Sales people can waste an enormous amount of time learning “closing techniques”. Tactics such the “assumptive close”, when the seller continues a conversation as if the buyer has already placed the order; asking a series of questions where “yes” is the only response, and then asking for the order in hope that the buyer will mechanically reply “yes”; presenting the buyer with an either-or order proposition; are gimmicky, manipulative, and ineffective.

You want an order? Just ask.

“Are you ready to order?”

“Would you like to place an order now?”

What’s wrong with being direct and to the point? If the sales person has done a thorough job of understanding what the buyer wants and needs, asking for the order should be the most natural thing in the world. In fact the seller should know the answer before he hears it.

In the B2B world, buyers expect to be asked for an order. There’s just no getting around it. In the B2C world, buyer sensibilities differ widely, but a straightforward approach beats smoke and mirrors every time.