The Sales Archive real techniques, real sources

The reference for sales technique

Every sales technique worth knowing, and where it really came from.

93 closes, objection handlers and scripts, each shown as the actual conversation and traced to its source, or honestly labeled when there isn't one.

66 entries free, no signup. The rest unlock once, for €39.

Traveling salesman demonstrating a typewriter to a prospect abroad
National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · Public domain
No. 008 Folklore

Ben Franklin Close

Benjamin Franklin (folklore)

  1. Buyer I just can't decide.
  2. You Let's lay it out. What's on the yes side?
  3. Buyer They fill in the against column mostly on their own.
Read the full entry →
Entries
93
Traced to a named source
42
Categories
7
Books & studies cited
23
Free to read
66

Browse the archive

Start from the moment you're in.

Men at a table negotiating and signing a sales contract for a rotary press, 1958
14 entries

Closes

Asking for the decision
Men in a tense negotiation across a table
17 entries

Objection handling

When they push back or say no
Salesperson and customer talking warmly in a clothing shop, 1966
9 entries

Rapport

Building trust fast
Interviewer taking notes during a personal interview at a general store, TVA survey
13 entries

Discovery

Asking the right questions
Busy telephone switchboard room, operators at work, 1958
8 entries

Prospecting

Opening a cold conversation
Crowd listening intently to a speaker
17 entries

Persuasion principles

Why people say yes
Women practicing at rows of typewriters, vocational typing class
15 entries

Scripts

Word-for-word, copy and send

How an entry works

Not a blog post. A record.

  1. The conversation. What the buyer says, what you say back, and what usually happens next.
  2. The source. The person, book or study it comes from, so you can check it yourself.
  3. The verdict. Sourced, folklore, or common practice. If the famous story is a myth, the entry says so.
  4. When to use it. The situation it fits, and how hard it is to pull off.
Closes Folklore

Ben Franklin Close

OriginBenjamin Franklin (folklore)
Use whenBuyer is analytical and genuinely on the fence
DifficultyNeeds practice
  1. Buyer I just can't decide.
  2. You Let's lay it out. What's on the yes side?
  3. Buyer They fill in the against column mostly on their own.
  4. Result The visible imbalance does the persuading.

What the archive checks

Every entry says what can actually be traced.

How entries are labeled →
Sourced42 entries · a named book, study or person
Accusation AuditChris Voss, Never Split the Difference (2016)Active Listening and SummarisingCarl Rogers, client-centred therapy (1950s)AuthorityRobert Cialdini, Influence (1984)But You Are FreeNicolas Guéguen and Alexandre Pascual, Current Research in Social Psychology (2000)
Common practice49 entries · widely taught, no single originator
Alternative-Choice CloseBuyer is clearly interested but hasn't committed yetAssumptive CloseBuying signals are positive and asking outright invites hesitationBANTTriaging a high volume of inbound leads quicklyBreak-Up EmailAfter a few genuine touches, when a prospect has gone silent
Folklore2 entries · the famous story is legend
Ben Franklin CloseBenjamin Franklin (folklore)Columbo CloseColumbo character (folklore)

Sources on the shelf

Where these techniques actually come from.

All sources →
Influence Cialdini SPIN Selling Rackham Never Split the Difference Voss The Sandler Selling System Sandler Neuro-Linguistic Programming Grinder The Endowment Effect Thaler Prospect Theory Tversky The Framing of Decisions Kahneman Positive Theory of Consumer Choice Thaler Pre-Suasion Cialdini Client-Centred Therapy Rogers Similarity-Attraction Effect Byrne Trigger-event selling Shanto The Challenger Sale Adamson

The full index

All 93 entries

93 entries
  1. You probably think I'm just another vendor here to waste your time
  2. Reacts with relief or surprise instead of defensiveness
  3. You might also be wondering if we can actually deliver on time
RapportSourced

Accusation Audit

Chris Voss, Never Split the Difference (2016)
  1. The manual reporting is killing us every week.
  2. So the real issue is the manual reporting, and it costs a day a week. Right?
  3. They say 'yes, exactly' and open up further.
RapportSourced

