Embrace the Quiet-Close Technique

We’ve all experienced an overaggressive seller. Rather than giving you time to think, space to breathe, or consideration to your personal needs, they instead attempt to pressure you into making a purchase or signing a contract.

This sales tactic isn’t just considered unprofessional by many people; it’s potentially counterproductive. According to the consultation firm SBI, taking a “provoking” approach with customers can actually prolong the sales cycle by 22 percent. In other words, an overzealous salesperson can actually deter clients, or worse, paint your organization in a poor light, even discouraging warm, relevant leads from returning.

Instead of doing your competitors a favor with standoffish selling, have your sales team try a new tactic: the quiet close. Adopting this softer style for securing deals may not seem as exciting as the lionhearted shove into conversions, but it could very well win over potential customers more organically.

The low-pitch powerhouse

The quiet closer is neither meek nor resistant to speaking with clients. They are strategic, customer-centric communicators who can coax prospects into trusting them and accepting their business. Their deft approach instills sales with a charismatic and human touch, including a strong understanding of buyer psychology. Take a closer look at some of the key elements of this technique.

Resistance to pushiness
While most sellers are eager to address objections—everything from “Why are you calling me?” to “This is too expensive”—converting hesitant prospects should sometimes be a gentle process. Rather than demanding that customers need your business’s product or service, the salesperson should offer to work with them as a solution. For example, an irrigation specialist may discuss with homeowners if they’re having difficulty maintaining healthy, vibrant grass and then propose a free on-site consultation from one of their experts. Consumers will be far more likely to follow along when they feel that you aren’t trying to take their money but, rather, helping them address a concern. When your value proposition is compatible with a client’s needs, the sales will happen more naturally than they would when you resort to pressure.

An open ear
Sellers who use the quiet close take time to understand both buyers’ specific current needs and future goals. To discover this info, they need to listen more than they speak. Task your sales team with asking open-ended questions (e.g., following the irrigation example, “How do you feel about the quality of your lawn?”) and giving potential clients time to respond in detail while listening intently to find threads they can pull at. Taking such an individually focused sales tactic will express to prospects that your business cares about what they care about—and what it sells is directly relevant to it.

Naturally, working off a sales script can help sellers feel informed and ready for each customer interaction, but rather than following this rubric by the book, it should prepare them to pivot based on each customer’s unique needs and goals. If they continue to ask questions and adjust according to the responses they receive, clients will eventually reveal what matters to them and how much they’re willing to spend. As Micah Zimmerman writes on entrepreneur.com, this “fact-finding” process should account for a substantial 70 percent of every sales interaction.

Contact in moderation
If you’ve ever had a friend or family member blow up your phone with incessant messaging, then you can imagine how unpleasant constant touchpoints could be for your prospects. Naturally, persistence is necessary to get responses—twelve to fifteen touchpoints, as Outward Media Inc. CEO Paula Chiocci notes on forbes. com. But practice moderation in your outreach, never messaging more than once per twenty-four hours. Also consider this stepping-back approach courtesy of sales coach Amrutt Bhatt:

• One of the most striking shifts came when we stopped trying to force a deal. Instead of chasing a stalled $1M deal, we sent a simple message.
• “We sense you might need space to evaluate all options thoroughly. We respect that. Here’s some additional ROI data you might find useful. Take the time you need.”
• The result? The prospect called back within hours.

Each time a team member reaches out, be sure that their sales messaging is packaged within items of value, such as how-to guides or entertaining videos, rather than being outwardly promotional. Being subtle in this approach will make consumers more likely to engage with your company’s messaging.

Holding your position

Granted, the quiet close is not a one-size-fits-all solution for every situation, nor is it prudent instruction for every seller on your team (e.g., shier or less motivated team members may need to be encouraged to lean more assertively into their sales). And in some cases, being aggressive rather than passive isn’t just advisable but downright necessary.

For example, it may be more appropriate to take a firm approach when requesting a close. If your salesperson has kept a prospect hooked long enough to communicate pricing and your value proposition, they should eventually take the initiative of requesting an order. Overall, you may find that marrying this methodology with the quiet close could be advantageous, resulting in a panther-like technique of taking slow, hushed steps, then leaping at the right moment.

Additionally, resist the urge to unite your entire sales team around a singular personality. Sellers often do best when they pull from their personal skills arsenal and rely on their natural character traits to build a rapport with customers. But polishing these approaches with some quiet-close techniques can take them to the next level, helping your team feel prepared for any interaction.

TAKE ACTION:
Review your sales playbook to identify areas where you could test the quiet-close method.