Many salespeople dread the close because it feels like pressure. In reality, a good close is just a clear question at the right moment, built on everything you learned earlier in the sale.
Five closing strategies
- The summary close — recap the buyer's needs and how your solution meets them, then ask for a decision.
- The next-step close — agree a specific next action and date rather than a vague "let's talk soon".
- The trial close — ask "How does this sound so far?" to check readiness before the final ask.
- The options close — offer two good choices so the buyer chooses how, not whether.
- The timeline close — work backwards from the date the buyer needs results.
Ask, then stop talking
After you ask a closing question, wait. Filling the silence with extra information often undoes the close.
Follow up with purpose
If the buyer is not ready, agree exactly what needs to happen before they are. Then follow up with something useful, not "just checking in".
Get call-ready closing scripts in the Closing Strategies Playbook, and a structured follow-up cadence in the Follow-Up & Re-Engagement Close System.