Top Sales Closing Techniques for 2024

At one point or another, every salesperson will hit a wall in their career. It’s happened to everyone, you have a pipeline full of prospects but you can’t seem to close a sale. This is when most sales reps consider throwing out their entire sales process and starting over. It can seem impossible to discover new sales closing techniques. Now, this may not be the completely wrong idea, but you more than likely don’t need to start at square one. 

It is easy to get stuck in a sales rut, but when that happens,  it means it’s time to adjust your closing sales tactics. This is a great time to break down your own sales tactics to see what is working and where your prospects are falling off. This way you can keep and improve on the points that are working. Now, let’s dive into the top sales closing techniques that your sales team should be using in 2024 and beyond.

Sales Techniques For Closing Sales

Put Yourself In Their Shoes

One problem with a lot of closing sales approaches is that they focus too heavily on the product and your company. While this information is relevant, it is not the only relevant component. Selling isn’t always about who has the better product, it’s about building the relationship. You have to put yourself in the buyer’s shoes and think, “If I was in their shoes, what would I want to hear?” and “What would convince me to pull the trigger on the sale?”. Sometimes the strategy on how to solve the problem and how the tool can work into that strategy is more important than the tool itself. It can be helpful to run through a few scenarios with a colleague or a friend. Use the most common objections or points where you lose prospects and build on that. 

Story Time

Sales and marketing can both benefit from this if you are not using this in your approach (which you already should). Your approach should tell a story with your client as the protagonist. This story needs to be clear and convincing and describe how you and the client can handle this current situation. This will allow your prospect to see themself in the situation and how they can use this new tool (or service) to become victorious in the end. 

Top Objections

Salespeople who have been selling their product or service long enough, know when the objections are coming and what they will be, almost like clockwork. You can probably write down the top objections right now. The best way you can handle these objections is to be proactive and handle them before they express them. This is a great way to not only show your prospects that you understand them and their situation, but also that you care enough to talk about their objections. 

Focus On The Pain

People don’t buy anything unless they have a need for it (especially in B2B). It can be nice to have but without that need, most people won’t make a purchase. This is why it’s important to focus on their pain points and magnify the pain. Their pain can be anything from thousands of dollars being lost every year to man-hours overworked without this solution. Whatever the pain point is, you need to show that you understand their pain and you have a solution. Always translate a pain point into what that means in money lost for your prospect. Nothing puts pain on the table like seeing how much money is being lost without using your product. 

Contact Immediately

Similar to taking coal out of the fire, your prospects will cool by the minutes. This is why once you have a hot lead, it is important to follow up with them as soon as you can. Think about the last time you were in a purchasing decision, this could be at BestBuy looking for a new TV or at a sporting goods store. When you were right on the edge of buying but you couldn’t find a sales rep, did you make a purchase? Probably not. I know I have gone to a store with the sole purpose of making a purchase but I was not able to find anyone, so I left. This is the same thing, when you have a hot lead you need to be there to help. 

Open Line Of Communication

Too many people make a few attempts at communication then scratch themself off their list. To be successful you need to be more persistent, but not to the point that you are spamming them, there is a fine balance. This comes down to how often you follow up when you follow up and the messages sent. Your copy is just as important as being persistent. When you finally do get that hard-to-reach prospect on the phone, do not forget to ask at the end of the call when the best time to reach them is. Also, don’t forget the follow-up email. 

Pick Your Time Wisely

Timing is very important in closing sales. Some would say, timing is everything. The best time to call is early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Most people experience their busiest time in the middle of the day. As far as what day of the week, aim for the middle. No one likes to be called on Mondays because your week is just starting and the same goes for Friday because you are just wanting to get out of there. Wednesday’s or Thursday’s seem to be best as you are settled into your workweek. 

Why Do Things Need To Change?

A lot of prospects know they need to change the way they are doing things but it can be difficult for them to do so. If you are selling software it costs money, time, and sometimes frustration to implement new software into someone’s life. If you are selling another service or product, similar obstacles are present. This is why you need to show them why things need to change and what the benefits are to them. If your prospect has doubts and frustrations about the way they are currently going about business or their life, you need to leverage that and show why you are the answer. 

Swiss Army Knife Of Closing Sales

You should be armed to the teeth with different ways you can close a sale. Every sales rep has a few tricks up their sleeve and typically has a favorite way they like to close. Just like everyone has a favorite side of the bed. But, not every prospect is the same, and they will throw new curveballs at you. If you only have one or two closing sales techniques you are going to be left behind quickly. By using CRM software you can keep track of your prospects and analyze them better to discover which technique is best for them. 

Take My Hand

You should be taking your client by the hand and navigating them through the sale. Too many sales reps are too passive when they are trying to make a sale. The prospect expects you to tell them what to do next. Whether this means signing up for a trial or making a purchase decision. You are being looked at as a leader, you are the one with the knowledge on how to solve their pain, now show them what’s next. The moment you surrender that leadership role to your prospect is the moment you lose the sale. 

Flexibility Is Key

You should always be ready to shift the price or the structure of the sale. If a prospect tells you that they cannot afford $8,000 for 20 employees, you need to be able to restructure that deal to accommodate or get closer to their budget. Which may convert some of their employees to a basic package but keeps leadership on the full plan. You might be able to do this through a monthly plan that costs more per year than the $8,000 but broken up into monthly is more affordable. Consult with members of your team to discover the flexibility you have and create scenarios prior to meetings. This way your prospects don’t have to wait for you to talk to your team, you will have an answer for them now. 

Now What?

Okay, so I just gave you a ton of information, now what do you do with it. If you take nothing but this away, just know that preparation is key. You need to know every angle of every objection, use case, pain point, and your own pricing strategy. You may think that your solution is cut and dry, but believe me, your prospects will find ways around your product structure you never thought of. Sales closing techniques never get easier, so it’s a good idea to set aside a day to just go over these pitches, objections, and talk flexibility with your team. It’s a small-time investment in yourself and it will pay dividends, for not just you, but your prospects. Happy selling!