I spend a lot of time listening to outspoken advisers like Grant Cardone and Gary Vaynerchuk, but I didn't start my blog to be some kind of controversial crusader. I do, however, define myself as an advocate for success, and after reading a blog post written by Leslie Ye and released on Blog.Hubspot.com I am as pissed off as that guy in the picture above looks.
The post, titled 6 Outdated Sales Closing Techniques That Are Flat Out Terrible, can only be described as a blog post that was written by a person who has never made their living selling to the public in their life. I don't know Leslie Ye, and she doesn't have that many more followers than me so that's the last time I plan to take a shot at her, but Hubspot has a Twitter following of over 600,000 people, I'd assume a great number of which are professional sales people that their messages are targeted toward. Because of this, they owe it to their readers to vet the things that get posted on their site better than they did this one.
In the opening, the post states, "The idea that prospects need to be 'closed' is, in and of itself, a dated concept." Are you telling me that we as salespeople have no control over whether a prospect buys? Because shoppers have more sources for information and options that we are solely at their mercy when it comes to whether or not we get the sale? That seems like a pretty bleak outlook for the profession. It's true that a long-term sales professional may have the options to work with previously closed customers and be more consultative without the hard close, but you don't stay with the profession long enough to become a long-termer without knowing how to close a tough prospect.
Ye almost starts to get it right when she writes, "'Closing' shouldn't be something that gets done to prospects. Instead, it should be a mutually agreed-upon outcome that's a natural byproduct of a helpful, educational sales process." I couldn't agree more, but this helpful, educational process is only mutually beneficial if a professional salesperson knows how to ask for the sale at the end, and what Ye did next was dismiss a handful of very legitimate ways to do this, instead of educating sales pros how to use them appropriately.
1) The Assumptive Close
Ye's Take: "Treating prospects as if they’ve decided to purchase and hoping they’ll forget that they haven’t yet is a transparent effort at best, and insults their intelligence at worst."
The Truth: Assuming that the customer is only going through the process with you because they have a legitimate interest in what you are offering is the best way to cycle through the process with a positive attitude. Using assumptive statements, allows you to test your customers interest, and using an assumptive close like simply saying "I could have this 2016 Ford Explorer all cleaned up and in your name in about an hour," is a low-pressure, conversational, helpful way to get through that awkward final decision moment that works with surprising regularity.
2) The "Cradle to the Grave" Close
Ye's Take: "There is such thing as a bad time to purchase. The “cradle to grave” close ignores legitimate objections and breaks the cardinal rule of prospect relationships: Make prospects feel respected and heard. Don’t dismiss buyer concerns -- that’s something Blake would do."
The Truth: If you have handled the process appropriately, you have found a solution that fits your prospect's CURRENT needs. That being the case, it may not be appropriate to say, "there is no bad time to purchase," but it is completely appropriate to give your prospect reason after reason why NOW IS A GREAT TIME TO PURCHASE!
3) The Alternative Close
Ye's Take: "It’s an even more aggressive version of the assumptive close. Prospects won’t be tricked into buying with this tactic, and will easily see through your efforts to do so."
The Truth: If you don't have this close in your arsenal, you are losing a lot of sales and profit. It's not about tricking a customer into buying. Though many closes can be used that way, the reality is a well-used close allows the customers to feel LESS PRESSURE when the time comes to make a decision. The alternative close does just that by giving a prospect multiple product options or multiple finance options, showing them that you are not only committed to putting them in your product, but helping them find the most comfortable way to do it.
4) The "Something for Nothing" Close
Ye's Take: "This close is not only bad for your prospect, it’s bad for you. Not only do you come off as desperate, this close leads to unrealistic long-term expectations. Are you willing to set the precedent that every time your prospect pushes back, you’ll have to provide something free? Also consider what it says about your brand if you’re willing to give things away for free. The “something for nothing” close cheapens your product’s value."
The Truth: Every statement made here couldn't be further from the reality of sales. As a professional salesperson you must always have an add-on in your back pocket. Sure, don't give it out when you don't have to, but in the competitive world in which we operate, you must have a differentiator. The "something for nothing" could simply be your time or an introduction to someone who can help your customer in a way you cannot. These cost you nothing, and not only do they not set a bad precedent, they create a precedent that you are a pro and a person that your customer will definitely want to see to do similar business in the future. Sure, you can argue that Ye was simply talking about giving away free products, but that's a closed-minded way to look at this close and the prime example of my statement that the true value for sales pros regarding these closes is not to teach them to put them in a closet never to be seen again, but to teach them how to use them appropriately.
