Perfectly normal people break out in a sweat when it comes time to close the deal. They're afraid to close because they haven't properly handled the earlier steps in the sales process. When it comes time to close it should be nothing more than a natural conclusion to a selling conversation. There are four reasons you're suffering from closing anxiety. The prospect didn't agree to having a selling conversation with you in the first place. The buyer is confused because you presented too many choices. You didn't help the buyer through a thought process that made it easy for them to buy. Or you never got to the emotional reason the prospect should act and act now.



The prospect must agree to a selling conversation, or you're wasting your time. To have that happen they must first agree that there is a problem, challenge, or obstacle preventing them from getting what they want. They must also agree that their perceived problem is worth fixing or overcoming.

When you present a buyer with more than three options you have a confused buyer and confused buyers don't buy. Two options make it really easy to close because all you have to do is ask them if prefer A or B and presume the sale. As the expert you have to lead the sales conversation, and questions are the best way to do that. Structure your questions so they help the prospect to buy. Your questions should help them to articulate what they want, what's keeping them from having that now, any other problems not having what they want leads to, and the financial or emotional value to them of getting what they want.

Unless you identify the buyers emotional hot you'll find it difficult to help them buy. Currently you miss this opportunity because you jump to a solution way too early in the sales conversation. That happens because you're over eager to sell, and because you lack the sales maturity it takes to patiently probe for understanding.

Handling all these earlier steps in the right way makes closing almost automatic. You'll find that many of your prospects will ask you how to get started on their own. Even if you're still uncomfortable at this point, the first time you get to this point when you've handled the sales process correctly you can ensure your sales success if you'll just take one more step.

And that step is to actively engage the prospect. By that I mean getting them to write things down, prioritize options, check preferred options, etc. When you do that you're getting them to make small "yes" decisions or trial closes, so when it's time for the big "yes" they're already on board and ready to go.