Closing the deal: A comprehensive Guide with 11 essential Sales Closing Questions
What is a sales closing question
Sales closing questions : definition
If you’re a salesperson, you should know how hard it can be to close a deal. Sometimes you don’t even know your interlocutor’s position on your offer. This is why mastering the use of sales closing questions is fundamental.
A sales closing question is a question, usually asked by a salesperson, to help finalize a sale by encouraging the customer to make a decision or commitment.
A sales closing question can have several functions. We’ll see them in the following section !
What are the advantages of using sales closing questions
- Start the last step of the sales process : Sales closing questions help you start the final phase of the sales process by prompting the prospect to make a decision or commitment.
- Understand better the customer needs: By asking targeted sales closing questions, you can gain valuable information on your customer's needs, preferences. Then, you can simply tailor your pitch to convince the prospect !
- Address pain points and objections: Open-ended questions allow you to uncover objections or concerns the prospect may have. This helps you identify the hurdles you need to overcome to reach an agreement.
- Summarize the benefits of your solution: Sales closing questions provide an opportunity to highlight the key benefits and value propositions of your solution. This is a very good way to remind your prospect of the advantages of your product or service !
8 transition statements to prepare your sales closing questions
Sales closing questions are highly effective when it comes to closing a deal. But you need to know when and how to use them. Otherwise, it could just be counterproductive, with the prospect becoming defensive.
That’s why you need transition statements. Transition statements allow you to ensure that the timing is right before introducing a sales closing question. Let’s have a look at some very useful transition statements:
- “Now that we've discussed your needs and preferences in detail, let's explore how our solution aligns with your requirements."
- "Based on our conversation so far, it seems like we're on the same page regarding your goals. Let's take a moment to consider how our solution can help you achieve them."
- "I appreciate your insights on [specific topic]. Now, let's delve into how our product/service can specifically address [prospect's pain point or goal]."
- “Now that we've explored the features and benefits in detail, let's discuss how we can tailor our solution to meet your specific needs."
- "Before we finalize our discussion, I'd like to summarize the key points we've covered and address any remaining questions or hesitations you may have."
- "It's clear that our solution resonates with your objectives. Let's take a moment to map out the next steps and how we can proceed from here."
- "Before we wrap up, I'd like to ensure that we're both comfortable moving forward. Let's review how our solution fits into your overall strategy."
- "Given the insights we've gained today, let's explore how implementing our solution can drive tangible results for your business."
11 sales closing questions to supercharge your conversion rate !
Now that you know when to use sales closing questions, let’s look at actual examples of sales closing questions:
What do you think?
This is a very basic question, but it’s very effective. First it shows your interlocutor you care about what they think. As it’s an open-ended question, it’s also the opportunity for your prospect to express any concerns they may have.
In most cases, using this sales closing question helps you advance in the sales process, and is then a very good question to ask during meetings.
Is this what you are looking for?
This is also a classic question. You ask directly to your prospect if your solution is adapted to their needs. It’s very useful as you can easily start mentioning next steps if the answer is positive !
Can you see any benefits to this solution ?
This sales closing question is another way to make your prospect admit (or not) that your solution suits their needs. But I’d say it’s even better, because if your prospect is struggling to see the advantages of your solution, you have the opportunity to list the benefits of your solution again (revenue increase, cost reduction…)
Which of these two options would you prefer?
Instead of asking your prospect what they think of your solution, you can propose… 2 solutions !
It’s a very effective way to formulate your sales closing question. Here, you give different options to your prospect (and everybody likes having options). But also, your prospect will feel like they have to choose between 2 options and is more likely to actually make a choice.
Are you satisfied with your current solution?
This is the other way of selling your solution : reminding your prospect that their current solution is not satisfying. Otherwise they wouldn’t be there talking with you !
The idea of this sales closing question is to bring your interlocutor to mention what they don’t like about their current solution to compare it to your solution afterwards (and show why it’s better of course !). It’s also a way to understand your prospect’s actual needs to address them the best way possible !
How do we compare to other solutions you're considering ?
This sales closing question is a bit similar to the previous one. You want your customer to compare the options.
This question can be a double-edged sword. If your prospect mentions an alternative that is simply better than yours, it will be hard to make them purchase. On the other hand, if you are pretty sure that your solution is better than the competition, this question will be super effective and make the sales process progress faster !
Do you have any reservations or concerns that we haven't addressed yet?
This is a great sales closing question because it helps transitioning smoothly towards the last step of the sales process.
If your prospect has reservations or concerns, you can directly address them. Otherwise, you can take that as a pretext to move on to the agreement !
What next steps would you like to take as we move forward ?
With this question, you show your professionalism and that you’re dedicated to proceed as your client wants you to. You also invite your client to advance to the next step of the sales process without being aggressive.
Is our pricing aligned with your budget ?
This question allows you to talk about pricing. If your interlocutor answers yes, you can prepare the pen. If there is an issue, you can open the negotiations to find an agreement. In both cases, the outcome is beneficial for you !
Would you be interested in a trial period to experience the benefits first-hand?
It’s very difficult to say no to such a proposition. And it’s exactly why you should ask this kind of question ! It’s particularly effective when your interlocutor has reservations about your product or service. By offering your solution for free for a limited time, there's a chance that your prospect will be convinced by your solution and make the purchase !
What timeline are you considering for making a decision?
This sales closing question is great as, again, it’s a non-aggressive way to understand when you can expect a decision.
The best case scenario is that your interlocutor says there is no set timeline so you can directly try to close the deal !
How Claap helps you boost your conversion rate even further
Claap is an audio and video transcription tool, and a meeting recorder. But it’s not only that.
Claap allows you to be more convincing
As you should have understood, Claap removes the need of taking notes. And this is a game changer : you can be completely focused on your prospect and then be more impactful. You are also less likely to forget something your interlocutor mentioned… You can even look at the summary generated by Claap to directly spot important elements to keep in mind !
This helps you build a more convincing pitch and increase your conversion rate !
Claap allows you to be more efficient
Claap is an asynchronous meeting tool. On Claap’s platform, you can record your screen while having your camera on. This way, you can communicate any information in a 2 to 5 minute video. We call that a claap.
This is a revolution. Instead of spending 30 mn in a synchronous meeting, you spend 10 mn recording a short video to communicate with your prospect. Then, they can respond to it on Claap’s interface, reacting to it, adding comments… and all that very accurately as they can even select a part of the screen to react to !
Guillaume De Nacquard, from Surfe is using Claap and observed a significant effect on his work:
“Every time I was doing that I had like 40% conversion rates compared to like 3, 4, or 5% with normal approaches.”
Claap is an amazing tool for a sales team. If you’re not convinced yet, you can test Claap’s features for free for 14 days. Start now, and see the difference ! (Free plan with no credit card required)
