I was listening to a client’s closing call last week, and when the prospect asked a buying question, the rep answered it and then just remained quiet.

What should she have done?

What would you have done?

The proper technique here was to 1) Answer the question, 2) Get buy in that this was what the prospect was looking for, and then 3) Either ask for the order OR use a trial close to see if she was getting close to closing the sale.

What did happen, however, is something I hear way too much: Either sales reps pause after answering a buying question, thus waiting for more questions, or they keep talking and pitching—technically known as “talking past the close.”

If you find yourself answering buying questions and then either remaining quiet or find yourself nervously talking, then use any of the following technique:

“Is that what you were hoping/looking for?”

[If Yes]

“Great. Does this then sound like what you’re looking for?”

[If Yes again]

“Great! Then let me show you how easy it is to take advantage of our solution…”

Now direct them to the signup paperwork, online form, or whatever you use to sign new clients up.

This technique of confirming your answer after answering a buying question, and then using either a trial close or a straight out “call to action” is what separates top sales reps from all the others.

Remember: You are the one directing the sale and that means asking for the deal at the right moment—which is often at the end of a buying question.

If you or your team wants to get better at closing more sales, then get better at the fundamentals. And that means training.

Further resources are available in Mr. Inside Sales Blog by clicking here.