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StreetSmarts

• Puppy dog close: Offer the prospect a trial period.
If the product or service is like a warm puppy, they
may decide to keep it. Clearly specify legal terms
because free trials are not commonly available in
merchant services. This technique could be ideal for
solutions like dual pricing. A merchant could try it
out and switch back if not completely satisfied.

• Test drive close: Give prospects the chance to touch
and feel a solution online or at a physical store. For
best results, take them to a friendly customer who is
happy with you and your company. If the merchant
is not ready to say yes after seeing a live demo, try
the puppy dog close with a free trial offer.
• Scale close: Ask merchants to rate their interest lev-
el by asking, "On a scale of 1 to 10, how ready are
you to move forward?" This diagnostic tool can help
to qualify a prospect by identifying objections and
barriers to the sale.

• Takeaway close: Like the urgency close, this tech-
nique uses fear of missing out (FOMO) to motivate
a merchant to say yes. Saying that an offer is only
good until the end of the week or that you can't
guarantee a discount without confirming process-
ing volumes can be effective. However, use this tac-
tic with discretion to avoid appearing manipulative.

• Question close: Ask leading questions like, "What
would prevent you from moving forward?" that
steer merchants away from saying yes or no. These
questions drive engagement and help identify objec-
tions. Be careful not to ask too many questions.
Under promise, over deliver

In the end, none of these techniques will work unless they
are customized for the customer and moment. Practice
making them yours to avoid looking scripted. Remember,
practice makes perfect. Get out there, try stuff and get
back up when you're knocked down. Figure out your own
personal selling style. What works for me may not work
for you.

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Get comfort-
able with hearing no. Remember, 100 nos will get you one
or two yeses. Be yourself. Be authentic. Be the expert.

Want to know more? Keep reading The Green Sheet and
consider following me on LinkedIn, where we can share
ideas and support each other.

Allen Kopelman, a serial entrepreneur, is co-founder and CEO of
Nationwide Payment Systems Inc. and host of B2B Vault: The Biz
to Biz podcast. Email him at allen@npsbank.com and connect on
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/allenkopelman/ and
Twitter @AllenKopelman.

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