Closing Deals

🎯 Closing Deals: The Art of Winning Together

Imagine you’re a friendly shopkeeper. A customer walks in, looks at your beautiful toys, but hesitates. Your job? Help them feel confident about taking that toy home. That’s what closing deals is all about!

🌟 The Big Picture

Think of closing a deal like making a new friend. You listen, you understand what they need, and you help them see why your solution is perfect for them. It’s not about tricks—it’s about trust.

Our Journey Today:

1. Handling Objections
2. Objection Prevention
3. Handling Price Objections
4. Negotiation Fundamentals
5. Win-Win Negotiation
6. Negotiation Tactics
7. Closing Techniques
8. Follow-Up Strategies

1. 🛡️ Handling Objections

What Are Objections?

An objection is when someone says “But wait…” before buying. It’s like when your friend says, “I want ice cream, but it might be too cold outside.”

They’re not saying NO. They’re asking for help to say YES!

The LAER Method

graph TD
    A["Listen"] --> B["Acknowledge"]
    B --> C["Explore"]
    C --> D["Respond"]

L - Listen: Let them finish. Don’t interrupt.

A - Acknowledge: Show you understand. “I hear you.”

E - Explore: Ask questions. “Tell me more about that concern.”

R - Respond: Give a helpful answer that solves their worry.

Real Example

Customer: “I’m not sure this software will work for my team.”

You (Listen): Stay quiet, nod, let them explain

You (Acknowledge): “That’s a really important concern.”

You (Explore): “What specifically worries you about the fit?”

You (Respond): “Great question! Let me show you how Team ABC, just like yours, uses it daily.”

2. 🔮 Objection Prevention

Stop Problems Before They Start

Imagine wearing a helmet before riding a bike. You prevent the injury before it happens. Same with objections!

How to Prevent Objections

The Inoculation Technique

Like a vaccine gives your body a tiny bit of a germ to build immunity, you mention a small objection yourself—then solve it immediately.

Example: “You might be thinking, ‘Will my team actually use this?’ That’s fair. Here’s our 95% adoption rate and the onboarding support we provide…”

3. 💰 Handling Price Objections

“It’s Too Expensive!”

This is the most common objection. But here’s a secret: Price is rarely the real problem.

When someone says “too expensive,” they’re really saying:

• “I don’t see the value yet”
• “I’m scared to spend this much”
• “I need to justify this to someone else”

The Value Stack

Don’t lower your price. Raise the value!

graph TD
    A["Price Concern"] --> B["Show ROI"]
    B --> C["Compare Costs"]
    C --> D["Add Value"]
    D --> E["Happy Customer"]

Techniques That Work

1. Break It Down

• “That’s $300 per month—about $10 a day. Less than your coffee!”

2. Cost of Doing Nothing

• “What’s it costing you now to NOT solve this problem?”

3. Compare Apples to Apples

• “Compared to Competitor X at $200, we include support, training, and updates worth $500.”

Example Conversation

Customer: “This is way over my budget.”

You: “I totally understand budget matters. Can I ask—what would happen if this problem isn’t solved in 6 months? What would that cost you?”

Customer: “Probably lost sales… maybe $20,000.”

You: “So for $3,000 today, you’re protecting $20,000. Does that change how you see the investment?”

4. 🤝 Negotiation Fundamentals

What Is Negotiation?

Negotiation is like trading cards with a friend. You both want to walk away happy. It’s a conversation to find common ground.

The 5 Key Principles

1. Prepare: Know what you want AND what they want
2. Listen More Than Talk: Two ears, one mouth—use them in that ratio
3. Stay Calm: Emotions make bad deals
4. Be Flexible: There are many ways to make both sides happy
5. Know Your Limits: What’s the minimum you’ll accept?

BATNA: Your Secret Weapon

Best Alternative To Negotiated Agreement

Before any negotiation, ask yourself: “If this deal fails, what’s my backup plan?”

Example: You’re selling your car. Your BATNA might be selling it to a dealer for $8,000. So you won’t accept less than $8,000 from a private buyer.

The stronger your BATNA, the more confidence you have!

5. 🎁 Win-Win Negotiation

Both Sides Should Win!

Imagine splitting a pizza. Bad negotiation: one person takes 7 slices. Good negotiation: you both get what you want—maybe they love crust, and you love toppings!

