I recently came upon a sales website that epitomizes everything I think is wrong about much of the so-called “sales training” out there. It lists almost every manipulative closing technique known to the sales profession (complete with clever names and descriptions).

The website itself seeks to take a morally neutral position on the topic of persuasion and to simply “tell it like it is,” so if it seems that I’m attacking the writers of the site, I’m not. What I am criticizing are the closing techniques described on one particular page. My two personal favorites are the Alternative Close (“Would you prefer the red one or the yellow one?”) and the Assumptive Close (“When shall we deliver it to you?”). Both are based on the concept of acting as if the customer has already decided to buy, without actually asking him first. (I call them my “favorites,” because they’ve been used on me the most.) My other favorites include the Distraction Close (“catch them in a weak moment”), the Compliment Close (“flatter them into submission”) and the Guilt or Shame Close, which needs no explanation.

Missing the Mark

Some of these would actually be valid sales tools, if it weren’t for the manipulation factor. For example, the Balance-Sheet Close involves showing your prospect a list of the pros and cons for purchasing your product or service. Sounds like good advice, but here comes the sleight of hand: “Make sure the pros column is longer and more impressive.” Here are a few other “gems” of advice (I added italics to emphasise the manipulative portion):

“Start with the cons and keep them short. But do make it sound credible, as if you are giving them fair consideration.” (But of course, you’re not.)

“Sound reasonable, as if you are on their side.” (But of course, you’re not.)

“... works by building trust through appearing to taking [sic] a balanced and fair approach.” (But of course, you’re not.)

Another one missing the mark is the Bracket Close, whereby you provide the buyer with three options, from most to least expensive. As a web developer, I’ve used this approach to help prospects reconcile their “visions” of what they’d like to accomplish to what they can actually afford. But the Bracket Close adds a manipulative twist by recommending that the first option be “sumptuous and expensive … beyond their budgets” and that the lower offer be “severely cut-down,” whereby “very little of what they want is included.” The objective, of course, is not to truly help the prospect, but to get him to accept the middle option by making him “feel good about not spending too much” and at the same time, letting him feel he’s“not a cheapskate and can afford something of value.”

“Side Effects May Include …”

An interesting read at the bottom of the techniques page is: “Don't forget the caveat in all of this. If people feel tricked … they will not only not buy from you now, they may well never buy from you ever … In particular beware of using unsubtle techniques with professional buyers, who can usually see them coming from miles away.”

The fact that these techniques need a warning label should make it painfully obvious that using any of them causes problems. In his book Spin Selling author Neil Rackham tells the (true) story of a salesperson who sits with a corporate buyer and, within a short time, attempts one of these closing techniques. The buyer says nothing, but simply reaches into a drawer and pulls out a 3x5 card, on which is written “Assumptive Close.” Then he tells the salesperson, “I have a stack of cards just like this one in my drawer. Use another one of those on me, and I’ll show you the door.” These days, it’s not just the professional buyer of whom you need to be aware. The average consumer is becoming much more sophisticated and is increasingly able to see through these techniques as well.

Just Be Honest – What a Concept!

Behind all of these closing techniques is the fundamental belief that the salesperson must create the situation in which a sale can occur. Why not simply work with your prospect to see if that situation already exists? The best sales “technique” I’ve heard is to stop using techniques and simply be honest with your prospects.

Recently, I had the opportunity to put this to the test. I told a prospect one of the “cons” of using our content management system was that it was a server-based application, and that if he ever decided to move the website to another server, he’d have to reconstruct it. A few days later, he told me how much he appreciated my honesty, that not every salesperson would have brought a potential problem to the prospective buyer’s attention. Not long afterward, we reached a verbal agreement to do business together and are currently working out the technical details.

Of course, not everyone is going to agree with my beliefs taht salespeople should not resort to manipulative sales tactics such as these. While speaking before a group of business owners, I expressed my disdain for these manipulative techniques, particularly “mirroring and matching” a prospect’s movements to build rapport. At the break, one of the participants told me that she was disappointed to hear me say that, and proceeded to tell me why this technique was perfectly acceptable. (“It gets people to like you.”) She concluded by asking, “Wouldn’t you prefer to buy from someone you like?” (No, I prefer to buy from someone I trust, thank you. If I trust you, chances are I’ll like you, too.) A salesman friend once admitted to me that, although he agrees they’re manipulative, he uses these techniques “because they work” – but he didn’t sound particularly proud of himself for doing so.
 

About the Author

John S. Tabita is senior web architect at Jenesis Technologies. John specializes in boiling the “technobabble” about the Internet into information business owners can actually use to make smart decisions about their web strategies and produce a positive return on their investment.