The Assumptive Close - Sale-Closing Techniques 101

Before you take the advice in this or in any otherdelivered Tues or Thursday this week?"
article on the subject, the best advice on closingIf you incorporate this method as part of your
more sales is to get to know your own personalpersonal selling process, you'll have to make sure
selling process and personality. What works foryou practice delivery so it comes off naturally.
the author of this article may not work in yourThis shouldn't sound like a close, it should rather
industry, or with your personal style. That said,flow easily from your presentation and wind up at
this is perhaps the easiest-to-adapt of allthe point where it's obvious--you've made your
sale-closing techniques as it can be applied rathercase, and any sane person would want to buy.
broadly.Another key point to remember is that the
It's called the Assumptive Close, and it's actuallyassumptive close denies a "yes" or "no" as a
one of the easiest closes to use. It worksviable answer to asking for the sale. Asking for
naturally, and the method is to make thethe sale is simply, "Would you like 'X' or 'Y' color
assumption that your prospect wants what youquantity/delivery date?" At this point, your
came to sell. Make the assumption that he or sheprospect will either answer as you've set it up, or
will buy, and after you close your presentation,bring up objections.
you'll ask for the sale. But the way you ask forFor this whole process to work, however, you
the sale is framed in such a way that you'veneed to assume the close first, and then answer
positioned yourself in agreement with theobjections if they arise. When those objections
prospect that this deal's going through.arise, you'll answer them, and then re-pose the
You: (After sales spiel) "Well, Mr. Jones, how didquestion, "OK, so was that Tuesday or Thursday
you want to accept delivery for your newfor delivery?" Of all the sale-closing techniques
fireproof document safe? Do you want to pick upavailable, the assumptive close is the easiest to
from the dock, or should we arrange delivery toemploy and seems to work the best in the
your office?"author's personal selling process.
Or: "Mr. Jones, would you like that new copier