There are countless books, courses, sales methodologies, and now
But what if we stopped focusing so much on closing?
I once worked with a firm that required its salespeople to “close” a minimum of 15 times before leaving an appointment.
Seriously?
That’s not selling. That’s creating pressure and frustration for everyone involved.
Stop Closing. Start Opening.
If I had my way, we’d drop the phrase “close the sale” altogether.
Because when you’re doing the sales process well, you aren’t really “closing” anything.
You’re opening a business relationship.
At Sandler, there’s a concept called “staying behind the pendulum.” The idea is simple: don’t push the prospect forward. Stay behind the process and let the prospect move themselves toward a decision, provided the solution is genuinely in their best interest.
That changes everything.
The Close Should Be the Easiest Part
Think about what should happen before you ever get to a presentation or proposal.
You’ve uncovered real, actionable pain.
You’ve established that the prospect has a budget that makes sense.
You’ve identified the decision-making process and are talking with the right people.
You’ve agreed on next steps.
You’ve qualified the opportunity instead of simply hoping it will close.
When those pieces are in place, the presentation shouldn’t be about convincing someone to buy.
It should confirm what you’ve already uncovered together.
If you’re searching for the perfect sales closing technique at that point, you may be looking for it too late in the process.
Your Closing Problem May Actually Be a Qualification Problem
Salespeople often think they have a closing problem when the real issue happened much earlier.
Maybe discovery wasn’t deep enough.
Maybe the prospect’s pain wasn’t fully uncovered.
Maybe budget wasn’t discussed.
Maybe the salesperson never identified who was involved in the decision.
Maybe the opportunity wasn’t truly qualified.
No amount of clever closing techniques, follow-up emails, or AI sales tools can completely fix a weak sales process.
Qualify well, and closing becomes easier.
The Only Close You Really Need
So, drumroll please…
Here it is:
“What would you like to do next?”
That’s it.
When the sales process has been executed properly, that simple question gives the prospect the opportunity to make a decision rather than feel like they’re being pushed into one.
And think about it from the buyer’s perspective:
How much do you enjoy being sold?
Most people would rather make a good buying decision than feel like they’ve been talked into one.
Build the Decision, Don’t Force It
The goal isn’t to find a clever closing line.
It’s to build a repeatable sales process where the prospect has enough information, clarity, and confidence to make the right decision for their business.
That means asking better sales discovery questions, uncovering real pain, qualifying thoroughly, understanding the decision process, and gaining commitments throughout the conversation.
Technology and AI for sales can help salespeople prepare, practice, research prospects, and improve efficiency. But AI doesn’t replace the fundamentals of a strong sales conversation. The salesperson still has to ask the right questions, listen, qualify, and build trust.
By the time you ask:
“What would you like to do next?”
the prospect shouldn’t feel like they’re being closed.
They should feel like they’re making a decision.
Don’t rely on a great close to save a weak sales process. Build a great sales process, and the close becomes the natural next step.
About Chuck Terry and Sandler Denver
Chuck Terry, President and CEO of Sandler Denver, is a sales training, leadership development, and executive coaching expert who works with sales professionals and business leaders to improve sales performance, strengthen sales processes, and build more effective sales teams. Sandler Denver works with organizations facing challenges such as low quota attainment, declining margins, and inconsistent sales results.
Through sales training, sales coaching, leadership development, prospecting training, and the Sandler Selling System, Chuck and his team help sales professionals develop practical skills, behaviors, and processes that support consistent sales growth.
Chuck Terry | Sandler Denver
Sales Training | Sales Coaching | Sales Leadership | Prospecting | Sales Performance | Sales Process Improvement
If your team is struggling with closing sales, stalled deals, prospecting, qualification, sales pipeline management, or sales performance, it may not be time for another closing technique. It may be time to look at the process behind the close.
Chuck Terry, CEO/President
Sandler Training in Denver provides sales training, management and leadership training, and professional development for individuals and organizations. Let us know how we can help your team.
