Stop Failing at the Final Hurdle: Your Guide to Bulletproof Closing

Expected deals are dying or delayed at the 95% complete stage - here's why and how to fix it

Quick question: How many deals have you and your team lost/had delayed in the past 90 days that felt like "sure things"?

If the answer is more than one, then the answer is probably too many. Here's the brutal truth - 68% of sales failures happen at the closing stage, not during prospecting or discovery.

You and your team is doing the hard work: They're finding qualified opportunities/prospects, building relationships, presenting solutions, handling early objections. But when it comes time to close, something breaks down… 

3 Closing Mistakes That Kill Deals

Mistake #1: The "Hope and Pray" Close

You finish your pitch with, "So... what do you think?" The client throws up a “stall”. And the you wait. And wait. And wait. The client says they need to "think about it."

You then spend weeks following them up, without getting closer to a confirmed sale. In fact, as time goes by you seem to have less and less influence over the client. 

The Fix: Never end a presentation fo your solution without a clear next step. Try this instead: "Based on everything we've covered, it sounds like this could solve your [specific problem]. BEFORE I share our solution do you have questions about the implementation timeline?"

Mistake #2: The Desperate Push

When deals stall, panic often sets in. Salespeople start calling daily, sending follow-up emails, offering discounts. The prospect feels pressured and pulls away. Think about it: if they were really keen, they'd have already bought most likely. 

The Fix: Use the "Professional Persistence" approach: "Hi [Name], I know you're busy evaluating options. I wanted to check - what additional information do you need from our end to help you make the right decision? … If not, what's a good time to reconnect?"

Note: we have found that by stating “the right decision”, you're implying that your solution is “right”. By default therefore you're also suggested that all other decisions are in some way “wrong”! 

Mistake #3: Ignoring Buying Signals

Your client seems ready to move forward, but an overly keen salesperson keeps talking/selling. They miss verbal buying signals like "How quickly could we get started?" or "What does the warranty look like?"

The Fix: Learn to recognise and act on buying signals quicker:

• Signal: "What kind of support do you provide after implementation?"
• Response: "Great question - that tells me you're thinking about moving forward. Let me walk you through our onboarding process, then we can get you scheduled in with our team."

Too often when we coach salespeople we find they have missed the prime time to close. You've got to stay alert to many buying signals. 

Warning Signs Someone Is About to Lose a Deal

Watch for these red flags:

• "They need to think about it" (Translation: We haven't built enough value)
• "They're comparing other options" (Translation: We haven't differentiated ourselves)
• "It's not in the budget" (Translation: We haven't shown clear ROI)
• "They need approval" (Translation: We haven't identified the real decision-maker)

A Closing Framework That Works

Step 1: Reconfirm the Problem "Just to recap, your biggest challenge right now is [specific issue], and it's costing you approximately [quantified impact]. Is that right?"

Step 2: Reaffirm Your Solution "And we agreed that [your solution] would solve this by [specific method], giving you [specific outcome]. Is that accurate?"

Step 3: Address Final Objections "Before we move forward, what questions or concerns do you still have?"

Step 4: Create Urgency "Based on your timeline to solve [problem], we'd need to start by [date] to achieve your [goal]. Does that work for you?"

Step 5: Assume the Close "Great. I'll get the paperwork prepared so we can schedule your kickoff call for next month. What date works best for your team?"

3 Closing Techniques You Can Implement Today

1. The Alternative Close - children LOVE this one (e.g. “Mum/Dad, can I have an ice cream now or later?”)

Instead of asking "Do you want to move forward?" give them two options: "What makes more sense for your timeline - starting the implementation next week, or would the week after work better?"

2. The Summary Close

Recap all the points where they said "yes" during your conversation: "So you agreed that [benefit 1] would help your team, [benefit 2] addresses your main concern, and [benefit 3] fits your budget. Based on that, what's best our next step?"

3. The Assumption Close - this is our favourite close PROVIDED you've done the hard work in your fact find phase of the sale 

Start talking as if they've already decided: "When is the best date for delivery?"

Data That Matters

Track these metrics to improve your team's closing rate:

• Time from proposal to decision (Ideal: Under 2 weeks)
• Number of touches before close (Target: 5-7 interactions)
• Closing rate (Benchmark: 25-35% for sales qualified leads)
• Average deal size (Some yield bigger profit)

Ideal Actions for This Week

1. Audit your pipeline: How many deals have been "90% done" for more than 2 weeks?
2. Shadow a closing call: Listen for missed buying signals and weak closing attempts
3. Run a team role-play: Practice the Closing Framework with real scenarios
4. Update your CRM: Add fields to track closing techniques and outcomes

The Bottom Line

Closing isn't about being pushy or manipulative. It's about helping clients make decisions that solve their problems. The hard work of finding opportunities has been done. Don't let those deals die in the final stretch. The difference between top-performing sales teams and everyone else isn't talent - it's their process and their discipline. 

Need help implementing this?  Ready to Transform Your Team's Closing Game? Want Personalised Help? Book a Free 30-Minute Strategy Session where we'll:

• Review your current closing process
• Identify the #1 thing killing your deals
• Create a custom action plan for your team
• Show you how to implement these techniques immediately

Schedule Your Free Sale Strategy Call HERE! or sign up to our newsletter to recieve more business tips

There are limited spots available, please email [email protected] for more hours

P.S. - The best closers ask for the sale. The worst closers hope for it. Which type is most common in your team?