Let’s Banish the Term “Close” from the Sales Process!

The term “close” hurts the sales process, and hurts customers and sales professionals alike.  In my 20 plus years of experience, I’ve witnessed bad labels and bad semantics describe the basic steps of a sale, to the detriment of all involved.  “Close” or “the Close” tends to pollute our understanding and perception of the best way to conduct business.  While most would normally believe that our thinking affects our language, we sometimes fail to see how language affects our thinking.  In that light, the noun/verb “Close” destroys sales and relationships likes few other words.

In the simplest (desirable) definition, “Close” describes a stage where all parties in a transaction agree to terms which normally include the price, timeline, description of product or service, warranty and provisions for cancellation or refund.  One should have no problem with that.  But, regularly in the minds of the selling party, “close” becomes an unhealthy fixation.  Too often we perceive “the close” like some kind of orgasmic climax, and as the ultimate reward for great effort, wily cunning, with an ability to play down and dodge legitimate customer concerns and objections.  We compliment someone who can bend the will of others as being “a strong closer”.  Frankly, we see “the close” as the end of the effort to build trust, and present value.  We see “the close” the beginning of the end, and the beginning of the “easy part”:  the delivery of the goods to the customer.  We train sales people repetitively with phrases like, “always be closing”, and “trial close”.  While businesses invest endlessly to earn trust, loyalty and bring in new customers, and generally build goodwill, sadly they sacrifice too much of this at the altar of the next “close”.

Let's forget how to "close" a sale, and learn how to "open" open one instead!