Trial Close Questions

[Vitamin C]

What are some of the great trial closing lines you constantly incorporate in your presentations?

• Does that sound affordable?
• Does that sound fair?
• If you had your choice, would you prefer ‘choice A’ or ‘choice b’?
• What do you think of that face amount?

Not necessarily a trial closing question but I found myself using this today after about my fifth no… didn’t get the sale but stayed alive for another round.

“Do me a favor which will help me to help the other people I work with. Tell me what you liked most AND what you liked least about this.”

It may shed insight into something you missed.

 

[somarco]

If you did your job on the front end, you don't need a trial close. Your prospect will let you know when they are ready to buy. It usually goes something like this.

"So, how long does it take to get approved?"

 

[Vitamin C]

So what's the formula to reach that point? Just talk at them until they ask price or ask you to shut up and leave now?

I'm thinking of trial closing questions to check their temperature along the way if they are not leaning in asking me how much it costs..

 

[Frank Stastny]

What are some of the great trial closing lines you constantly incorporate in your presentations?

• Does that sound affordable?
• Does that sound fair?
• If you had your choice, would you prefer ‘choice A’ or ‘choice b’?
• What do you think of that face amount?

Not necessarily a trial closing question but I found myself using this today after about my fifth no… didn’t get the sale but stayed alive for another round.

“Do me a favor which will help me to help the other people I work with. Tell me what you liked most AND what you liked least about this.”

It may shed insight into something you missed.

I assume you are talking about final expense. A short "fact finding" session before beginning your presentation will enable you to direct your presentation to the prospects needs and or desires. If there is no need or desire to take a policy then why are you there?

I have never understood the concept of a "trial close". A "trial close" tells me one of two things, either the agent is unsure of what he is doing or is not listening to what the prospect is saying or paying attention to the prospects body language, what Bob said.

With everyone of those you are relinquishing control of the conversation and giving the prospect an opportunity to voice objections they may not have otherwise thought of. Once control is lost it is extremely difficult to get it back.

• Does that sound affordable? Not really, we are on a "fixed income" you know.
  
• Does that sound fair? Fair for who, you or me?
  
• If you had your choice, would you prefer ‘choice A’ or ‘choice b’? I think I better "study on it for a while".
  
• What do you think of that face amount? It's okay for people who have a lot of money.

This is a question I would never, ever ask. “Do me a favor which will help me to help the other people I work with. Tell me what you liked most AND what you liked least about this.”

I hear you saying to the prospect, "I don't want to sell you anything I just need help with my presentation".

 

[Guest]

My thoughts, never ask "no" questions, like the first two, meaning they can say no, then what do you do? Or they can answer you (hesitantly) while in their head, they're thinking no.

• Does that sound affordable? I never sell on price nor will I offer up the thoughts as to whether if it's affordable or not, I sell value and assume they want the best. This way you can drop down, but you can rarely sell back up to a higher price. Also, you may inadvertently insult the customer, as if you're insinuating that they're cheap or broke, and even if they are, it doesn't matter, making them feel rich is more to your advantage.
  

• Does that sound fair? I don't like this either, why would anything you offer be unfair? Also, this question makes no sense to me, are you giving an estimate to paint their house? : )~
  

• If you had your choice, would you prefer ‘choice A’ or ‘choice b’? This is a preference close, not a trial close. Mostly used at the end to elicit a buying decision (there are instances you can use this to eliminate options throughout though)

• What do you think of that face amount? I never like to ask questions using insurance jargon (if face amount is what you're actually saying), also ones where they can use it as an escape hatch. As in allowing them to respond with "I don't know, can I think about it?" or "can you send me some information? etc.
  

You said it yourself, you didn't sell using these, just hung in longer, is your goal to hang in longer or sell?

How about these?

• Is this what you had in mind?
• How does that sound so far?
• Any questions?
• Did I miss anything?

These types of questions will evoke the answers that will allow you to continue forward or address a concern.

I hope that helps.

 

[The New Guy]

Class dismissed

 

[Vitamin C]

I'm referring to this concept which are the intellectual property of Doug Dvorak, an article I found on the web and I don't even know him. Here is his article on trial closing. I thought all salesmen are testing the waters along the way to the actual close.

I'm looking for any advice that will make me a better closer. And, yes, I'm talking FE or LTC here.


The following is the intellectual property of Doug Dvorak....

No sales professional ever intends to get stuck in one sale for a longer period than required. They would like to move on to the next prospect after closing a sale as soon as possible. That's the way to increase total sales volume. Closing techniques ensure that a sales conversation ends with a deal. Depending on the situation, sales professionals implement any one or more of the several closing techniques that are generally used.


