The Green Sheet Online Edition
October 13, 2025 • 25:10:01
Street Smarts
The ABCs of always be closing
Selling is a numbers game. The more times you pitch, the more your skills and closing ratios improve. Successful salespeople customize every presentation. As I learned from my stepdad, Jerry, who sold insurance, some people like to hear things when making decisions; others like to see how things work.
Salespeople need to know if prospects are verbally or visually oriented and adjust their presentations accordingly.
These days, I'm doing 99 percent of my selling on the phone, and my go-to offer is, "Let me show you a demo," because demos lead to sales. I also follow Elmer Wheeler's sage advice: "Sell the sizzle, not the steak." This means selling product, not price. Wheeler, an advertising executive, published Tested Sentences that Sell in 1937, and was one of the original influencers. His book is still in print today.
Wheeler believed in making a positive first impression. As he wrote in his book, your first 10 words are more important than your next 10,000. With that in mind, do your homework ahead of the sale, show up on time, and remember the word "you" is far more impactful than "I" in a sales presentation.
Time-tested closing techniques
Getting back to basics is a time-honored tradition in selling. Like a musician practicing scales or athlete working out, salespeople routinely practice these popular techniques:
- Ben Franklin close: Encourage a hesitant prospect to list pros and cons to arrive at an informed decision. Make sure your numbers are accurate and don't inflate savings to avoid buyer's remorse. Remember, figures don't lie, but they sure can figure!
- Menu close: Instead of asking prospects if they are ready to move forward, which creates an opening for "no," ask which option they would prefer. This style, also known as "choice not chance," works best when limited to several choices, to avoid confusion.
- Assumptive close: Casually present your merchant application and ask for federal tax ID, driver's license and voided check. This technique works with prospects who have given verbal or visual cues that they are ready to move ahead but backfires if prospects feel manipulated.
- Urgency close: Limited time offers and inventory shortages can motivate prospects who are ready to buy. Ask qualifying questions, such as, "How soon are you looking to get this done?" or "When do you plan to open your new store?" If they're in a hurry, you could be at the right place at the right time. If they're not in a hurry, you've made the wrong assumption.
- 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 level 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 technique 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 processing volumes can be effective. However, use this tactic 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 objections. 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 comfortable 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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