How To Close A Sale: Everything You Need To Know

How Do You Close A Sale?

What does it mean to close a sale? It’s basically getting someone to sign at the end of a contract and begin a wonderful journey with you. It all starts with a carefully crafted software sales marketing plan, where your goal is to generate leads, capture their interest, and sell them your software. To get to the final step, though, you need to follow smart sales closing techniques to prove to clients why your solution is the ideal option for them. The B2B sales cycle may require months to conclude, as on many occasions there are 6–10 decision-makers involved along the way. Even the slightest mistake can trigger a ripple effect of disgruntled stakeholders who want to move on from you to the next suitor. Getting that final “yes” requires patience and consistency.

You must invest in SaaS content marketing and promotional endeavors that keep reminding customers why you are their top choice. Your job isn’t done even after closing the deal. SaaS clients often require onboarding to master your software. But not every effort ends in a sale. You have to understand when it’s time to move on and leave a prospect alone. Even if a business relationship fails, you have to walk away with dignity, although you can try again in the future if you have a new product that tackles that client’s objections and solves their challenges.

The 6 Most Common Sales Closing Tactics

1. Assumptive Close

This sales method is usually chosen by seasoned professionals who know how to be assertive without being aggressive. You basically communicate with prospects assuming they will purchase your software. Instead of asking them whether they are ready to buy, you ask them which pricing model they want to choose. However, this closing technique in sales can easily go sideways if you’ve misread people’s cues. That’s why you should ensure prospects have a positive perception of your service before you assume they’re ready to buy. Timing is also pivotal. It’s best to do it once you’ve offered a free trial or a demo so clients have all the information fresh on their minds.

2. “Puppy Dog” Close

Closing a deal often requires prospects to use your software before they buy it. It’s a technique pet stores follow; if they let you take a puppy home for a few days, you will bond with it and want to keep it forever. The same goes for customers who test your software before purchasing. This is a great solution if you’re wondering how to sell payroll services and any software you offer. You simply offer a free trial or pilot program for a specific amount of time and allow users to experience your product. You can also offer a freemium, which is an unlimited version of your software for 7 days. This way, people can confirm that your product solves their problems and improves their functions.

3. Scarcity Close

Another smart way to close sales is through the old-fashioned way of FOMO, or fear of missing out. You want to make your clients feel like this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to buy your software and enjoy all its benefits. Usually, businesses create urgency by offering a unique discount that is only available for a set amount of time. To accelerate business growth, you can lean on that offer to pressure customers to convert. If you are leaning on the discounted price, you should mention how much the product will cost if people don’t purchase it right now. Unless they realize how big the difference is, you won’t be able to close the sale.

4. Takeaway Close

Product marketing and sales enablement often encounter hiccups, with clients liking your product but not making the decision to buy. In an unexpected way to close a deal, you can employ reverse psychology techniques. How? If you are in an advanced conversation with your customers but they are fixated on certain aspects, try to dissuade them from buying. Sounds crazy, right? Imagine that they probably want to take advantage of your deal. Telling them that they are probably not a good fit makes them feel like you are taking something away from them. This method pushes them to make up their minds quickly.

5. Summary Close

If you want to enrich your closing skills, try to incorporate the summary close method. Your clients are probably considering other software along with yours. So, they communicate with various representatives. It’s only natural that they don’t remember every single aspect of your solution. This is where a summary close comes into play to remind them of the key points of your product. Stick to your solution’s benefits and the pain points it can fix. Mention the pricing and unique features and how you differ from your competitors. Make your summary stand out so decision-makers are reminded of the reasons they liked you in the first place.

6. Empathy Close

The goal of B2B content marketing is to focus on people’s needs and challenges and show them why you have the perfect solution. The same should happen when you try to close a deal. Don’t push customers to buy sooner. Be empathetic and show them that you understand how hard it must be to make a decision with so many options available. Engage in active listening and think of insightful questions. Therefore, you understand the deeper pain points and concerns that prolong decision making. When prospects see you as an attentive partner, they appreciate the level of support you offer.

A Step-By-Step Guide To Close Sales Successfully

1. Identify Customer Needs

At the core of every SaaS B2B marketing strategy lie your customers and their needs. When you get organic leads, you don’t necessarily know a lot about them. You only know what they tell you when they sign up for your newsletter. It’s in your hands to dig deeper and find out more about their interests, challenges, and goals. A market intelligence report can help you identify your ideal buyer, your key competitors, and the preferred tactics that close a sale. Once you have all this information, prepare a sales pitch that addresses people’s pain points and shows empathy. Focus on how your software can solve these problems.

There are two methods you can choose to follow. If you want to capture multiple people’s interest, you can segment them into personas and curate personalized content. However, if you wish to adopt an even more targeted approach, you can arrange one-on-one meetings with high-intent prospects. To get more sales, ensure you know what your competition offers and you have a better proposal.

