How To Close A Sales Deal Over The Phone: 10 Powerful Tips

Building a winning call center is much harder than combining great phone technology with a comprehensive CRM. 

You need to implement strategies that give every call a high likelihood of success. But if you’ve ever tried it, you’ll know that actually closing the sale in personal selling is much harder than it looks. 

That’s why we’ve compiled a handy list of closing sales techniques examples that will help you boost your numbers. Each of our tips comes with a context of how to use it, so your strategy can include a response to every eventuality. 

So, if you need to find new ways for how to close a deal with a client, read on!

FAQs

Confidently meeting their expectations

Seen in practice, this technique looks like it relies entirely on the sales agent's confidence. They begin the conversation as if the sale is done and they're just sorting out the finer details. But in reality, you can only try this approach with leads who your CRM is telling you are likely to pull the trigger. If, for example, your contact has downloaded your ebook and spent a while browsing your website, you can go into the call with a confidence that matches their interest. 

When you close a sales deal over the phone with a confident line like “this is the kind of thing your business is looking for, right?”, you can really convey a sense of authority. Add to that the vocabulary you use and the direction you take the conversation in, and you will leave your customers with the impression that this is a regular occurrence for you. Happy customers, day in, day out. 

You can't expect to use this technique when leads haven't even heard of you, but if you can see they are already interested, take advantage and finish off their customer journey by confidently meeting their expectations. 

The “it’s now or never!”

The now or never pitch is a high-pressure tactic that uses the fear of missing out (FOMO) to secure a deal. The concept is simple: offer a special condition that puts a time limit on the sale. Classic examples are limited-time-only offers, but you could also simply use stock availability: When it’s gone, it’s gone. 

To close a sales deal over the phone, you always need to use some form of psychological tactic, and the now or never pitch is a perfect example. You create a sense of urgency that can break your customer’s hesitation. For example, they may want to consider more options, but if your stock will run out, they need to act now. Similarly, they might be reluctant to pay the price, but it would be worse to wait until the offer was over and pay even more. 

Use the “it’s now or never” technique with customers who are at least interested in your product and when you have an honest reason to put the pressure on. 

Ending on a question

Using questions throughout, but especially towards the end of a phone call, is a polite way of ironing out the finer details of your sale. For example, "is there any reason we can't go ahead with the deal?" prompts your customer to guide you on your next step to making the sale. 

If you want to be scientific about your process, bring sales analytics into the game. Test which questions get you where you want to be and refine your sales pitch based on your findings. As you close a sales deal over the phone, you can also use questions to get an accurate analysis of your offering. End the conversation with a phrase like: "Does our product solve all the issues your business needs it to?" This way, you get feedback from the very people you want to be selling to. 

Use the question technique to gather customer feedback and to nip any roadblocks to your sale in the bud. 

So, in summary…

One of the most common closing tips for phone sales is to summarize the sale in question and drill home the benefits. The theory behind why this works as a way to close a sales deal over the phone is that you package up all the advantages into one or two sentences. After a few minutes of discussion and negotiation, your summary presents the “finished product”. 

Include the overall benefits of the deal, how it will benefit your customer specifically, and if you can pick up on anything specific they loved, be sure to include that too. Use phrases like: “So, it’s the A+++ efficiency, top-loading washing machine that will fit next to your fridge, as well as the five-year warranty and free delivery. Is that correct?” 

Your summary is a great way of getting the sale over the line. Use it for customers who are around 80% of the way there to seal the deal.

You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours

Quid pro quo, sharp angle, whatever you want to call it, this technique is great for cold calling where your customer feels like they’re in the driving seat. You’re reaching out to them, so they feel they have some bargaining power and may ask for a bunch of extras for free. As the caller, you then surprise them by saying yes, but only if they’ll agree to go through with the sale right now.

To close a sales deal over the phone in this way, you need to prepare for the client by agreeing on a list of extras your team can include at a push. Then, to help closing the sale in personal selling, your agents can acquiesce to the customer’s request, on the condition that they purchase immediately. If you’re well prepared, you can allow your customer to think they’re calling the shots, when in reality, it’s your team who is in control throughout. 

Use the “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” technique with cold calling and when customers get bold and ask for freebies.

