I teach everyone on my sales floor to “assume the close,” meaning they should go into every pitch already convinced they are going to land the client. Reality dictates that there is still a long way to go. Objections will arise, and more than likely the sale won’t happen, because sales is a losing game.

But the glory of victory far outweighs the sting of defeat, and that’s what fortifies us to fight on.

A mistake that many salespeople make is that they dance around the close. After delivering a solid pitch, drilling down on the features and benefits, they leave room for a terribly awkward pause, and say something like, “So . . . what do you think?

Never, under any circumstances, should you ask a prospect what they think.

That’s not going to advance the sale in any way; it’s only going to open a floodgate of objections, or worse yet, invite a flat-out refusal. Objections will almost always rear their ugly head, and by dancing around the close, you leave a huge opening for them to grow into refusals.

The key is keeping the prospect engaged. You want to keep the conversation going at all costs. The moment the dialogue gets stale is the same moment you lose the sale. Keep the momentum going at the end of the pitch by bringing up their objections before they do.

Ask them these three questions if you sense a lull coming on:

• Do you see the value in this product?
• Do you see how it could provide value to you?
• Can you currently afford it?

If your product is solid, there will only ever be one real objection—money. Once you reach that conclusion together, it’s your job to prove the wares are worth the investment, and if your case is solid, make the close. Go into every pitch assuming the prospect is dying to buy, and when the time comes for them to pull the trigger, never dance around the close.