2. Contact The Decision Makers

So, how do you close a sale effectively once you’ve identified your customers’ preferences? As we already mentioned, B2B sales often include various decision-makers whose opinions matter. It may seem easier to target a junior employee whose inbox isn’t as full as an executive’s. However, that employee’s word won’t play any significant role. Once you know which companies you’re targeting, find those individuals who are heavily involved in decision making. This is an effective account-based marketing tactic that helps you locate the right people. And how do you get their email addresses? You may use tools like Hunter to find email addresses or do the research manually on LinkedIn. Simply visit a company’s profile page and search for its employees. When you find the job title you’re looking for, initiate communication. But before making your pitch, ask questions so you can understand the company’s needs.

3. Qualify Prospects

Chances are you’ve already crafted your ideal buyer persona, and you know who fits the profile. So, once you’ve generated your new leads, it’s time to analyze them to see whether they align with your target buyers. This process is called qualification, and you decide which accounts are worth running after and which should be abandoned. Before you close deals, you have to understand who your prospects are by asking the right questions. What are their challenges, and how do they wish to overcome them? Which software are they currently using? What made them answer your initial email/message, and what budget are they working with? Such questions give you a pretty accurate idea of who your clients are and whether your solution would benefit them.

4. Craft A Personalized Sales Pitch

Before asking for a sale, you have to make a proposition clients will have a hard time saying no to. The more you know about each account, the better your sales pitch will be. Throughout the process, you have to show empathy and understanding for people’s challenges and needs. Show them that you don’t only have the right software or product for them, but you are also genuinely interested in helping them. You should try to appeal to your customers’ emotions and remind them of their pain points. Whatever startup marketing tactics you implement, create a clear pathway from their challenges to the solution through your product. Don’t use generic examples; instead, create scenarios that address the specific challenges. However, to get more sales, people should not feel like you are exaggerating, so remain realistic and emotional.

5. Build Trust

Once the process of SaaS lead generation is concluded, you are ready to start implementing sales closing techniques. Trust and credibility are two pillars you should lean on to close more sales. Even if you have the best product in the market, customers won’t collaborate with you unless they trust you. Testimonials and case studies instill a sense of confidence regarding your product’s abilities. Prospects can see how past clients benefited from your software and which problems specifically they overcame. Remember that for any relationship to flourish, transparency is key. So, don’t be afraid to talk about your past mistakes and miscalculations—no one expects you to be perfect from the get-go. When you create case studies, mention potential errors you made and how you strategized to improve your tactics. Additionally, you can mention operational alterations that helped you become a better professional.

6. Follow Up

Sales closing isn’t a quick or easy process. You need to stay on top of things and keep contacting prospects until they are convinced to purchase. If you don’t get a “yes” immediately after your sales pitch, it doesn’t mean that customers are not interested. They probably need time to browse through other options, discuss with decision-makers, and assess their economic situation. Don’t go AWOL during this time. Keep contacting potential buyers and ask what is bothering them. Provide clear and convincing answers that clear up the air and make things easier for them.

When you nurture leads to close deals, you have to be patient and an active ally. If someone appears to be completely uninterested, maybe you have to assess your sales pitch and come up with a new proposal that better fits their needs. However, don’t overdo it with your follow-up messages, as clients may feel pressured to buy.

7. Offer A Free Trial

When you’re marketing payroll or other eLearning and HR services, not everyone is familiar with your brand or solution. Regardless of how well you describe your offering, people still need to experience your software before deciding whether they’ll buy it or not. So, you can offer a limited free trial or a freemium. The first model allows users to experience your product for a week or more but without all the available features. A freemium, on the other hand, lets them use your software’s full capabilities. During this time, you should start next to your prospects and provide onboarding direction and any other help they need. This tactic is a powerful tool for your customer acquisition strategy, as you let your product do all the talking. It’s so much easier to close a sale when customers can see for themselves how your solution can help them.

8. Tackle Objections

What is next in the closing process of a sale? This is where objections typically make an appearance. It would be way too easy to close sales otherwise. Clients often object to pricing, competitive advantage, and much more. They may even tell you that they are fine with the software they currently use. How do you respond to such an objection? Instead of telling them that they need your solution, ask them how much it costs them to stay where they are without driving improvements. Knowing and expecting objections is part of your SaaS marketing mix, and you have to find convincing answers for each pushback. Avoid being too confrontational or aggressive. Remember that you are not in a fight with prospects. You are simply trying to win them over with ironclad arguments.

9. Create Urgency

One of the most appropriate ways to conclude a sales presentation with a potential client is to create a sense of urgency. Everyone uses this tactic, from eCommerce companies to SaaS startups. However, urgency isn’t meant to pressure clients but to give them a nudge. You can implement this tactic when you see someone is seriously considering your option but takes too long to make a decision. Offering a unique discount or free added features that expire within a certain timeframe may push them to make up their minds sooner. Don’t try to “hard” close a prospect using this method, as you may end up hearing a hard “no.” If you can’t offer such benefits, though, you can lean on the cost of inaction to convert website visitors into customers. Just ask prospects how much it costs them to stay in the same problematic situation.