5) The Sales Contest Close
Ye's Take: "...this close asks prospects to buy for a reason completely unrelated to their situation. Prospects don’t care if you’re one sale away from President’s Club -- they care about solving their problems. And by bringing the focus onto yourself, you’re showing that you don’t."
The Truth: I'm not a big fan of this close, but the statement that "prospects don't care if you're one sale away from President's Club" is very disconnected from the way the sales process should work. 1) I've sold over 1,000 automobiles and on many occasions I've had customers state that they want to make sure I get the credit for the sale when they come back. If you have done your job correctly, created the relationship you should, your customers will care about how completing business with you effects you. 2) It can justify a follow-up call offering a better deal. If two days ago you were not close to winning the contest or not close to earning the bonus, but now you are then it is a valid phone call, and if you are offering a concession, then it is still WIN-WIN for everyone. I don't use it all the time, but it is in my arsenal, and it has closed sales.
6) The Sharp Angle Close
I'd never heard this close referred to with this name, so in case you haven't either, here is how Ye describes it: "This close is used in response to a prospect question about the product. When a prospect asks, “Does the product do X?”, a rep responds, “If it did, would you be willing to buy today?”
Ye's Take: "Your primary responsibility as a salesperson isn’t just to close deals -- it’s to close good deals that benefit both you and your prospect. If your prospect is still asking questions, it’s because they don’t fully understand the product and its value. Instead of using their question as an opening to make a hard sell, answer it."
The Truth: In reality, Ye is right that this close in the form she describes it is bound to be ineffective, but a slight tweak makes it a hell of a trial close. Customer asks "does this Honda Civic come in blue?" You respond, "It does, do you think you would like that better than the gray?" Customer will probably respond affirmitavely so you follow that with an assumptive close "Great, I'll pull that around, and if you really like that color best we can have it cleaned up and make you an owner in just about an hour."
And, if you as a salesperson are as confused as Leslie Ye that your primary responsibility is not just to close deals, then you need to do some soul-searching or find a new profession. Selling is not only your primary objective, it is your ONLY OBJECTIVE! The company you work for likely does not continue to exist unless sales are made, you must own that responsibility 100% I hope what she meant to say, is that you are not out there to close the sale at all costs, you must do it with tact, efficiency, and ethics, and if you can't do that you should also be looking for another profession.
Will these closes work every time? HELL NO! Does any close work every time? HELL NO! Should you limit your opportunities by deleting these from your repertoire? HELL NO! And in my opinion, should you read anything else posted on HubSpot? HELL NO!
The post, titled 6 Outdated Sales Closing Techniques That Are Flat Out Terrible, can only be described as a blog post that was written by a person who has never made their living selling to the public in their life. I don't know Leslie Ye, and she doesn't have that many more followers than me so that's the last time I plan to take a shot at her, but Hubspot has a Twitter following of over 600,000 people, I'd assume a great number of which are professional sales people that their messages are targeted toward. Because of this, they owe it to their readers to vet the things that get posted on their site better than they did this one.
In the opening, the post states, "The idea that prospects need to be 'closed' is, in and of itself, a dated concept." Are you telling me that we as salespeople have no control over whether a prospect buys? Because shoppers have more sources for information and options that we are solely at their mercy when it comes to whether or not we get the sale? That seems like a pretty bleak outlook for the profession. It's true that a long-term sales professional may have the options to work with previously closed customers and be more consultative without the hard close, but you don't stay with the profession long enough to become a long-termer without knowing how to close a tough prospect.
Ye almost starts to get it right when she writes, "'Closing' shouldn't be something that gets done to prospects. Instead, it should be a mutually agreed-upon outcome that's a natural byproduct of a helpful, educational sales process." I couldn't agree more, but this helpful, educational process is only mutually beneficial if a professional salesperson knows how to ask for the sale at the end, and what Ye did next was dismiss a handful of very legitimate ways to do this, instead of educating sales pros how to use them appropriately.
1) The Assumptive Close
Ye's Take: "Treating prospects as if they’ve decided to purchase and hoping they’ll forget that they haven’t yet is a transparent effort at best, and insults their intelligence at worst."
The Truth: Assuming that the customer is only going through the process with you because they have a legitimate interest in what you are offering is the best way to cycle through the process with a positive attitude. Using assumptive statements, allows you to test your customers interest, and using an assumptive close like simply saying "I could have this 2016 Ford Explorer all cleaned up and in your name in about an hour," is a low-pressure, conversational, helpful way to get through that awkward final decision moment that works with surprising regularity.
