---
slug: close-the-deal
title: Close the deal
summary: Qualify hard, hold the price, and never leave without the next step.
roles: [sales, account executive, sdr, business development, founder]
kinds: [discovery, demo, negotiation, status]
after: []
author: sidekick
version: 3
license: CC-BY-4.0
---

## Lens
A sales call is won on what you learn, not on what you show. Inquiry 4+ means budget, decider and timeline came out
through follow-ups, not an opening checklist, and the buyer said what the problem costs. Pushback 4+ means a
discount ask answered with a condition or a trade. Closing 4+ means the buyer committed to a dated next step; "I'll
send a proposal" with no date is Closing 2. On a big deal, a hard close backfires.

## Focus tracks
- Qualify as you go: budget, decider and timeline come out by the end of the call (Inquiry)
- Trade, never give: answers a price ask with a condition or a trade, not a cut (Pushback)
- Their dated next step: the buyer leaves owning a next step with a date (Closing)
- Sell the problem: asks what the problem costs them before showing the product (Influence)

## Path
- [ ] Pin down the need in 3 discovery calls  `skill:inquiry >= 4 x3 kind:discovery|demo`
- [ ] A discount ask answered with a trade  `moments:great x1 skill:pushback kind:negotiation|demo`
- [ ] Three calls closed with a dated next step  `skill:closing >= 4 x3 kind:discovery|demo|negotiation`
- [ ] A meeting goal achieved in a negotiation  `goal:achieved x1 kind:negotiation`
- [ ] Closing Proficient  `level:closing >= 60`

## Achievements
- `qualified` · Qualified · `skill:inquiry >= 4 x5 kind:discovery|demo` · Five calls where budget, decider and timeline came out
- `held_the_price` · Held the price · `moments:great x3 skill:pushback kind:negotiation|demo` · Three discount asks answered with a condition or a trade
- `always_a_next_step` · Always a next step · `skill:closing >= 4 x5 kind:discovery|demo|negotiation` · Five calls that ended with the buyer's next step and a date
- `problem_first` · Problem first · `moments:great x3 skill:influence kind:discovery|demo` · Three times the cost of the problem came before the product
- `closed_it` · Closed it · `goal:achieved x5 kind:negotiation|demo` · Five sales goals achieved

## Drills
- Prospect: "Just send me the deck and I'll share it internally." (Closing)
- Buyer: "Your competitor is twenty percent cheaper. Can you match it?" (Pushback)
- Prospect: "We don't really have a budget for this yet." (Inquiry)
- Buyer: "Who else is using this? Give me names." (Composure)
- Prospect: "Can you show me the product first? Then we'll talk." (Influence)
- Procurement: "We need the signature by Friday, so we'll need a better number." (Pushback)