Assume the Close

Many salespeople learn this one the hard way:
By asking too broad questions, we shoot ourselves in the foot.

What we want to do with our questions is steer the discussion and dig deeper to understand our lead’s real problems (while at the same time breaking down their distortions of reality.)

And so it’s sometimes better to assume that the prospect is there to buy rather than make them doubt for nothing.

Like Morpheus, provide them with a choice

The whole “assume the close” thing revolves around the concept of choice.

If you assume your prospect is here to buy, you want to know what they want and help them finding that thing without causing a brain freeze.

The simple and easiest way to do this is to give them a problem to solve.

Every brain on earth is a problem-solving machine.

By asking them to choose between two things like Morpheus does with Neo in the Matrix (red pill vs blue pill), we help their brain focus on one simple task.

In one sentence we:

• reduce their mental load
• reduce their hesitation
• make them gain time
• help them make the best choice for them

They can choose between the two options you give them or say they are not here for this, but for something else instead.

No matter what they say next, their likelihood to find what they were searching for just increased.

And so did our likelihood to close them.

Assume the close — Example 1

Let’s imagine we’re a salesperson at a cinema checkout.

It’s not much, but it changes everything.

Assume the close — Example 2

Same dynamic, but we’re selling a SaaS’s 3-plan pricing this time.

Again, it’s not a big deal, but it changes everything.