The One Call Close – A Step By Step Blueprint
The one call close is widely touted in the world of sales training and comes in various forms depending on the type of person teaching the techniques.
Some use old school always be closing methods, and others a more consultative approach.
In this article, we’ll give you the exact one call close blueprint – which help you close more sales consistently, without being pushy or breaking rapport.
What Is A One Call Close?
Put simply; a one call close is the process of enrolling your prospect into a buyer, during one phone call or sales conversation.
The one call close has almost been romanticised as being a mythical and legendary part of sales.
However; a lot of its success comes from the pre-work, as well as the step by step structure and process followed during the sales conversation.
Read on to learn about what needs to be done prior, as well as the steps we recommend to be successful at the one call close.
Learn more: How To Stop Winging It, And Learn Exactly How To Close Consistent Sales With Ease
What Should You Do Prior To Your One Call Close?
Prior to your one call close, there are two areas you should focus on to ensure that you’re efficient with your time, and secondly – that you can create a positive experience for your potential client.
Pre-Work Tip #1 – Do Some Homework
Prior to one call close, you should always do some homework and learn about your potential client.
There are a few things we usually do, and also recommend that you do so too.
First of all, we always look for them on LinkedIn.
Find out what their current role is, how long they’ve been in their role, and what their experience is.
You can also see what other people have ‘endorsed’ them for which will give you an idea of their potential strengths.
If you can’t find them on LinkedIn, we recommend looking for them on social media such as Facebook and Instagram.
We also recommend doing a Google Search on them too, and seeing what you can find interest wise, as well as anything else that may be useful.
Just to be clear – we aren’t advocating to become a stalker of any kind!
We just want to ensure you get a rough idea prior to the one call close, so that you can seamlessly build rapport and get a good idea about the type of person you’re speaking with.
Pre-Work Tip #2 – Plan Your One Call Close
Prior to jumping onto your one call close, we also recommend planning what it will look like, what you will say, and what you will ask.
As Benjamin Franklin once famously said, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail”.
It is important to ensure you’re aware of how the call will go, so you’re not winging it and positioning yourself as someone unprofessional.
To help you plan your one call close, we’ve outlined a step by step process we recommend you use, so you can consistently close more clients, and serve more people.
The One Call Close – A Step By Step Blueprint
The most important ingredient needed to succeed at a one call close, as well as your overall sales game – is the inclusion of a sales process.
A sales process, also known as a sales structure; is the step by step system you use to guide your potential client on a journey, and help you close more sales.
Although there are various types of sales methodologies out there; we recommend using one which helps guide the potential client to sell themselves.
This way – it’s easier to sell your product or service, versus using some old-school and outdated system that recommends you do the hard sell.
Below are some key steps and tips you’ll need to succeed at a one call close.
Related article: The Sales Process – A Step By Step Guide
Step 1 – Build Rapport
The first step prior to diving deep into your one call close, is building rapport with your potential clients.
People buy from people they like and trust – and people that are also like them.
Start by building some quick rapport; some topics you may want to quickly talk about to build familiarity, may be intelligence you found in your prior homework phase.
Related article: A Guide To Building Sales Relationships/ Building Rapport
Step 2 – Pre-Frame The Conversation
Any sales conversation; including the one call close, is fit into something we call a frame.
A frame is how you will frame the overall conversation; which if you play your cards right, will be framed that they need your product or service – and should buy.
Prior to the frame – we recommend doing something called a pre-frame.
A pre-frame’s job is to do the following things:
- Find out if all decision makers are present
- Let them know that you’ll be asking a lot of deep diving questions
- That’s if they don’t feel that you’re the right fit – that it’s completely OK, and to let you know
To learn how to do this in more detail, read the linked article below.
Further reading: Positioning In Sales – How To Sell Effectively
Step 3 – Set Call Expectations
Once you’ve set your pre-frame, it’s important to let them know how the sales conversation will generally go. This is absolutely critical to succeed at the one call close.
This comprises of you letting them know how long it will take, as well as the types of questions you’ll be asking and why.
By why – I don’t mean you telling them that you’re investigating whether or not they’re qualified, but instead; letting them know you want to ensure you can in fact help them, and that you’ll only offer your product or service if you feel you truly can.
This will separate you from a lot of other people out there who position themselves to make a quick dollar.
On the topic – it is always important to leave your presenting to the end, and only present if you know you can in fact serve your potential client.
Step 4 – Qualify
A lot of Sales Professionals make the mistake in their one call close attempt, by speaking with people who they shouldn’t be speaking with in the first place.
These people are not qualified for your sales call or offer; and it’s imperative to pick up on this as soon as possible.
As per our article here, we’ve written a list of sales probing questions to help you qualify your potential clients:
- Prior to moving forward, is there anyone else who may need to be involved?
- Out of curiosity; how much budget do you have put aside to fix this?
- What timeline did you look at having these issues resolved?
- What do you think our next steps should be?
Another popular sales qualifying acronym is something called the BANT method.
This simple acronym breaks down a formula you can use, to qualify easily.
Further reading: Qualifying Sales Leads – A Step By Step Guide
Step 5 – Finding Pain
The third and very important step to succeed at your one call close, is finding out why they’re looking at making a purchasing decision in the first place.
People don’t buy things – they buy what it will mean when they own it.
Generally – this means they currently are in a situation they’re not happy with and are aspiring to make a purchasing decision to get to where they want or need to be.
People buy to escape pain and move towards pleasure.
To learn how to uncover pain in your one call close, read the related article below.
Further reading: Pain Points & Sales – Your Ultimate Guide
Step 6 – Demonstrate How To Solve Their Pain
Once you have found their pain and learnt the meaning behind what it means to have those pain points; you need to demonstrate that you can solve their problems with your product or services.
There is an effective way at doing this, which handles objections and much more.
As this is quite a concise topic, we’ve dedicated an article to teach you how you can do this too.
Related article: 10 x Effective Sales Presentation Tips You Need To Use
Step 7 – Ask For The Sale
You’d be surprised how many Sales Professionals fail to ask for the sale in their attempt at the one call close.
Many don’t do it because they’re nervous about getting a no – and that they don’t know what to do after they feel rejected by the potential client.
If you’re feeling this way, it means you’re not using a step by step, sure-fire way to consistently close clients.
And yes – this is costing you income.
Ask for the sale confidently, but prior to doing so; ensure you follow the step by step structure outlined in this article.
By following our sales process, you’ll have a better and more consistent chance of closing more sales and serving more people.
Related article: 5 x Closing Questions To Win More Sales
The One Call Close – Final Thoughts
The one call close can work for you consistently, if you qualify the people you’re initially speaking with early, and if you’re following a step by step blueprint to close sales.
The biggest issue with Sales Professionals and Business Owners when it comes to sales, is that they don’t follow a consistent system.
When you follow a proven consistent system – you’ll close sales consistently.
Want To Learn How To Perfectly Execute The One Call Close?
If you want to learn the exact step by step blueprint and succeed at the one call close, then you should learn more about our affordable and self-paced online sales training program; The 5% Sales Blueprint.
You won’t need to spend hundreds or thousands, and you’ll learn exactly what you need to close sales, consistently.
To learn more, click on the link directly below.
