“Assume the prospect wants to buy because he probably does,” writes Zig Ziglar in his classic book, Secrets of Closing the Sale. “Then assume he is going to buy and he probably will. The ‘Assumptive Close’ makes it easy for him to buy. As a professional, that’s your job.”

I applied this technique to get out of 2 traffic tickets and, most recently, to grow my business.

You can, too. This post walks you through how to do both.

What do your prospects have in common with that police officer who pulled you over?

Like the police officer, your prospects are looking to solve problems.
The police officer, of course, equates you WITH the problem.

Both prospects and your customers hope you’ll be easy to deal with, and won’t shoot them.

You can convince them to give you a chance using the assumptive close.

“But that sounds manipulative!”

The assumptive close is much more than a manipulative cold-calling tactic like the well-worn, “So, would you prefer Wednesday or Thursday?”

The manipulative assumptive close happens when you’re recommending something despite what might be best for the prospect/police officer.

The authentic assumptive close means meeting the prospect where they are. You understand their problems, feel their pain, and want them to do what would be best for them. You truly believe you can help them. There’s no difference between outside and inside. I can haz integrity?

How to use the assumptive close to get out of your next ticket—or to attract your next prospect with your website.

Step 1: The police lights are flashing behind you. The voice of God is instructing you to pull over.

A prospect (or a police officer) has found you. Congratulations! No matter the outcome, right now they’re interested and engaged. So, you pull over. Now what?

Step 2: If it’s dark, immediately turn on your overhead light.

What officers want most is to feel safe. They don’t want to have to be on guard.
Make them feel like good guys by showing them you’re a good guy–or gal.
Turn on your overhead light.
It’s secret police language for, “I understand you’re wary, but I’ve got nothing to hide.”

Like cops, your prospects WANT to be reassured. Make it easy for them to see you. Here’s how:

• Let your website show YOU. Don’t hide behind some overly professional, corporate tone.
• Give clean navigation with the least number of buttons and options possible. Your prospects should not feel confused or uncertain.
• Don’t start off your home page with a bunch of “Are you this?” and “Are you that?” yes-or-no questions. It’s scary and invasive. Instead, ask open-ended questions like “How” or “What happens when?” You want to invite them to see the possibilities, to show them you feel their pain without putting them on the spot.

Step 2: Put your hands on the wheel.

When it comes to your website, putting your hands on the wheel means:

• Not forcing them to fill out a popup box before they know what you’re all about
• Not asking them too many questions on the home page
• Not trying to close the sale immediately with a premature call to action. Give them enough helpful information so they can make a decision at their own pace.

Step 3: When the officer approaches your window, roll it down and smile in a relaxed way (because you ARE relaxed).

Believe you are getting out of this ticket. There’s nothing to fear here, no need to overjustify.
Be quiet and listen.

On your website, think of your About page as that window rolling down and you smiling out.
It’s usually the first page people click on—before your Services or your Approach pages.

Being relaxed means letting yourself shine through, and not hiding behind a bunch of credentials.

Assume the prospect already believes you’re qualified. You don’t have to try so hard by listing out every possible way in which you are qualified; instead, you start with what they care about, and why you care so much about what they care about.

As an example, here are two About pages I wrote for clients.
Notice how each About page starts off by talking about the prospect, and not about the company:

• http://newrelic.com/about
• http://benzcommunications.com/aboutus

Step 4: Show the police officer your Peace Corps ID (or WHATEVER you’ve got).

OK, I admit it. I never used to have my drivers license or proof of insurance on me. But, a few years ago, I DID have my Peace Corps ID. So, I dug around a bit and produced it.

“Where’s Guinea?” said the officer.
“West Africa.”
“What did you eat over there?”
“Bush rat stew. And lots of rice and sauce.”
“Well, you’re going to have to slow down. And maybe hire a professional organizer. Your car is a mess.”
“I know, I will.”

The end. I was on my way.

When you apply the assumptive close, you actually enjoy the process of “selling,” because you can relax, detach yourself from the outcome, and just focus on making it easy and safe for them.

Try it. See what happens.

Image by eflon via Flickr, used under a Creative Commons license.

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