What Is Trial Closing in Sales? Benefits and Best Practices

Have you mastered the trial close in sales? Trial closing is a strategy that sellers can use to gauge the level of buyer interest. It’s an effective way to understand just how ready a prospect is to make a purchase. 

Why is learning how to trial close in sales important?

This clues sellers into how they should proceed, or if they should even continue pursuing a deal with a buyer. Other benefits, according to Indeed.com, include:

1. You get to hear how the customer feels. Trial closes offer prospects the chance to share their feelings, strengthening the buyer-seller connection. Knowing how a customer is feeling also gives the opportunity to offer empathy. 
2. It’s easier to establish a timeline. Because sellers can use this strategy to measure a buyer’s readiness to purchase, it’s easier to create a timeline. Then, guide the buyer accordingly.

Overall, this type of close is a great way to educate yourself about the buyer. It also helps you strategize how their journey should continue. You'll also build trust and credibility by expanding your knowledge of the buyer. As Indeed notes, “… trial closes are a helpful, low-risk tool that sales professionals can employ to strengthen their sales process and increase their chances of closing deals.”

But not all sellers are confident in their closing abilities. 22% of B2B reps say that negotiations and closing are a top weakness, according to the Voice of the Sales Rep study. And only 35% say they are strengths.

Clearly, sellers can benefit from brushing up on trial closing techniques. Learning to leverage those skills can make deals happen.

How to trial close in sales

The professionals at indeed.com share ways that sellers can effectively incorporate this strategy.

Observe the prospect’s behavior

While sellers should already be observing prospects, the specifics shift a bit when doing a trial close. When looking at their behavior, do it from a position of curiosity, e.g., how can their behavior clue you in to what questions you need to ask.

This will help you proceed more intuitively and determine the questions that will give you the best insights to make the close. 

Not sure where to start? Indeed points out that questions should always be open-ended (check out SalesFuel’s tips for asking this type of question). This invites deeper thought and discussion. Indeed shares a few suggestions to get you started:

• How do you feel about what we have discussed so far?
• What do you think about the solution I’ve shared with you?
• How does what we’ve talked about sound to you?
• Based on what you’ve heard so far, what are your questions?

Remember, tapping into the prospect’s feelings and opinions is a key element of trial closing in sales. So, make sure your questions align with that goal.

Evaluate and adjust

Once you’ve tapped into how the buyer is currently feeling at that particular stage, it’s time for some strategizing. Remember, their responses may not be positive and may include objections. This gives you an opportunity to directly address their concerns.

Sellers can also shift their strategy in response to what they hear. This ensures the buyer stays interested and moves toward a sale. 

If the initial response is disinterest, follow up immediately with an open-ended question to gauge interest in other aspects of your offering. Or use additional questions to uncover concerns that you can address. 

If the prospect responds favorably, if hesitantly, to your questions, you know you’re on the right track. Consider ways to strengthen the value that they already are seeing. A demo, trial, client testimonials, and storytelling are great next steps to consider. 

In scenarios where the prospect shows signs they are all-in and ready to buy, go ahead and make the ask. 

Why you should try this “soft” strategy

Trial closing in sales can be an effective way to take a prospect’s “temperature." It clues you in to where they are in the process and how to proceed to move them forward without high pressure. 

SalesFuel’s Tim Londergan supports this strategy.

“The beauty of this technique is that it feels more natural and informal when applied to the overall sales conversation,” he points out.

This softer close technique will likely be a welcome change from tough closes of the past. Additionally, it helps deepen your connection with the buyer and nurtures them toward a deal.

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash