If you're any kind of sales professional, closing is a huge step in the sales process. There have been moments where I could have closed many clients and got the deal, but I was unable to because I didn't say the right thing at the right time. And it's frustrating because you know you almost had them and they almost signed, but there was something you said (or could have said) that made them say "we'll think about it," or "I have to think about it." Blah. Damn. You can see their apprehension. A car is expensive and you can see that fear when faced with the decision of signing. All they needed was a little nudge to your side of the fence.

But they left you with a filled out sheet with no signature, and your manager is looking at you thinking "What the hell happened? Why did they leave?"

Here are 25 kinds of closes you can use today to sell more cars and make more money. I got a lot of these from changingminds.org where you can find their entire list of closes.

1-2-3 Close

Give them three reasons why your vehicle is better. When you list out the benefits in threes, customers are more compelled to agree to those reasons. You can use this at any time when you're selling the car.

Example

This car is faster, better handling and more fun to drive.

This price includes a full tank of gas, documentation and taxes.

Affordable Close

If your customer has an objection when you're selling a car, more often than not, it's price. The affordable close takes a bit of info digging, like finding out what their budget is, and finding a vehicle that they can afford, thereby increasing the chances of a deal. You can also use this to reframe lifetime costs of ownership if the vehicle is a little higher than they had anticipated.

Example

This payment is $20 lower than what you said your budget is and $50 less than the competition.

Yes, this hybrid is more expensive than a regular gas car, but if take into consideration how much money you will be saving in fuel, this hybrid is less expensive in the long run.

Ask-the-Manager Close

A favorite in the car sales business, the ask-the-manager close is one that I used a lot of when I first started. (I was new!) It starts by you telling your customer that you only have the authority to discount a certain amount. Any more than that you have to ask the manager.

Leave the table and say you are going to see if you are able to get the discount they are asking for. Go to your manager and make sure that in fact it is ok. Don't come back right away. Some salespeople that use this close stay in the manager's office for up to 20 minutes. Play it up a bit and make it look like you're actually trying to persuade your manager.

Example

"I'm only authorized to discount up to $500 and you're looking for a $1000 discount. I can try to convince my manager and get that $1000 off for you, would that be ok?"

(Go to manager's office and start playing it up...waving hands, big gestures...etc.)

Come back.

"Phew! It took a bit of convincing, but my manager agreed to this price. We have a deal!"

Assumptive Close

I like this close and this one has worked for me quite a bit. Assume that this is the vehicle, assume the price is perfect and assume that's what your customer wants. And do it confidently. It puts pressure on them to say no. And after agreeing with your assumptions, saying no is more difficult.

Example

"You wanted to take delivery tomorrow right?"

"Was the red one or the black one the car you wanted?"

"You wanted the red car with the upgraded audio for $300 per month. Perfect. When would you like to take delivery of your car?"

Balance-sheet Close

This one is the pro-con close. Write down on a sheet all the pro's and all the cons with their purchase. Obviously, make sure the pro's list is longer. This one is pretty much straight forward. Doing this in front of them makes it better than your customers doing it for themselves at home. It creates trust and you are able to answer any objections on the spot.

Example

Do you really need an example of how to draw a line down the middle of a piece of paper and write down the positives and negatives? Hope not. :)