Not sure where to start when you’re handed a deal that’s already in progress? 

The trick is knowing when to get off the escalator. 

One of the most powerful closes to use when inheriting a deal from someone else is what’s known as the “ascending close.” The ascending close happens when we ask a series of questions that ascend with more and more challenge and difficulty. And the final element of the ascending close is asking for the order, which would rarely happen on a deal you just got, so the trick is knowing when to get off.

And where do you get off? Exactly when the customer starts to pause or gives you a no. 

So why not do what I do when I get a deal that was worked on from someone else? I’ll ask a series of questions like, “So to make sure I understand, you’re the main point of contact on this opportunity, right?” And if I hear a yes, I’ll go to the next one. “And you’re looking to make a decision by the end of the quarter?” 

I’ll continue to move up to more and more powerful closes until my customer interrupts me and says, “Well, actually, that’s not entirely true.” And that’s where I know to get off the escalator and to start my work on this deal.

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