Post-Close Closings

It's the goal, the purpose, the incentive, the intention, the hope, the dream and the promise of something better. It is the catalyst that stimulates creative thought and drives it into action. It provides a reason for playing the game.

It is, simply, that penultimate moment in the selling process called..."the close."

The close is what all of us are after, whether it be in sales, sports, personal relationships, or any other aspect of life. If you can't close the deal, you won't reap the rewards of your activity.

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The close is to where all the preliminary steps in the sales process lead. It is the Emerald City at the end of the Yellow Brick Road, the place where all our efforts culminate in celebratory elation, or come crashing down around us in gloom, disillusionment, and longing for some less volatile, demanding profession.

I wish to add nothing more to what has been written and discussed regarding the techniques of closing the sale. Instead, the focus of this article is to identify and detail the three different stages that occur after you've had that magical moment with the prospect when they have made the decision to go ahead.

The three distinct components to be outlined in this piece are present in almost every modern corporate sale, yet there is almost no mention of them in texts and other articles on the subject. These post-close closings cannot be overlooked if one is to achieve long-term success in sales.

To understand conceptually what we are looking at, it is necessary to span our attention out a bit beyond just the standard sales close and look at the procedure from a 30,000-foot viewpoint. To start, though, we'll look more closely at the fundamental elements of a close.

What Is the Close?
It is assumed that you have at least a rudimentary understanding of the necessary steps leading up to the initial close and can recognize the closing opportunity when it appears. Nonetheless, a quick review might be of benefit.

First, let's agree upon a simple technical definition for the word "close." Paraphrasing liberally from the American Heritage Dictionary, it means: "To bar passage through, to end, to terminate, to enter into an agreement, to bring or come to an appropriate stopping point." We shut off the competition, remove the prospect from the presence of other salespersons, close the door on them. And pocket the commission. That's what we mean by "the close."

But let's not fail to note that it also means "to enter into an agreement," and to bring to a conclusion, a "stopping point." Both of these concepts are critical to any success in sales.

We could go further and microanalyze every minute aspect of the sales process, like an endless reflection of mirrors, but that would be fruitless. There is one aspect, however, that bears such scrutiny. It is where an astounding number of otherwise able salespeople botch a perfectly good and simple sale.

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