10. Ask For The Sale

We couldn’t not mention asking for the sale when discussing the top 11 sales closing techniques. One of the biggest mistakes sales reps make is when they are afraid to do so and beat around the bush. But some of you may wonder, how do you know it’s the right time to ask this? Once you’ve qualified your leads and made your sales pitch, you can ask for the sale. If you are in the SaaS world and many decision-makers are involved in the process, you can wait until after the free trial has ended. If you’re not sure whether your prospects are ready, you can ask them what’s on their minds. When there is no more ground to cover, it’s time to close a sales deal by asking them if they are ready to buy. Even if you get a hard “no,” at least you can move on sooner than later.

11. Know When To Move On

One key difference between lead generation techniques and sales closing techniques is that the former can run on its own without any team member working tirelessly on a daily basis. Yet, sales closing requires seasoned professionals to talk to prospects and do a lot of convincing. This includes moving on from accounts that have very few chances of converting. Typically, companies remove low-intent customers during qualifying leads. However, a high-intent client may lose interest along the way. You can either move on before asking for the sale or wait until you hear a hard “no.” You can’t expect that you’ll lose all the deals you’re trying to close. Some of them will walk away, and that is totally fine: it gives you time to focus on those who are close to converting.

How To Create A Great Communication Pathway

1. Listen Actively

Getting a client’s decision to purchase or not to move forward is affected tremendously by your ability to listen to their needs and accommodate their preferences. Whether you are a digital marketing company for small businesses or a SaaS pro offering software, you must listen empathetically, ask insightful questions, and provide clear answers. Don’t go for a hard close before you are certain you understand a client’s needs and pain points. And to do that, you have to engage in your communication like you are talking to your best friend.

2. Build Rapport

Remember when we talked about trust earlier? Building rapport does exactly that. When you spend time listening to prospects and offering your genuine advice and interest, people rely on you to receive the best proposal for their needs. Before asking for the sale, spend some time bonding and sharing past experiences others may connect deeply with.

3. Ask The Right Questions

To uncover your prospects’ deeper needs and goals, ask open-ended questions. These queries also help you during the objection stage when people create pushbacks. For example, companies offering content marketing services may ask their clients how and why their current content marketing tactics affect them negatively.

Sale-Closing Mistakes To Avoid

Enforcing A Hard Close

Going for a hard close is the last thing you want to do. Why? If you haven’t established your product’s benefits and why it serves your clients’ needs, you will most likely hear “no.” People don’t want to feel like you only want their money with zero interest in their challenges. This behavior is rather off-putting and will lead to increased failure rates.

Not Asking For The Sale

When you’re building a growth strategy for SaaS, you have to be bold. When you’ve made all the steps and there is nothing more to say or do, it’s time to ask for the sale. Avoiding this hot question may lead to even longer procrastination. Sure, you want to give people time to think, but if you don’t get back to them soon, you may lose them.

Tips To Close A SaaS Sale

A SaaS sales plan is no different than in other industries. You still qualify high-intent accounts and use smart techniques, like urgency and free trials. However, sometimes prospects increase their pace unexpectedly. Maybe they encountered even bigger problems with their existing software, and they want to buy a new solution sooner. A well-trained sales pro must pick up the cues and make their offer timely. The urgency technique may not be needed here to close the sale. Moreover, SaaS sales typically take a long time to conclude. During this time, companies communicate with various vendors/providers and hear multiple sales pitches. So, even if they like your offer, they may forget about it two months later.

A summary close is your ideal solution. Gather up the most important aspects of your presentation and offer and send them over. Remind them why your solution is the best and why your increased price is worth it. They should be able to visualize clearly how your software will benefit them. Lastly, if you don’t want to enforce a direct close, you can try the indirect pathway. Instead of asking for the sale, ask prospects how they feel about your offer. Based on their answer, you’ll understand how close they are to converting.

Key Takeaway

Converting clients nowadays feels like a Herculean task, as the competition makes things harder. Implementing closing sales tips into your strategy helps you tackle these challenges. Your first step is to understand who you’re talking to and why they align with your business objectives. Regardless of which closing method you use, you have to be patient and provide as much information and resources to clients as possible. Proof of success shows them why your product can help them achieve their goals. At the same time, you should be prepared to tackle any objections. But what is the most appropriate way to conclude a sales presentation with a potential client? Empathy and understanding for needing time to think is probably the way to go.

Any B2B content marketing agency will tell you that good communication and rapport are the secrets to building trust with your clients. So, follow up after your initial sales pitch to understand where they are in the decision-making process. Give them just enough space to think and then ask for the sale.

If you want to receive even more marketing and sales tips, join our email list and stay updated whenever, wherever!