How to Create Win-Win

graph TD
    A["Understand Their Needs"] --> B["Share Your Needs"]
    B --> C["Find Creative Solutions"]
    C --> D["Both Win!"]

The Expanding Pie

Instead of fighting over a fixed pie, make the pie BIGGER.

Example:

• Customer wants lower price
• You need your margin
• Solution: Offer a 2-year contract with 10% discount. They save money, you get long-term revenue. Both win!

Win-Win Phrases

• “How can we make this work for both of us?”
• “What would make this a perfect deal for you?”
• “Let’s find a solution together.”

6. 🎭 Negotiation Tactics

Smart Moves for Better Deals

1. Anchoring Go first with a strong starting point. The first number shapes the whole conversation.

• Example: “Most clients start with our $5,000 package.”

2. Silence After stating your offer, be quiet. Let them fill the silence. People often give more when they’re uncomfortable with quiet.

3. The Nibble After the main deal is done, ask for small extras.

• Example: “Great! Can you throw in free shipping?”

4. Good Cop / Bad Cop One person is firm, another is friendly. But use this ethically!

5. Time Pressure

• “This offer is valid until Friday.”
• (Only use if it’s true!)

Tactics to Watch Out For

7. ✅ Closing Techniques

The Moment of Truth!

You’ve done the work. Now it’s time to ask for the sale. Here are techniques that work:

7 Proven Closing Techniques

1. The Direct Close Just ask! Simple and powerful.

• “Shall we move forward with this?”

2. The Assumptive Close Act like they’ve already decided yes.

• “Would you like delivery on Monday or Wednesday?”

3. The Summary Close Recap all the benefits, then ask.

• “So you get faster processing, 24/7 support, and a dedicated manager. Ready to start?”

4. The Urgency Close Create real (not fake!) urgency.

• “We only have 5 spots left in this cohort.”

5. The Question Close Answer their last objection with a closing question.

• Customer: “I need fast results.”
• You: “If I show you results in 30 days, would you sign today?”

6. The Trial Close Test the waters before the final ask.

• “On a scale of 1-10, how ready are you to move forward?”

7. The Puppy Dog Close Let them try it first.

• “Use it free for 14 days. If you don’t love it, no charge.”

Choosing Your Close

graph TD
    A["Customer Ready?"] -->|Yes| B["Direct Close"]
    A -->|Almost| C["Summary Close"]
    A -->|Hesitant| D["Trial Close"]
    A -->|Skeptical| E["Puppy Dog Close"]

8. 📞 Follow-Up Strategies

The Fortune Is in the Follow-Up!

80% of sales happen after the 5th contact. Most salespeople stop after 2. Be the one who follows up!

The Follow-Up Timeline

What Makes Great Follow-Up?

1. Add Value Every Time Don’t just say “checking in.” Share something useful.

• ❌ “Just following up!”
• ✅ “Found this article about your industry—thought of you!”

2. Use Multiple Channels

• Email
• Phone call
• LinkedIn message
• Handwritten note (rare and memorable!)

3. Be Persistent, Not Annoying

• Set clear next steps
• Respect their time
• Know when to pause

Follow-Up Templates

After Meeting:

“Great chat today! As promised, here’s the proposal. What questions can I answer?”

No Response:

“I know you’re busy! Would a quick 5-minute call this week work? If timing isn’t right, just let me know.”

After They Said No:

“Totally understand. I’ll check back in 3 months. In the meantime, here’s a resource you might enjoy.”

🎯 Putting It All Together

Closing deals is a journey, not a trick:

graph TD
    A["Build Trust"] --> B["Prevent Objections"]
    B --> C["Handle Any Objections"]
    C --> D["Negotiate Fairly"]
    D --> E["Close Confidently"]
    E --> F["Follow Up Always"]
    F --> G["Win-Win Relationships"]

Your Action Checklist

• [ ] Practice the LAER method for objections
• [ ] Prepare your BATNA before negotiations
• [ ] Master 2-3 closing techniques
• [ ] Create a follow-up system you’ll actually use
• [ ] Always aim for win-win

💡 Remember

“People don’t buy products. They buy better versions of themselves.”

Your job is to help them see that future. When you truly help people get what they want, closing becomes natural.

You’ve got this! Now go make some deals happen! 🚀