, anyone can be trained on these techniques and become a top closer — including you. 

On top of all that, you are leagues above your competition by simply taking it upon yourself to become educated in your trade. 

With this in mind, let’s get into all the hacks which will 10X your sales game. 

1. Sell to Close — from the Beginning

There is something to observe about the saying, “Always be closing.” 

From beginning to end, top-tier closers plant the seeds for the close all throughout their sales cycle. To be specific, from greeting the customer to the negotiation stage, great sales reps have made it easier for them to dominate a hard close. 

There is a simple exercise to determine how to do this for yourself:  

1. Write out every step of your process. 
2. Analyze it for anything you can tweak to make the close go smoother. 

Think about things like how you demonstrate your product to where you review figures. And make sure to look at everything from the client’s perspective. 

THE CLOSE IS EVERYTHING. IT’S THE ONLY POINT IN WHICH BOTH YOU AND YOUR CUSTOMER CAN BENEFIT. 

2. Present a Written Proposal

With every person you meet, always show a proposal in writing — no matter what. 

The reason for this is simple…

People believe what they see, not what they hear. 

Customers will tune you out as you go on and on presenting your product. But once you show them on a contract or write it out as a sales proposal, it is suddenly real to them. 

So, write down everything included with your product, including “standard” features. 

Don’t take these details for granted. Although they are normal parts of the deal for you, your client doesn’t know that. It may end up being how you close the sale with this prospect. 

And final pro tip on this point: 

ALWAYS HAVE A PEN AND A WRITING PAD AVAILABLE.

Real fast, I’m going to tell you a story so you understand why this is so important… 

When I was in auto sales years ago, I was selling a man a truck. 

The prospect was really hot and cold throughout the whole deal. It was a tough sale. Finally, we had negotiated the deal to death… and he was ready to close. 

I put the contract in front of him and went into my blazer pocket to hand him a pen to sign with… and I didn’t have one. 

Immediately, he said, “This is a sign I shouldn’t do this.” 

… And I lost the sale.

Lesson learned there. 

3. Give the Damn Price!

If you sell what is considered “luxury” or more costly goods, you’ve probably been advised against this next technique. Regardless, from here on out, I want you to initiate the price up-front. 

The fact of the matter is that you close zero percent of the deals where you don’t present a price. No one is going to let you bang their card for an unknown expense. 

Of course, there is a little more to it than just throwing a number at your prospect. When they ask for the cost, you are going to show them how much it is specifically for that product, the model/offer above it, and the one below it. 

This provides options for your customer. It helps them make sense of the deal. And it creates certainty on what the right solution would be for them.

BEING TRANSPARENT ABOUT PRICES AND ALTERNATIVES ESTABLISHES YOUR CREDIBILITY WITH THE CLIENT.

Trust is critical in how you are going to seal the deal down the line and implement the rest of these sales closing techniques.

4. Address the Hard Questions the Right Way

When asked tactfully, tough questions have the power to cut through and reveal what the customer is initially uncomfortable sharing with you. 

The first great question is, “Who else is involved in this decision?” 

Asking in this way allows you to find out who the decision maker is without insinuating that your prospect is incapable of doing so. I use this question in every deal, and so should you. 

Another heavy-hitter is, “When was the last time you invested this much money?” 

Again, the answer gives you little clues about the habits of this buyer. They also are not condemned for not purchasing something on this scale before. 

I would quickly follow-up with, “Why are you considering buying this? Why now?” 

You’re looking for the customer’s motivation to purchase here. Asking, “Why now?” helps create a sense of urgency in the negotiation stage, as well when they try to stall. 

Now, this one is how you sell to close like a master… “How can you make sense of an investment of this size?” 

LAY THIS QUESTION ON YOUR CLIENT AT THE RIGHT TIME, AND WATCH THEM CLOSE THEMSELVES.

Also, when you’re looking to get any kind of commitment, it’s a good idea to check, “Is there any reason why you would change your mind?” 

The reason for this one is two-fold. Number one: establish they are actually going to hold up their end of the bargain. And two, uncover legitimate reasons they can’t that they have forgotten. The more agreement and confirmation you can get, the better. 

Even if you fumble asking these difficult questions the first couple of times, don’t stress out about it. I believe no one thing can ruin a deal. And by the same token, other sales professionals are too afraid to ask them to begin with. 