2) The "Cradle to the Grave" Close
Ye's Take: "There is such thing as a bad time to purchase. The “cradle to grave” close ignores legitimate objections and breaks the cardinal rule of prospect relationships: Make prospects feel respected and heard. Don’t dismiss buyer concerns -- that’s something Blake would do."
The Truth: If you have handled the process appropriately, you have found a solution that fits your prospect's CURRENT needs. That being the case, it may not be appropriate to say, "there is no bad time to purchase," but it is completely appropriate to give your prospect reason after reason why NOW IS A GREAT TIME TO PURCHASE!
3) The Alternative Close
Ye's Take: "It’s an even more aggressive version of the assumptive close. Prospects won’t be tricked into buying with this tactic, and will easily see through your efforts to do so."
The Truth: If you don't have this close in your arsenal, you are losing a lot of sales and profit. It's not about tricking a customer into buying. Though many closes can be used that way, the reality is a well-used close allows the customers to feel LESS PRESSURE when the time comes to make a decision. The alternative close does just that by giving a prospect multiple product options or multiple finance options, showing them that you are not only committed to putting them in your product, but helping them find the most comfortable way to do it.
4) The "Something for Nothing" Close
Ye's Take: "This close is not only bad for your prospect, it’s bad for you. Not only do you come off as desperate, this close leads to unrealistic long-term expectations. Are you willing to set the precedent that every time your prospect pushes back, you’ll have to provide something free? Also consider what it says about your brand if you’re willing to give things away for free. The “something for nothing” close cheapens your product’s value."
The Truth: Every statement made here couldn't be further from the reality of sales. As a professional salesperson you must always have an add-on in your back pocket. Sure, don't give it out when you don't have to, but in the competitive world in which we operate, you must have a differentiator. The "something for nothing" could simply be your time or an introduction to someone who can help your customer in a way you cannot. These cost you nothing, and not only do they not set a bad precedent, they create a precedent that you are a pro and a person that your customer will definitely want to see to do similar business in the future. Sure, you can argue that Ye was simply talking about giving away free products, but that's a closed-minded way to look at this close and the prime example of my statement that the true value for sales pros regarding these closes is not to teach them to put them in a closet never to be seen again, but to teach them how to use them appropriately.
5) The Sales Contest Close
Ye's Take: "...this close asks prospects to buy for a reason completely unrelated to their situation. Prospects don’t care if you’re one sale away from President’s Club -- they care about solving their problems. And by bringing the focus onto yourself, you’re showing that you don’t."
The Truth: I'm not a big fan of this close, but the statement that "prospects don't care if you're one sale away from President's Club" is very disconnected from the way the sales process should work. 1) I've sold over 1,000 automobiles and on many occasions I've had customers state that they want to make sure I get the credit for the sale when they come back. If you have done your job correctly, created the relationship you should, your customers will care about how completing business with you effects you. 2) It can justify a follow-up call offering a better deal. If two days ago you were not close to winning the contest or not close to earning the bonus, but now you are then it is a valid phone call, and if you are offering a concession, then it is still WIN-WIN for everyone. I don't use it all the time, but it is in my arsenal, and it has closed sales.
6) The Sharp Angle Close
I'd never heard this close referred to with this name, so in case you haven't either, here is how Ye describes it: "This close is used in response to a prospect question about the product. When a prospect asks, “Does the product do X?”, a rep responds, “If it did, would you be willing to buy today?”
Ye's Take: "Your primary responsibility as a salesperson isn’t just to close deals -- it’s to close good deals that benefit both you and your prospect. If your prospect is still asking questions, it’s because they don’t fully understand the product and its value. Instead of using their question as an opening to make a hard sell, answer it."
The Truth: In reality, Ye is right that this close in the form she describes it is bound to be ineffective, but a slight tweak makes it a hell of a trial close. Customer asks "does this Honda Civic come in blue?" You respond, "It does, do you think you would like that better than the gray?" Customer will probably respond affirmitavely so you follow that with an assumptive close "Great, I'll pull that around, and if you really like that color best we can have it cleaned up and make you an owner in just about an hour."
And, if you as a salesperson are as confused as Leslie Ye that your primary responsibility is not just to close deals, then you need to do some soul-searching or find a new profession. Selling is not only your primary objective, it is your ONLY OBJECTIVE! The company you work for likely does not continue to exist unless sales are made, you must own that responsibility 100% I hope what she meant to say, is that you are not out there to close the sale at all costs, you must do it with tact, efficiency, and ethics, and if you can't do that you should also be looking for another profession.
Will these closes work every time? HELL NO! Does any close work every time? HELL NO! Should you limit your opportunities by deleting these from your repertoire? HELL NO! And in my opinion, should you read anything else posted on HubSpot? HELL NO!