Closing the sale after answering
a sales objection

Stage 5 of the Sales Objection Handling Process

Closing the sale after you have presented your answer to the prospect's sales objection is the final stage of the objection handling process. 

And the good new for you is, it's the easiest stage because of all the work and techniques you have applied to the earlier stages.

You've already gained agreement that you understood the objection, what was required to get past it, and that there are no other obstacles stopping the sale moving forward. You then presented your best solution, answer, or change to your proposal. 

All that remains is to gain agreement that the solution you presented answers the concerns the prospect raised. A 'Yes' to this question and you can move forward and towards closing the sale. 

This sales Objection Handling Process was developed while I trained and managed corporate sales teams in both face to face field sales roles and telesales roles. It's already proven to work and will work for you in your sales role. You can see an overview of the full process and the other stages at: Sales Objection Process

Now let's look at closing the sale after presenting your solution in Stage 4 of the process... 


Where in the Sales Process Stages do Objections Arise?

Sales objections can occur anywhere in the stages of the sales process on both telesales calls and in face to face meetings. 

The reason many sales people think sales objections only happen as they are closing the sale, is because that's the only point where they actually ask for some agreement or commitment from the prospect.

They whiz through the sale with a quick introduction, ask a few questions, then present the offer, it's only as they ask for an order that the prospect has anything to object to.

In the sales process I use to train the teams I've managed, I show sales people how to start gaining agreement from the first stage, the Introduction, and at every stage on the path to closing the sale. All this gained agreement mounts up and means when it comes to closing all that is required is a simple, no pressure question. 

You can see the sales process I developed and recommend at The Sales Process 

Gaining agreement during the sales process means many objections that would normally stay hidden until the Closing Stage are discovered and can be dealt with early. This makes closing the sale much easier, and a more pleasant experience for both the sales person and the prospect. 


Dealing With Objections and Closing the Sale

Wherever the sales objection occurs in the sales stages, you can use the objection handling process. The objective is to present an answer to the objection in Stage 4 and in Stage 5 gain agreement to move forward to whatever is the next step of the sales process. 

For example

An objection arises as you try to move from The Introduction Stage of the sale to the Questioning Stage where you ask for information to discover the buyer's needs, wants, and desires.

You use the objection process and question the objection, summarise it, and gain agreement that you understand it.

Then you present the best answer to the objection and give a good reason why the prospect should move forward to the next stage of the sale, the Questioning stage. 

You continue along the stages of the sales process, ask questions to discover needs, present a proposal, and move to closing the sale. If any more objections arise you again use the objection process and get back on the sales process. 

Gain agreement to move forward

The final stage of the objection handling process is called: Gaining agreement to move forward. 

Your question should  gain agreement to what you have presented in stage 4: Presenting the solution

If the objection came up at the point in the sale where you present your sales offer or as you are closing the sale, then the agreement you gain should confirm and close the sale.

In stage 3 of the objection handling process: Gaining agreement to the summary you can also gain agreement that there are no other obstacles, so a 'Yes' now is a yes to an order.

If the objection arose in an earlier stage, both your presentation of a solution and the agreement to it should be focused on motivating the prospect to move forward to the next stage of the sale with you.


Example of Overcoming an Objection and Closing the Sale

After you have introduced you and your company and stated why you are calling or meeting a prospect, you try to move to the next stage of the sales process, the Questioning Stage, to gather information that will help you create a customised Sales Presentation. 

The prospect is hesitant and raises an objection that they are not ready to move into the Questioning Stage.

This is a common objection as the move from the Introduction Stage to the Questioning Stage can be a big step for some prospects. 

Using the Objection Process you:

Question the objection to clearly define it and understand the cause.

Summarise your understanding to check you are correct and that there are no other objections at this point in the sales process.

Gain agreement to the summary of your understanding, you don't want to give a great response only to find out you haven't fully understood the issue.

Present your best, relevant answer, solution, way forward.

Gain agreement to your answer and to moving forward to the Questioning Stage and towards closing the sale.

A typical solution at Stage 4 

The solution you presented in stage 4 could have been an explanation of how: allowing you to ask questions means you can present a proposal that meets the prospect's exact needs.

You might include: how you are not asking for a buying decision at this stage, merely giving them information so they can make an informed decision later. 

You could add that: by answering a few questions and letting you present what you can offer they will then know what is available, make sure they are not missing out, and be fully informed of the latest innovations of the products and services. 

A simple question to gain agreement to move forward at stage 5, for example: Is that okay, or does that answer your concerns, completes the sales objection process and should get you back on the path toward closing the sale. 


The Proven Sales Objection Handling Process 

The sales objection handling process has 5 stages. You can go to the other pages using the links below or see an overview of the process by visiting the main sales objection page at Sales Objections Process

Stage 1 - Question the Objection

Stages 2&3 - Summarise and Gain Agreement 

Stage 4 - Present the Solution

Stage 5 - Gain Agreement and Move Forward - This page

Use the process to overcome more sales objections and convert more prospects to paying customers. The process works well in all sectors, for sales of all types of products and services, and any order size. use the process to keep prospects moving to the closing the sale stage of the sales process. 






A Proven Sales Training Course

A proven sales training course

Overcoming sales objections is covered in the sales training course: Selling Success.

I've developed and refined this course while managing and training field sales and telesales teams throughout my 25 year career in sales. It's a step by step guide that shows you how to take prospects through the stages from the first introduction to closing the sale and how to overcome sales objections at every stage.

Follow the training, complete the included exercise program, and you will have everything you need to be successful in your sales role. 

Already proven by successful field sales and telesales professionals, learn more about this complete course by visiting: Selling Success





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