5. Leverage Humor with Storytelling

To really set yourself apart from the sea of salespeople out there, tell funny stories to close sales. Levity and amusing anecdotes can help relieve areas of tension in the deal.

And wouldn’t you agree that people make decisions more freely when they are relaxed? I know I do. 

Using this technique is like an art. It takes creativity, practice, and impeccable delivery. 

Nonetheless, I have some tips and a few words of advice to get you going in the right direction. 

It goes without saying that you shouldn’t use any off-color humor that has the potential to offend anyone. 

In other words… religion, politics, or any jokes that make fun of anyone are out. 

IF YOU HAVE TO MAKE FUN OF ANYONE, TAKE JABS AT YOURSELF ONLY.

Second, if you have a personal story which could illustrate a point you want to make — and it can make your customer chuckle — use it! 

The point of this one is to make the buyer feel good and ease the pressure. Never underestimate how laughter can dramatically improve a situation. 

6. Agree Every Time

Out of all the ways to guarantee success in sales, this rule is the foundation to all closes — and the one broken most often…

ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS AGREE WITH THE CUSTOMER!

Don’t get this confused with the old adage, “the customer is always right.” They’re not. 

I just want you to acknowledge their point of view. 

You’re not going to necessarily give in to their terms — especially the ridiculous ones we hear in sales. But when you agree first, you are letting the buyer know you are flexible and want to work with them. 

In this day and age, we are all so inclined to disagreement that this concept is tough to wrap our heads around. As a result, agreement must be drilled and practiced. 

For this purpose, I challenge you to agree with everyone you come into contact with for 24 hours. Every time you say no or I can’t do that, you start the 24-hour clock over. 

Most people have to restart many times before they make it the whole day. However, mastering this sales closing technique is going to open the door to many deals. 

If you want agreement, you have to be agreeable. 

With this in mind, there are a few more phrases that you should remove from your vocabulary if you’re in sales…. 

7. NEVER Use These Phrases

If you want to know how to close a sale, it is equally important to know what NOT to say. 

These phrases have no place in sales, and they definitely won’t get you the real juicy deals:

• “Not possible… No way…. We won’t.” These phrases are all lousy because they express disagreement, therefore violating the sales strategy above. Cut these out.
• “Good deal.” Although this may be your opinion, your prospect obviously doesn’t see the value in your offer yet. Instead, go back to the demonstration of features and the benefits of your product. 
• “Competitive.” Personally, I hate this phrase. I don’t want my product to be competitive, I want to dominate! You are either not entirely sold on what you sell or need some help handling objections…

8. Dominate Objections

Whatever you sell, there are only going to be four types of objections you are going to hear… 

Time. 

Money. 

Stall. 

Product. 

And you need to know hundreds of closes to handle them all. 

BUT BEFORE YOU EVEN GET THERE, YOU NEED TO BE AWARE OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT YOUR BUYER IS SAYING AND WHAT THEY MEAN.

If you don’t know what they’re actually objecting to, you won’t be able to give them the right information to solve the problem and get to the close. 

This is why having a full conceptual understanding of the sales cycle is important. Without the theory piece, you won’t be able to execute the closes correctly… 

I am going to give you a little background on each of these categories as a foundation. But for a full deep-dive, my Cardone U platform has all the bases covered — the theory and script for any and every closing situation.  

For now, this will help you get started. 

A) Time

First, let’s talk about the objections around so-called “time constraints.”

In this case, your customer is going to say they can’t do the deal until X date for Y reason. When you hear this as the salesperson, you need to determine two things: 

1. Do they really need to wait?
2. Or is there another issue in the deal? 

My Flush the Objection Close can get you the answer to both questions and a contract. The script goes like this: 

“If everything were right in, would you make a decision to purchase the product right now? (If the client says yes) So, what is it: the price, the financing, the product, the terms, me, or the company?” 

At this point, you can get to the unspoken hiccup in the deal and solve the problem. On the other hand, this close can simply male the customer laugh and ink the deal then and there. 

Of course, there are times you’ll need to do the deal on a different date. Either way, this close verifies what you need to know so you know how to close the sale now or later. 

B) Money

Know this fact. When your customer complains about the price being too high, it is almost never the price. It is just too expensive in comparison to the value you’ve demonstrated. 

Also, keep in mind that your prospect potentially could need a more expensive product or package. 

To figure this out, here are two inventory closes you can use together or separately to determine customer needs. 