Active Listening and Summarising

Carl Rogers, client-centred therapy (1950s)
  1. I'm still thinking about it.
  2. Would you rather start on the monthly plan or the annual?
  3. They pick one, and the deal moves forward.
ClosesCommon practice

Alternative-Choice Close

Common practice
  1. Put a defensible number on the table first.
  2. (negotiates relative to that number, even if it was arbitrary)
  3. Frame the option you want against a higher reference point
Full archive
Persuasion principlesSourced

Anchoring

Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman, Science (1974)
  1. This looks like it could really help us.
  2. I'll get the paperwork over this afternoon, does Thursday work for kickoff?
  3. They confirm Thursday, or raise the objection still on their mind.
ClosesCommon practice

Assumptive Close

Common practice
  1. How do we know this will actually work for us?
  2. Across the last dozen firms we did this for, the bottleneck was almost always X.
  3. They relax, hearing guidance instead of a pitch.
Persuasion principlesSourced

Authority

Robert Cialdini, Influence (1984)
  1. Do you have budget set aside for this, and who else needs to sign off?
  2. Answers place them somewhere between hot lead and just browsing
  3. What's driving the timeline, is there a date this needs to be solved by?
DiscoveryCommon practice

BANT

Common practice
  1. I just can't decide.
  2. Let's lay it out. What's on the yes side?
  3. They fill in the against column mostly on their own.
ClosesFolklore

Ben Franklin Close

Benjamin Franklin (folklore)
  1. No reply after several follow-ups.
  2. Should I close your file? Mind if I close it for now?
  3. No, don't close it, let's talk.
ScriptsCommon practice

Break-Up Email

Common practice
  1. Make the request, then add "but you're free to say no."
  2. (feels their autonomy respected, and agrees more often, not less)
  3. Compliance goes up compared to the same ask without the line
Persuasion principlesSourced

But You Are Free

Nicolas Guéguen and Alexandre Pascual, Current Research in Social Psychology (2000)
  1. Before we wrap up, let's grab 20 minutes on the calendar for {{NextStep}} while we're both looking at it.
  2. (picks a date, which becomes a real commitment instead of a vague intention)
  3. You leave every call with a scheduled next step, not a maybe.
Full archive
ClosesCommon practice

Calendar Close

Common practice
  1. What about this is most important to you?
  2. Explains their priorities without feeling pushed
  3. How would we know if this were working, six months in?
DiscoverySourced

Calibrated How/What Questions

Chris Voss, Never Split the Difference (2016)
  1. Open with an insight the buyer hasn't connected before, backed by data
  2. Reacts with surprise, not agreement: they hadn't framed the problem that way
  3. Reframe the insight around the place your product uniquely helps
Full archive
DiscoverySourced

Challenger Commercial Teaching

Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson, The Challenger Sale (2011)
  1. Send a short email to a named exec asking who the right person is, not for a meeting
  2. Forwards it to the right person, who now opens your email as an internal referral
  3. Follow up with the forwarded contact, referencing the introduction
Full archive
ProspectingSourced

Cold Calling 2.0

Aaron Ross and Marylou Tyler, Predictable Revenue (2011)
  1. Hi Sarah, it's Kim from Acme. I know I'm calling out of the blue.
  2. We help logistics firms cut invoice errors, and I saw you took the Nordic contract.
  3. Yeah, actually, tell me more.
ProspectingCommon practice

Cold-Call Opener Frameworks

Common practice (popularised by Steli Efti)
  1. Hi {{FirstName}}, it's {{YourName}} from {{Company}}.
  2. I'll be honest, this is a cold call. Give me twenty seconds?
  3. Ok, go ahead.
ScriptsCommon practice

Cold-Call Opener Script

Common practice
  1. No problem, I'll let you go.
  2. Just so I understand, what would have to be true for this to be an easy yes?
  3. They give a more honest answer, now that the pressure feels off.
ClosesFolklore

Columbo Close

Columbo character (folklore)
  1. So it's fair to say this is worth solving this quarter?
  2. Yes, definitely.
  3. Shall we start?
Persuasion principlesSourced