Trial Closing

Before finally sealing the deal sales people often use trial closing techniques to test the buying readiness of the prospect during the sales demonstration. Using a trial close helps to test the interest of the prospect with regard to buying the product or service.
A trial close is an attempt to determine how close the prospect is to actual making a purchasing decision. Trial closing is a low risk method of gauging the prospect's interest and opinion. It's an opinion seeking tool and not a decision seeking one. Sales professionals use this technique to gauze the mood of the prospect and alter their presentations accordingly.
Without a trial closing a sales person may run in to trouble trying to close the deal. A negative answer to a close cannot turn into a positive one easily. A prospect may stick to his decision and defend it. A negative response to a trial closing question on the other hand is just a signal for the sales person to change strategy. Sometimes a trial close will actually result in a real close and even if it doesn't it will let the sales person know when or what needs to be done to close the deal.
The best solution is to try trial closing once or many times before the actual closing. A positive trial close will indicate when the prospect is ready to buy and will automatically lead to a close.

If anyone has a formula for presenting that will butter up a prospect for close, I'd love to hear it. I'm thinking there is some way to strip most major objections by incorporating them into your presentation. If people ask during the presentation how much something costs and I ask them "if $80 per month sounds affordable for a program that is going to give them "Benefit X", and they answer YES then they can't tell me it's not affordable later.

I'm humble... help me out

 

[Guest]

I never learned how to "gauze" a client, is that medical jargon? Ha ha

I also love how this intellectual property basically tells you nothing of how to do it, just that you should trial close.

I'm referring to this concept which are the intellectual property of Doug Dvorak, an article I found on the web and I don't even know him. Here is his article on trial closing. I thought all salesmen are testing the waters along the way to the actual close.

I'm looking for any advice that will make me a better closer. And, yes, I'm talking FE or LTC here.


The following is the intellectual property of Doug Dvorak....

No sales professional ever intends to get stuck in one sale for a longer period than required. They would like to move on to the next prospect after closing a sale as soon as possible. That's the way to increase total sales volume. Closing techniques ensure that a sales conversation ends with a deal. Depending on the situation, sales professionals implement any one or more of the several closing techniques that are generally used.


Trial Closing

Before finally sealing the deal sales people often use trial closing techniques to test the buying readiness of the prospect during the sales demonstration. Using a trial close helps to test the interest of the prospect with regard to buying the product or service.
A trial close is an attempt to determine how close the prospect is to actual making a purchasing decision. Trial closing is a low risk method of gauging the prospect's interest and opinion. It's an opinion seeking tool and not a decision seeking one. Sales professionals use this technique to gauze the mood of the prospect and alter their presentations accordingly.
Without a trial closing a sales person may run in to trouble trying to close the deal. A negative answer to a close cannot turn into a positive one easily. A prospect may stick to his decision and defend it. A negative response to a trial closing question on the other hand is just a signal for the sales person to change strategy. Sometimes a trial close will actually result in a real close and even if it doesn't it will let the sales person know when or what needs to be done to close the deal.
The best solution is to try trial closing once or many times before the actual closing. A positive trial close will indicate when the prospect is ready to buy and will automatically lead to a close.

If anyone has a formula for presenting that will butter up a prospect for close, I'd love to hear it. I'm thinking there is some way to strip most major objections by incorporating them into your presentation. If people ask during the presentation how much something costs and I ask them "if $80 per month sounds affordable for a program that is going to give them "Benefit X", and they answer YES then they can't tell me it's not affordable later.

I'm humble... help me out

 

[VaDwayne]

I assume you are talking about final expense. A short "fact finding" session before beginning your presentation will enable you to direct your presentation to the prospects needs and or desires. If there is no need or desire to take a policy then why are you there?

I have never understood the concept of a "trial close". A "trial close" tells me one of two things, either the agent is unsure of what he is doing or is not listening to what the prospect is saying or paying attention to the prospects body language, what Bob said.

With everyone of those you are relinquishing control of the conversation and giving the prospect an opportunity to voice objections they may not have otherwise thought of. Once control is lost it is extremely difficult to get it back.

• Does that sound affordable? Not really, we are on a "fixed income" you know.
• Does that sound fair? Fair for who, you or me?
• If you had your choice, would you prefer ‘choice A’ or ‘choice b’? I think I better "study on it for a while".
• What do you think of that face amount? It's okay for people who have a lot of money.

This is a question I would never, ever ask. “Do me a favor which will help me to help the other people I work with. Tell me what you liked most AND what you liked least about this.”

I hear you saying to the prospect, "I don't want to sell you anything I just need help with my presentation".

After these trial closes are asked and you receive the posted responses, this is the perfect time to use the feel,felt,found close. It would go like this:

I understand how you FEEL, I FELT the same way until I I FOUND out yada, yada, yada