Or you might extend your hand.  He will have an impulse to reach out his in turn.  It is natural for a man to take a hand that is courteously offered.  The moment after you reach toward the prospect say, “Let’s shake hands on it.”  Once his fingers start moving toward yours in imitation of your action, it will be easy for him to commit himself.

[Sidenote:  Five Essentials Of Good Close]

Now let us review the essentials of good salesmanship in closing, which we have been analyzing.  We can summarize under five divisions the entire process of completing a sale most effectively and with the practical assurance of success.

First, the salesman must have definite, certain knowledge that the mind of the prospect has reached the closing stage; that it is time to end the “testimony” and to begin weighing the evidence.  If the salesman has kept control of the selling process throughout all the preceding stages, he will know when the selling point is reached, for he will be there himself, with the prospect he has “safely conducted” thus far.

Second, at this “right time” it is necessary to change former sales tactics promptly, and to start contrasting the affirmative and negative ideas that have previously been brought out.

Third, the salesman should weigh these contrasting ideas so vividly that the mind’s eye of the prospect will see the scales and perceive the greater weight on the “Yes” side, as the salesman pictures it.

Fourth, it is important that the salesman color the affirmative ideas very alluringly, and increase the contrast by painting unattractively everything on the negative side of the scale; so that “No,” besides appearing much lighter than “Yes,” will seem uninviting.

Fifth, the selling process should be brought to a climax by the salesman’s suggestion or imitation of some act designed to commit the prospect to acceptance in an easy way.

[Sidenote:  Unbalancing The Process]

Nothing so unbalances the process of securing a favorable decision and its pronouncement as any indication of fear, doubt, or hesitancy in the attitude of the salesman.  Therefore, even though you may be uncertain as to the outcome of your selling efforts, do not show it.  Long before you came to the decision point, you passed the worst dangers on the road to the end of the sale.  Surely your courage should be strongest at the closing stage.

[Sidenote:  Light Dissipates Fear and Doubt]

Fear usually arises from something unknown; it is due only to darkness.  Since you know now just what closing involves, and light has been shed on the problems of getting the prospect’s “Yes,” your fears and doubts should be dissipated. You should not hesitate to end the sale you have controlled successfully throughout previous stages.  Our analysis has revealed that closing is no more difficult than winning attention to your proposition in the first place.  As a result, your present attitude toward closing is positive.  Your courage and self-confidence have been built up.  You realize just how success in finishing a well-conducted sale can be made practically sure.