How to Close a Deal Like a Pro, Plus List of Top Sales Closing Phrases

Closing the deal is one of the most important parts in sales. If you don't close, you don't have a deal.

Though one would think that it is easy to ask a client if they want to buy or not, I've found that many salespeople are struggling with how to approach this question. Salespeople are usually good at demoing their product, but asking for business at the end of their meetings can feel scary, especially if they are new in sales.

So today I'll share with you the tips that'll smooth your deal, plus my top favorite sales closing phrases I collected over the years!

Download The Full List of Top Sales Closing Phrases for Sales Reps

Always be closing - in the meeting

Before we move over to the actual phrases you can use when closing, I want to stress that the most important thing you can do when closing is to close the case in the meeting. You might, of course, not get the decision right away, but always ask for business while you’re in the meeting. This way you will be able to tackle all the possible objections while you’re in the room and face to face with the client.

If you have to go back to the office to confirm a price or some technical details, then take the discussion as far as you can during the meeting.

For example, by using a phrase such as "assuming [special technical request] is possible, will you be able to buy?" or by giving a reference price "assuming the price is within your price limit, will you buy or do you have any other concerns?”

Stick to the goal of each meeting

Another key point is to to set your expectations at the beginning of the meeting. Make sure your client knows you want to get a decision at the end of the meeting; this will give them time to prepare.

You can do this by going through your agenda and having the last point on the agenda being, "Decision and Next Steps" or then by just saying, "let's aim to go through everything in this meeting, so that you are ready to make a decision when we finish."

I have found that clients sometimes can be shocked when I say this, however, it does get them more prepared to make their decision when we reach the end of the meeting. Also, occasionally they might reply with, "I'll need to go through this with my boss/colleague” . If that's the case, of course you want to know about this as early on as possible in the meeting.

Just ask

Simple and straightforward questions are what I like the most. These are some of the phrases I think work really well:

"Are you ready to get started?"

"So are you ready to move forward? The next step would then be the order confirmation."

"Now that I've showed you the service, all that is left is your decision." :)

"So why don’t you give this a try?"

My all time favorite question is simply asking, "so do you want to buy?" accompanied with a broad smile. I have found that people appreciate it when salespeople are direct and are clear with their expectations.

If you don't immediately get a "YES" then the potential client very often will tell you all the reasons that they have for not buying, which gives you something to work on.

Add a sense of urgency

Sometimes it helps to use time to motivate your customers to take action.

“If you are interested in our solution, I suggest that you make the decision today because then we can offer you [special request the prospect asked for]. How does this sound?”

"If you sign today, you could have everything up and running by [your preferred date]"

"We could have everything up and running on [your preferred date], how does that sound?"

"Now that we have gone over everything, let’s aim to make a quick decision."

"We could have everything up and running on [your preferred date], how does that sound?"

"If a gave you a small reduction, would that convince you to sign the contract today?"

Most people don’t want to miss out on a good deal, which is why you want to make your client feel like they are about to lose a time-limited opportunity. Many salespeople approach this method with a promotional offer or some sort of beneficial offer towards the client.

Use the reverse technique

Sometimes, it can be incredibly effective to ask your client directly, “why can’t you buy?” instead of asking “will you buy?” This is a very upfront approach and usually the client will be a bit surprised and will begin to disclose all of their reasons for not wanting to purchase your product at the moment.

By using “The Reverse Technique” you can obtain all the information that you would normally get from your client at a later stage and you can move on to optimizing your closing strategy.

Try some of these phrases next time you're working with a troubled client:

“Are there any obstacles to purchasing this today?”

“If we could find a solution for [problem], would you like to purchase this service?”

“So if I understood correctly, X and Y are the problems that you are concerned with, correct? Our team could solve those problems for you by… So, would you like to move ahead?"

Download The Complete List of Sales Closing Phrases to Seal the Deal

Embrace the "No"

For sure no matter how many techniques you've applied, some of the clients will just reject. But you shouldn't feel discouraged by that. For sales reps, any response is information - that can be insights to optimize your sales strategy.

That's why for every No you encounter, aim to understand what the reasons behind are. Then think about how you can solve their problems. It's easily the most exhilarating part of sales once you've mastered the skills.