Move Down a Model

“Would you consider the product right under this? It would save you X dollars and reduce your payments to Y dollars per month. Or would you rather get exactly what you want, and play a little more each month? 

Move Up a Model

“Before I write this up, I want to share that if we move up from this (current) model to the (package higher) model, it would only be an added cost of X. It would only change your payment a little. Would you consider that?

Do you see what I’m doing with these scripts? 

I am giving them opportunities to shop and purchase, as well discovering if there is a different objection.

C) Stall

Eventually, you’re going to come across one of the most mishandled kinds of objections — stalls. 

Salespeople get messed up by this one because, out of the blue, the guy in front of you needs to talk to the spouse, the board, the partner, etc. 

YOU PANIC BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU’RE NOT WITH THE DECISION-MAKER!

Stay calm. This is what you can do about it. 

Spouse Close 

Quick note: just because this is named, “Spouse Close I,” means it is used exclusively when they need to talk to their wife. This close is easily adapted to any other party they claim they need to do the deal.

“What if your spouse says no?” 

(If they reply the spouse won’t say, “No.”) 

“Then I need your OK here and here.” 

(If a customer says they won’t buy if the other party disagrees with the purchase.) 

“Would they say, ‘No,’ to the product or the money?”

This close establishes that the person you are with is the decision-maker. 

But what if the prospect doesn’t deny they are able to pull the trigger, and they just want to think about it? 

Lay this close on them. 

Think About it Close

“Great! Is 2-3 days long enough or is 2-3 weeks better?”

(Your prospect will most likely say 2-3 days is enough.)

“The truth is, no matter how long you take, you will be faced with the same three questions. May I share them with you? 

1. Does this product get you what you wanted?
2. Can you afford this product?
3. Am I the type of person you want to do business with?” 

Get the answers and you’ll have the clues to inking this deal. 

There’s just one more objection category to master to set your closing ratio on fire…

D) Product

When you start hearing, “ I can get a better deal down the street,” the customer is really saying they’re either on the wrong product or have some other uncertainty. 

These are classic closes to help you out. 

Everything the Same Close 

“If everything was the same, which product and from whom would you rather buy?” 

(Get response)

“Why?”

“Why else?”

(Continue until the buyer has no more answers and use the information you gathered to close.)

In the event that you are leaning towards it being an incorrect offer for this client, I would use the following script… 

Scale from 1 to 10 Close

“On a scale from one to ten, how would you rate your new X?” 

(Get their rating.)

“What would make it ten?” 

(Pay attention to what they tell you.)

“Great. Let me get that handled. Sign here and here.” 

I’m going to wrap up this section here, because I have hundreds of these rehearsed and know when to use them. So should you. 

ONCE YOU KNOW YOUR CLOSES WELL ENOUGH TO WEAVE THEM TOGETHER, YOU WILL BE HEAD AND SHOULDERS ABOVE 99.99% OF YOUR COLLEAGUES.

However, there is one more piece of the puzzle that needs to be in place to take you over the edge into a Master Closer… 

9. Ask Again and Again

Finally, if you are going to sell to close, you must be persistent. 

Perseverance will get you to the finish line when you’ve demonstrated every feature, ostensibly handled every spoken concern, negotiated your heart out, and used every close in your arsenal. 

In these situations, it appears as if the buyer is just trying to wear you out so you give up. That’s why — even when it seems like there is no hope — you need to ask for the close again.

YOU’LL BE SURPRISED TO SEE HOW PUTTING THE CLOSE IN FRONT OF THEM ONE MORE TIME WILL GET IT DONE.

You can’t fail if you don’t quit. 

Use all the closing strategies above and ask them again. 

Why You Need to Use ALL These Sales Closing Techniques

Ultimately, you need to have all these tools at your disposal and be able to maximize their use — together. A dilettante approach to selling will only mean an inconsistent closing ration… at best. 

Previously, we talked about actually doing the math on what losing a single sale would mean to your financial well-being. And that’s a very practical way to look at it. 

BUT SUCCESS SHOULDN’T BE PRACTICAL ALONE.

The best sales closers I’ve ever met have their drive to sell aligned with their purpose. 

If you love and believe in what you’re doing, you want others to be helped by it. 

Therefore, it is equally important to view closing as an ethical matter. 

The only way we can all win is if there are more closers in the world… 

I want you to be one of them.   

Be Great,

Grant Cardone

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