What is a Test Close and When Would You Use It?

In our last blog we raised the question of knowing when your prospect is ready to buy. We introduced the concept of buying signals being the first step to closing the sale either with a test close or a full close. But what is a test close and when would you use it?

A test close is simply raising a deliberate open question with your prospect. It’s a useful way of gauging how interested the prospect is without going for a full close. A full close could put them off if it’s too early in the sales process. So a simple “how does that sound?” or “how did you find our proposal?” can be a way of making sure that you’ve sufficiently clarified everything and provided all the information that your prospect is seeking. It also gives the salesperson the opportunity to watch out for verbal and non-verbal clues that could provide some indication of the prospect’s intentions.

The test close starts a conversation so the salesperson can enter dialogue. This allows them to respond to whatever the prospects say. If the prospect has a doubt or is needing more information, this is the ideal time to provide it before trying another test close. Alternatively, with a positive response, the salesperson could go for a full close which we will cover in a future blog.

We hope you find this article useful and if we can help you in any way, or if you’d like to ask us any questions, feel free to give us a call on 01625 380820 or connect with us on LinkedIn. 

Selling bespoke complex technical products doesn’t have to be hard. As a B2B technical sales consultancy in Cheshire we’ve many years’ experience in technical product selling, primarily in the energy, engineering, and manufacturing industries. Our skillset includes proposal development, internal and external sales, project management and business development. We’re also great at leading and motivating sales teams to be their best.

Our sales training and coaching services can help you to put into practice the contents of this blog and we also offer a range of sales consultancy and sales representation services. So please get in touch for a free consultation. We’re here to help you!