Closing is About Asking Questions

Prefer To Watch: Here’s The Video

Understanding the Closing Process

Closing is about asking questions. I remember when I first started sales somebody told me that and it sort of but really didn’t make sense. After being in over 16,000 homes most of which are a one-call close I get it now. You are not telling people to do things in the close but asking them questions.

Selling vs. Closing

The biggest thing to understand is that closing is not selling. You sell and show the value of your product in the sale presentation you give before you reach the close. People always say they closed them but what really happens is you sell them during the sales presentation and the closing is just handling the financial part of the transaction ie they have to pay for it and you are professionally helping them get through the process nobody likes Spending money. What you are really doing if it’s done right is helping them get what they want. It’s helping not pushing.  Based on this the close won’t work unless they want it and think it’s worth it. If your sales presentation is solid you can overcome some of that in the close but it’s usually just to get them over minor humps. Ideally, you shouldn’t have to sell them on your product and build value in the close of your sale presentation was done correctly. So after you show them the price the close is really about figuring out what is keeping the customer from giving you the check and finalizing the purchase. Also known as handling the objection.

The Key to Closing More Home Improvement Sales: Asking the Right Questions

Here are 4 ways that closing is about asking questions. Please watch to the end to see all four. Now if you like these types of videos please subscribe or check out my blog for more free home improvement sales training listed in the description below.

Identifying the Real Objection

The first type of questions to learn in the close is how to figure out what the real objection is.

In a normal sale call, most of the closing starts after you have done your sales presentation delivered the price assumed the order, or asked them to buy.

Usually, the first things you hear are what I call smoke screens. They are variations of things like:  I need to think about, I need to get three estimates, I never make a snap decision, etc. These by themselves are not objections.  I always like to use the analogy of asking someone to marry you. If you asked someone that and they told you  I always have to get into three relationships before I can commit, I need to think about it or I never make snap decisions what would you be thinking?  Is that the real objection or are they just saying no and you really don’t know why or the real reason yet? That’s what’s happening in the close but for some reason, people don’t see it that way. They actually think that the reason the person is not buying is that they don’t make snap decisions.

Handling Money Objections

That’s where the first type of questions come in. In a nice way, you are trying to uncover, and then isolate the real objection. In other words, find out what the real reason is then make sure that there are no other reasons they are not buying. If you have done everything right and they are sold the only real objection is usually the money or price. If the objection is anything but the money in most cases you lost it in the sales presentation. So what you have to do is learn to ask the right questions to determine the real objection. In a way, you are converting the smoke screen to the real objection which is the money.  I isolate the objection by starting with so other than ( not making snap decisions, talking to your mom, or whatever they tell me)…are there any other reasons you wouldn’t want this? No…now it’s isolated.

Closing More Home Improvement Sales with Strategic Questioning

Here's an example of how to do that by asking questions: so other than making not making snap decisions are there any other reasons you wouldn’t want this window? No, I love everything about it I just don’t make snap decisions. Not a problem is okay if leave you some information? No, go ahead. Well first of all whether you do this or not it's not a snap decision. If I just came into your house and talked to you for 10 minutes and snapped my fingers and said it’s $20,000 how do you want to pay for it that would be a snap decision   I mean correct me if I'm wrong but in the two hours that I've been here you've probably talked and thought more about kitchens than you have in your entire life is that correct?.. yeah I guess so so whether you do it or not it's not a snap decision I guess my other question is that if this wasn't $20,000 but it was $10,000 would you still be thinking about it or would you be hiring us now if this was $10,000 I'd be doing it ….so this really has nothing to do with making snap decisions it just comes down to the money like it always does right? Yeah, I guess it really does so… I guess my question is other than the money do you definitely want this kitchen? Yes. You might want to review that but as you can see this is all about asking the right questions.

The point is that you convert the smoke screen objections to the real objection of the money by asking questions.

The other types of questions you need to use in the close are to get the gap or problem to solve regarding the money. In other words, you’ve isolated the objection to the money. So other than the money is this what you want? You need to use questions to determine the gap between where you are vs where you need to be so you can solve the problem. Keep in mind there are two types of money objections whether they can afford it or whether they think it’s worth it. Those are two different things.  

For example, if they say they can’t afford it you need to determine the payment gap by saying so how much too much is the monthly payment. When you are handling affordability, you should be working on payments. It’s a payment close. You need to get the gap or sometimes you get stuck in a well how about $300 a month? Well, that’s too much…$275? Still too much if you don’t don’t know the exact amount of the gap you won’t know when you get there and could be stuck going around in circles. How can you solve the problem if you don’t know what it is? Also when they give you the gap they are committing to that amount. For example when say $300 a month and they say it’s too much then when you say “How much too much is that payment” and they say $100  a month is too much or I’d rather be about $200/month they are committing to that number. It’s almost like them saying well at 300/month no but at 200/ month I could do it.   

The other type of money objection is if it’s not that they don’t think they can afford it but are not sure if they think it’s worth it. Ultimately you lost it in the sales presentation because you didn’t build the value but either way, once you are there you have to still use questions to get the gap so you can figure out how to solve this. For example, they say it’s too much money because you are at 20,000 and they can’t see it being worth that much. “ Well if you don’t mind me asking how much too much is the $20,000 in terms of what you think it’s worth? Or what do you think you would pay for this?  Well, we're about $3000 apart from where I want to be. Then you know that they would pay $17000 or that the gap is $3000. Then you have to close that gap by doing a value builder like reminding them of how they will save on the energy bill or get back in resale value. The learning experience if you don’t sell them is not that you lost them in the close but the sale presentation because you didn’t properly build the value.

The tone of the questions in the close again should be in a helpful way in which you are trying to help the customer get what they want.

Using Scaling Questions to Finalize the Sale

The third way that closing is about asking questions in the close is about how you look at what the customer is saying. One way that works great for me is I turn their objections into a question. For example When someone is saying  “ron I was planning on spending 10,000 and you are fifteen thousand.” To me what they are saying is not no but asking a question like “Ron  I was only planning on spending 10k before you got here can you help me feel more comfortable spending the 15k? or when they say “I have somebody coming by tomorrow to give me an estimate and I wasn’t planning on doing anything until I got all my estimates.” What I hear is Ron I really did have someone coming buy tomorrow but I like what you have to offer and I need you to help me feel more comfortable with pulling the trigger now and not having to see someone else tomorrow.” Turn the objections they give you into questions they are asking and they will be easier to answer and help solve their problems.

The other type of questions I use in a close help me open them up to get what the real issue is so I can help solve it and make the sale. One I like is “ Do you mind if I ask you a question? No not at all. On a scale of 1-10 with 1 being you wish  I left an hour ago and 10 meaning you are signing the paperwork where do you stand? Well, I guess I would be about a 7. Well, then what would have to happen for you to be at a 10? This has helped me make a lot of sales.

Another one is  I know you weren’t planning on doing anything today but what would be the worst thing that could happen to you if you did order the windows now and save the most amount of money?

Mastering the Art of Closing

If you want to get really good you have to study and practice these things with your co-workers. You can’t just watch this video and expect to be a better salesperson. If you want more on this please watch the video above on I want to think about and the video on closing training “How and Why to Bring It To the Money.  Happy Selling.