Commitment and Consistency

Robert Cialdini, Influence (1984)
  1. If nothing changes over the next year, what does that cost you?
  2. They add it up out loud, and the number surprises them.
  3. The cost feels real now, more than any figure you could quote.
DiscoveryCommon practice

Cost of Inaction

Common practice (draws on Rackham and Kahneman/Tversky)
  1. Ask how well the demo matched what they need
  2. Raises hesitation or remaining doubt
  3. Propose a specific next meeting with a date, live on the call
Full archive
ScriptsCommon practice

Demo-to-Next-Step Transition

Common practice
  1. Goal: {{TheirGoal}}. Current gap: {{TheirProblem}}, costing {{ImpactOrCost}}.
  2. Next step is {{NextStep}} on {{Date}}, with {{WhoElseNeeded}} included.
  3. (confirms or corrects, which keeps the deal moving on their terms too)
ScriptsCommon practice

Discovery-Call Follow-Up Email

Common practice
  1. State the agenda and confirm the time upfront
  2. Ask permission to ask a lot of questions, and explain why
  3. Agrees and opens up instead of staying guarded
Full archive
ScriptsCommon practice

Discovery-Call Opening Script

Common practice
  1. Ask for something large that you expect will be turned down.
  2. No, that's too much.
  3. Follow immediately with the smaller request you actually wanted.
Persuasion principlesSourced

Door-in-the-Face

Robert Cialdini et al., Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (1975)
  1. I'm sending a short email right now so you have this in writing.
  2. Just left you a quick voicemail.
  3. Each message vouches for the other, and the buyer notices both.
ProspectingCommon practice

Double-Tap (Voicemail + Email)

Common practice
  1. Go ahead, enter your own numbers here so you can see it with your data.
  2. They start configuring their own view in the product.
  3. It starts to feel like theirs before they've paid a cent.
Full archive
Persuasion principlesSourced

Endowment Effect in Demos

Richard Thaler (1980); Kahneman & Knetsch (1990)
  1. You're in Malmö? I spent three years there.
  2. They open up, glad to find someone who gets it.
  3. The call shifts from cold to familiar fast.
RapportSourced

Finding Common Ground

Donn Byrne, similarity-attraction effect (1971)
  1. Last time we spoke you mentioned {{SpecificPoint}}...
  2. Reply not now and I'll stop chasing, or pick a day for a call
  3. Not now, thanks.
ScriptsCommon practice

Follow-Up Email After No Reply

Common practice
  1. Nine out of ten customers renew with us.
  2. They hear steady and low-risk, not almost one in ten leaving.
  3. The same fact lands as reassurance instead of a red flag.
Full archive
Persuasion principlesSourced

Framing

Tversky & Kahneman, Science (1981)
  1. Picture your Monday report taking five minutes instead of an hour.
  2. They picture it, and the team no longer asking for updates.
  3. The decision starts to feel already made.
Full archive
RapportSourced

Future-Pacing

Bandler and Grinder, NLP (1970s)
  1. Map the current state in detail before mentioning the product at all
  2. Describes what's actually happening today, including the cost of it
  3. What would it look like if this were fixed six months from now?
DiscoverySourced

Gap Selling

Keenan, Gap Selling (2018)
  1. What's this regarding?
  2. Answer honestly and specifically, not with a vague pitch line.
  3. (transfers you, or gives you real information instead of a brush-off)
ScriptsCommon practice

Gatekeeper Call Script

Common practice
  1. The pricing page, the no annual lock-in bit, made me trust you before the demo.
  2. They warm up immediately, since it proves you actually looked.
  3. The compliment opens the call instead of sounding like flattery.
RapportSourced

Genuine Specific Compliment

Robert Cialdini, Influence (1984)
  1. What's this regarding?
  2. Treat the gatekeeper as a person with influence, not an obstacle.
  3. Answer honestly, and leave a message worth carrying to their boss.
Full archive
Objection handlingCommon practice

Getting Past the Gatekeeper

Common practice
  1. Call me after the holidays.
  2. Makes sense. Are we talking early January?
  3. I'll put Thursday the 8th in and send a short note before then.
Objection handlingCommon practice

Handling "Call Me After the Holidays"

