Wait Your Turn

If the best closing tactic is to allow your prospect to close themselves, then naturally that means you should not explicitly ask for the business. Here’s why. You and the prospect have been talking about this engagement for days, weeks, sometimes months. If they don’t know that you’re selling something, and what that something is, then what has been the content of those conversations? Seriously, if you’ve been asking questions about the status quo, it’s impact on your prospect, their timeframe for addressing the issue, and what they’d like to see in an engagement, do you really have to say, “and I’d like you to sign on as a client today?” No, that statement is not necessary. 

You might say something else, such as: “Have I answered all your questions? Are you satisfied that the proposed solution will meet your needs? Yes? Then, how would you like me to proceed?” You see how that puts your prospect at ease? People like to be in control of their own money. That’s why I say, let the prospect close themselves. When I ask them how they want me to proceed, they invariably respond: “Let’s move forward with the deal.”

Isn’t that what you do when you have a problem you want addressed? Think about it. Say, you hate your kitchen and have decided to upgrade it. This is your second interview with the potential contractor. You know how much the project will cost, how long it will take, you gave them a sketch of what the final project should look like, and you’ve seen pictures of their prior jobs or checked their references. If the contractor asks what do you want me to do next? What do you invariably say? “I’m sold,” right?

And, what happens next? The followthrough. The contractor says: “I’m looking forward to working with you. I’ll send you a contract tomorrow, and I’ll need the deposit by Friday if you want to keep to the schedule we discussed.” 

It’s the same thing with professional services. After the prospect says, “Let’s do it,” Explain what the next step is. Don’t be concerned that your prospect is going to change their mind in the 24 hours it may take you to get an engagement letter out. The reason you can be so confident is because the prospect made up their own mind. You didn’t pressure them. That prospect is sure they made a good decision, and they are ready to get started. 

So, to be clear, there are two steps to a closing. The first is the verbal agreement to move forward. That step should be initiated by the prospect. Don’t ask them to agree to the deal within the next 10 minutes or they won’t get the free toaster. Just ask if they have what they need from you to make a decision.

The second part of the closing is the followthrough. And that’s the part of the closing that must be initiated by you. They’ve communicated their decision to engage you. They know how much it will cost. You know what’s expected of you (i.e., the scope of the engagement, the deliverables, and the desired outcome). So, there’s been a meeting of the minds. Now, you need to put that understanding in writing and ask that they sign to confirm that there was no disconnect in what they said and what you heard. And they need to pay something upfront so that they have skin in the game and stay committed to your deal for the duration of the project. 

So, the takeaway is: Wait Your Turn. The prospect is responsible for the go / no-go decision and you’re responsible for the followthrough.