Have you ever seen book titles or magazine and online advertising headlines that scream: 
• “1,001 Ways to Close A Sale!”
• “No Means Yes!”
• “Power-Close Your Way to the Bank!”
• “They’ll Never Say No Again!”
• “Close the Deal Before They Toss You Out!”
I get a great kick out of such boastful and absurd claims. Because despite their “guarantee” of success, success is actually unlikely. Can you imagine memorizing “1,001 ways to close a sale”?
Plus, these contrived closes usually operate from the basic premise of “When your customer says this—you respond with Close 52—‘the imminent emergency close’! But if your customer says this—you respond with Close 712—‘the behind-your-back, slam dunk, in-your-face, puppy dog close’!”
It’s ridiculous and unfortunate. Because if these misleading and hard-sell pressure tactics are used, they backfire. Not only is this opportunity lost, but any future business relationship is also jeopardized.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve never had two prospects or clients who carry the same “script.” Let alone a “script” that’s the same as mine!
Plus, if you do try to memorize 1,001 ways to close a sale, there’s a real good chance your prospect will deliver: Objection 1,002!
I was once given a book boasting on its front cover, that it was “the most powerful book ever written on closing.” It’s also the most manipulative. In a chapter entitled, “The Greatest Closes on Earth,” it shares closing strategies with names like; “the sharp-angle close,” “the three-devil close,” “the intimidation close” and “the negative close.”
Each closing tactic also has an example of its use, preceded by a brief description. Let me share with you, verbatim, four of these despicable descriptions:
1. With this close, the closer throws the customer’s objections right back at him and makes him eat his own words.
2. This close actually tells the customer to go to hell when he says he has to think about buying the product.
3. This close is designed to embarrass and shame the customer into buying the product through pressure and emotion.
4. WARNING: When the closer uses this close, he had better be on his toes and far enough away from the customer, so if the customer becomes violent, the closer can take defensive precautions.
The preceding descriptions aren’t jokes. They’re not fabrications. They’re sadly presented as legitimate strategies to get business. If these strategies are used, the only thing you’re likely to get—is total and deserved rejection and humiliation!
Tricky, manipulative or coercive closes serve no purpose for, have no place in and must never be part of any attempt to generate business.
Remember, when you properly conduct the various stages of business-development, (as described in the six steps of the Opportunity $elling!® sales and business-growth system), and especially—your ability to ask a series of powerful questions—then asking for and receiving The Yes is simply the next natural step.
(The preceding is an excerpt from the 5th edition of Jeff’s bestselling book, Peak Your Profits. Available on Amazon and at your favorite bookstore.)
