Your Close Doesn’t Need Work – Everything Else Does

So much of selling advice focuses on the close. I liken it to the magic weight loss pill, or the New Years Resolution, or any other quick fix we instinctively seek.

The close implies that if we just said the right thing once, in a particular moment, sales would suddenly happen. Not only that, but a sale would happen even if it weren’t possible before. All because we have the magic words! Amazing!

But it’s just not so. There aren’t magic words, only more- or less-persuasive words. There isn’t a single critical moment in a sale. There’s a process that builds an overall impression of you and what you have to offer.

Focusing on “the close” permits us to neglect everything that comes before it.

Yes, you have to be comfortable having money conversations and yes, you absolutely should say if you think you can genuinely help your prospect.

Build a connection, understand their goals, and politely tell them if you think you can be the bridge that gets them to the future they want.

But don’t close. I won’t give you permission.