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Cut out what they don’t want

In phone sales, one of the top reasons for a sale not going through is the price point. People simply would rather not spend money than spend it. However, you can persuade customers by stripping down what you're offering to make the cost more appealing. Even better — remove aspects they didn't want anyway and it's a win-win. You get to close a sales deal over the phone and they get a special discount for their customized product. 

Once you've made the sale, you're already in. Who knows? They might come back for those additional extras at a later date. 

It’s also a common tactic to bulk up your initial offer with add-ons that you’re more than happy to remove upon request. The end result is that you've made the sale you wanted and your customer is happier than they ordinarily would be. 

Use it when customers are uneasy about parting with their hard-earned dollars. However, if they’re not complaining, there’s no reason to put the idea in their head.

The “we both know why we're here”

When you're speaking to potential clients who are well aware of how to close deals over the phone, they'll be able to see right through most of your standard sales tactics. They'll know your discounts aren't special to them, they'll allow your ultimatums to pass them by, and they won't feel obliged to do anything in return for your generosity. 

The "we both know why we're here" shows a level of respect. You're not going to use fancy language, you're going to give it to them straight. The effect is that your customer is far more likely to trust you, knowing that they're not just another target of a cold calling campaign. When played right, this technique can lead to an ongoing relationship of trust with your customer. 

Use the "we both know why we're here" approach when a customer blocks your previous efforts. You can even use it as a last resort when your lead makes it clear they aren't interested. 

The soft sell

Sometimes you won't even want to close a sales deal over the phone at all. The soft sell allows you to plant a seed that could either be harvested right away or left to grow over the next week. Start with an innocent question like "would you be interested in hearing more about a tool that can track all your sales details with no effort on your side?". If you've picked your audience well, the answer is likely to be "yes". 

For this tactic to work, set automations in your CRM so that once the call is made, you'll automatically receive a notification to follow up on the call a week later. 

Alternatively, your unthreatening approach could be disarming enough for your customer to fully engage and find out more. Now that they're talking to a friendly voice, rather than an obvious salesperson, they could persuade themselves into a sale then and there. 

If this is to be used as a way to close a sales deal over the phone, you need to hone that opening question. Avoid salesy intros like "what if I told you…" and make it human while hitting your customer’s pain point. 

The “and another thing…”

There are two ways you can use the “and another thing…” technique. 

Firstly, to pull out your big guns when it looks like all is lost. You introduce your product as you normally would, and if they’re happy to go for the standard sale — great! You’ve done it. However, you’ve been saving the best bit until last, so if you feel your lead going cold, hit them with the highlight. It could be a feature that blows people away or a limited discount that’s just too good to refuse.

The second situation is one of our favorite closing sales techniques examples and it is when everything has gone swimmingly well in the initial pitch. Your client is excited, so you can ride the wave and ask whether they’d be interested in some add-ons. It could be extra features, insurance, or membership in your loyalty club — whatever is best for business.

The “and another thing” tactic is super versatile. Use the first interpretation when you’re losing a deal and the second when everything is going great. 

The “why not try it out?”

We’ve left this until the end because it’s not super easy for just any company to implement. That said, it’s a great way to close a sales deal over the phone for Saas businesses. Begin your pitch the way you would with any other call. If you feel like you’re not destined to make the sale, offer a month-long trial for free. This is a way of letting the product do the talking and is great for those customers who need something tangible before making a decision (and for those who love a freebie!)

For this technique to work smoothly, you need a sales workflow set up behind the scenes. As soon as you’re off the phone, you can set a series of tasks in motion to get your software installed on their systems as quickly as possible. Your package should include logins and ideally some short, snappy videos to help them get started. 

Use the “why not try it out?” finish when you see an interest, but they’re not ready to give the green light. Remember to have systems in place to make it as painless as possible to trial.

Now you’ve got a range of ways to close a sales deal over the phone and you should soon start seeing your sales numbers rise. But not so fast!

As you increase your volume of deals, your record-keeping needs to stay at the same rate. That’s why over 10,000,000 companies and counting have put their trust in Bitrix24. With the latest telephony technology and a powerful, yet user-friendly CRM all in one package, you have everything you need for a slick, efficient call center. With all your interactions and special requests recorded, you can approach every call fully informed and with confidence. Then, you can log all your next steps on our project management tool and automate reminders for follow-ups.

So if you need the right tools to base your sales calls from, look no further — sign up to Bitrix24 for free today.