Book SummarySecrets of Closing the Sale, by Zig Ziglar

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Secrets of Closing the Sale

In Secrets of Closing the Sale, published in 1982, salesman and public speaker Zig Ziglar reveals how you can greatly increase your chances of closing your sales. He discusses how you can shift your thinking to better understand your potential customer—your lead—and he outlines specific sales techniques that can maximize the impact of your pitch....

Secrets of Closing the Sale Summary Part I | Secrets About the Salesperson

Let’s begin by discussing what makes a successful salesperson. Ziglar argues salespeople must first internalize and live by the following two principles.

Principle #1: To Achieve Success in Your Life, Help Others Find Success in Theirs

Ziglar insists that to find success and happiness in your own life, you must help others find it in theirs. Approach not only sales leads, but everyone you encounter, with the intention to help and support them. When you act in this selfless way, the happiness and success you spread come back to you—often, in the form of good sales numbers.

(Shortform note: An alternative perspective on helping others comes from Stephen Covey in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Rather than seeking only to help others and expecting that you’ll eventually reap the benefits of your generosity, Covey advocates for approaching interactions from a win-win perspective. In this view, you actively cooperate with others to achieve mutual gain. This approach seems to offer more immediate rewards and...

Secrets of Closing the Sale Summary Part II | Secrets About the Customer

Now that you understand the principles and qualities that make you a good salesperson, let’s turn to the customer. In this part, we’ll talk about six common customer behaviors you must understand to do your best selling. We’ll then turn to five common customer objections and how to best address them, according to Ziglar.

Here are the six common customer behaviors.

Behavior #1: Customers Give You One Reason for Not Buying When It’s Really Another

Customers often unwittingly express false reasons for not wanting to buy the product, claims Ziglar. For instance, someone might argue they can’t afford the product when in reality, they simply already own a similar product. As a salesperson, you must listen well (as discussed in Part I) to figure out what their true objection is so you can address it. We’ll talk more about addressing objections in the next section.

(Shortform note: Ziglar contends that people often give false reasons for not wanting to buy a product, and indeed, other experts agree that people generally aren’t as in tune with themselves as they think they are. Humans are good at evaluating themselves on certain traits—they tend to correctly evaluate how...

Secrets of Closing the Sale Summary Part III | Secrets About the Sale

Now that you know what you as the seller must bring to a sale and how leads tend to behave in buying situations, you can move on to crafting an effective pitch. Do this by following these five rules.

Rule #1: Help the Customer Decide to Buy

The best way to make a sale is to lead the customer to their own conclusion that they need the product, emphasizes Ziglar. When the customer convinces themselves that they need what you’re offering, they’re almost sure to buy. Help the customer come to their own conclusion by asking them targeted questions. For example, a question might be: “Wouldn’t it help you get in shape if you knew exactly how much you were exercising each day?”

(Shortform note: In How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie offers a more empathetic way to get customers to convince themselves to buy: Instead of asking obvious leading questions, solicit their opinion or suggestions to improve the product. Customers who feel you value their opinion might end up appreciating the...

Shortform Exercise: Strengthen Your Belief in Yourself and Your Product to Sell More

Develop your conviction in your sales abilities and in the advantages of the product, and use both in tandem to sell more effectively.

Write down five qualities and strengths you possess. These don’t have to be related to selling. Do your best to get to five.

Shortform Exercise: Think About Ways to Sell Over the Long Term

Devise a system to sell to customers over the long term.

Write down three to five ways you can continue selling—or adding value to—your product in the long term. This will be completely unique to your product or service. (For instance, if you sell pet products, consider setting up a subscription program. If you own a bike shop, consider offering customers periodic tune-ups on their bikes.)