Take away closing technique

That manipulation is not a bad thing, our job is not to manipulate, it is to help a customer find a solution to a problem that meets their needs.

Before you were in sales, how often were you the victim or near victim of a manipulative, high pressure salesman who left you with a bad taste in your mouth a day or a week later?

Even as a sales professional I dislike that kind of dealing. The more so because it makes my job harder. (And believe me, making a go of the tool business is hard enough.)

Pat

As I mentioned earlier, IMO there is nothing inherently "wrong" with "manipulation". I'd go on to say that there is no "right" or "wrong" but thinking makes it so. This is why, IMO, what "matters" is your beliefs about manipulation.

If a person's experiences (referent) with manipulation have been negative, like those in your posts, it's not hard to see how he/she could form a less than favorable attitude towards the topic.

Let me provide an example where "manipulation" doesn't run contrary to "dealing with your customers fairly and honestly" or "the highest personal integrity and ethics".

Let's say that we're talking about a real estate agent who specializes in the listing and marketing of residential homes. A homeowner in the agent's area who wants to sell his home sees the agent's sign in a neighbor's yard and calls to inquire about the agent's services.

This homeowner holds the attitude that when he meets/talks with the right agent he will "give" that agent the listing. Although not a savvy seller this homeowner believe he knows what questions to asks to be able to tell who the "right" agent is and proceeds to ask the agent this limited set (what is your fee, how long will it take to sell, etc.) of questions one after the other without allowing a fuller discussion because of his intention to collect the data from many agents and then "call back" the agent he intends to "give" the listing to (barring any difficulties or changes).

Left unchecked this is a potential problem for both the seller and the agent. The seller is operating from a limited data set, which could be the basis of a uniformed decision that ultimately costs him in time, money, and/or hassle (Foreclosure?). This can be a challenge for the agent because although he might have otherwise been the most qualified candidate because of the seller's un-savvy selection criteria he could be passed up (No Commission?).

The agent seeing the writing on the wall says to the seller, "That's great if you call back but I have to tell you... I usually turn down more listings than I accept and I can't guarantee without a little more information that I'd be able to accept your listing either." (Take-a-Way/We want what we can't have)

With that one sentence balance shifts from the seller to the agent. The agent now has the opportunity, which wasn't there before, to engage the seller in a sales conversation.

The agent skillfully influenced the seller to his advantage while maintaining the highest personal integrity and ethics and while dealing with the customer fairly and honestly. That too is manipulation.

Classic! Beautiful example.

Much appreciated.

I'm relatively new to the profession of selling, but I can tell you that I have used this at least once with success. Some will argue that it is a manipulative tactic, but I would argue that buyers are often not truthful and forthcoming with their own intentions/desires which makes them manipulative as well. In negotiation, there are games played on both sides and this tactic is just one that levels the playing field. If you have the nerve to tell a girl you're crazy about that maybe you're not the one for her, then you have increased your desirability and given your self-esteem a boost. We are all professional that deserve to be treated with respect, but sometimes and in some situations, we have to be the ones who exhibit our own self respect. The take-away allows you to walk out the door with your head up high and maintains your confidence for the next meeting, and it closes the door so that you don't keep getting strung along by the non-committal prospect. There are opportunity costs for everything you do. Spend your time wisely.

Are you sure you haven't been doing this a while? Good post.

The take away close is one I've used when confronted with a second decision maker, which actually just happened today. We ended up meeting with an owner when we thought we were meeting with a VP, and found out they think differently (no big surprise). They were on the same page on some of what we had proposed (not formally yet). I found myself "taking away" the thing I thought they did agree on to get a sense of how likely it was that they would at least go with what they did agree on, and it worked like a charm. When I took it away, he had two options a) to say "it's true, i'm not that interested or b) but wait - yes, yes we do want that thing. Turned out to make it clear that we're still in, and now the other decision maker is on board too. Lucky, I'd say and yet not the least bit manipulative - rather it just told me what I needed to know so that I made sure I still had a buyer. Not gonna waste my time chasing windmills. I'm sure you'd all agree. I think we would have looked pathetic if we didn't insist on finding out for sure if he was on board. I find this to be a great example of how the take away is a good tool to use when you're headed towards a close, but not actually closing. What does everyone else think?

Amen - my sentiments exactly. In the end, what this "savvy" seller really wants is the one guy or woman who will challenge his approach and see through his facade. That salesperson who dares to challenge him and address what his real concern is (that he'll pick the wrong agent) will win his business, so it might as well be you!

The Take Away is a powerful sales tactic that can aid the sales person in advancing the sale. I would strongly contend that it is not inherently manipulative. However, some earlier in this thread have rightly pointed out how it can be abused if used dishonestly. This does not negate the legitimacy and potency of the Take Away it simply highlights that lack on integrity of the sales people who abuse the tactic and their prospect.

I think a second reason the Take Away is so misunderstood is that there is little to no good training on it. Few sales books even cover it and when they do it is a brief summary that raises more questions than answers.