Where is the tipping point in a sale?

In traditional selling, the close is the tipping point.  It is relied on as the crucial element that makes or breaks a sale.  Books have been published, articles written, and presentations made to illustrate the many hundreds of closes.  Each is trumpeted as a powerful solution to concluding a sale successfully.  Examples include: Impending Event Close (“the price is going up on Monday”), Ben Franklin Close (“let’s decide this in the same way that a great American made decisions”), Puppy Dog Close (“just hold this and get the feel of it, I know you’ll love it”), God Close (“it’s not between you and me if you buy it, it’s between you and your Maker”), Better Alternative Close (“do you want this delivered on Wednesday or Friday?”), Yes-Yes-Yes Close (get them to say yes to a series of questions  to form the habit), and Enlightened Path Close (“if I can show you a way”).  They all make us wince because of their artificiality.  They all reek of “sales-y-ness.”  Rather than being unique intellectual ploys, they are shallow traps.  Closes like this are a sure giveaway that the salesperson is manipulating the prospect. (more…)