Common practice
  1. I need to talk to my partner about this.
  2. Uncover the full decision-making group during discovery, before this surfaces at the close.
  3. Arm your champion with what to hand them and what to say when you're not in the room.
Full archive
Objection handlingCommon practice

Handling "I Need to Talk to My Partner"

Common practice
  1. I need to think about it.
  2. Of course, it's a real decision.
  3. Just so I know I've covered everything, what's the part you want to think through most, the price or the fit?
Objection handlingCommon practice

Handling "I Need to Think About It"

Common practice
  1. It's too expensive.
  2. Too expensive compared to what?
  3. You said the manual process eats about ten hours a week. This is less than what one of those hours costs you.
Objection handlingCommon practice

Handling "It's Too Expensive"

Common practice
  1. Just send me some info.
  2. Happy to. So I don't send you a forty-page PDF you'll never read, what's the one thing you'd want it to answer?
  3. I'll send that today. Can we grab ten minutes Thursday to see if it's a fit?
Objection handlingCommon practice

Handling "Just Send Me Some Info"

Common practice
  1. We already use something for this.
  2. Make the cost of staying with the status quo concrete.
  3. Open the gap between what the incumbent delivers and what you now need, without an insult.
Full archive
Objection handlingCommon practice

Handling "We Already Use a Competitor" (or Do Nothing)

Common practice
  1. We have no budget for this.
  2. Is it that there's genuinely nothing this year, or that this isn't in the plan yet?
  3. You mentioned losing two clients last quarter to the slow turnaround. What would keeping one of them have covered?
Objection handlingCommon practice

Handling "We Have No Budget"

Common practice
  1. Ask a chain of implication questions, one consequence leading to the next
  2. Realizes the problem costs more than they'd added up
  3. Prepare beforehand so the questions don't feel like an interrogation
Full archive
DiscoverySourced

Implication Questions (SPIN)

Neil Rackham, SPIN Selling (1988)
  1. It sounds like you're worried this rollout will blow up your timeline.
  2. Yeah... honestly, that's exactly it.
  3. The hostility drains out, now that they feel understood.
Full archive
RapportSourced

Labeling

Chris Voss, Never Split the Difference (2016)
  1. We'll figure out the right fit together.
  2. They relax, seeing you as an ally rather than a seller.
  3. They trust you more, and say yes more readily.
Persuasion principlesSourced

Liking

Robert Cialdini, Influence (1984)
  1. I came across your post on {{Topic}}, the point about it stuck with me.
  2. No pitch, just think we're in the same corner of the world.
  3. Accepts the connection.
ScriptsCommon practice

LinkedIn Connection Message

Common practice
  1. Right now that manual process is quietly costing you about two days a week.
  2. They realize just how much is leaking while they wait.
  3. The status quo stops feeling safe, and urgency sets in.
Persuasion principlesSourced

Loss Aversion

Kahneman & Tversky, prospect theory (1979)
  1. They speak slowly and quietly, in plain words.
  2. You bring your own pace and volume closer to theirs, dropping the jargon.
  3. They relax, since you feel similar to them.
RapportSourced

Matching and Pacing

Bandler and Grinder, NLP (1970s)
  1. Work through Metrics, Economic Buyer, Decision Criteria, Decision Process, Identify Pain, Champion
  2. Answers reveal gaps: no economic buyer identified, no real metric, no internal champion
  3. What's the process for signing off on something like this internally?
Full archive
DiscoverySourced

MEDDIC

Dick Dunkel at PTC (1996)
  1. Confirming our call on {{Day}} at {{Time}}, for about {{Duration}}.
  2. Agenda: {{AgendaItem1}}, {{AgendaItem2}}.
  3. (shows up, because the meeting now has a clear shape and a stake)
ScriptsCommon practice

Meeting Confirmation Email

Common practice
  1. Does it make sense to look at this together for fifteen minutes?
  2. Sure, let's do it.
  3. So reducing that manual work is the priority?
Persuasion principlesSourced

Micro-Commitments

Robert Cialdini, Influence (1984)
  1. This timeline is going to be a problem for us.
  2. A problem for you?
  3. They rush to fill the silence, explaining what really matters.
RapportSourced

Mirroring

Chris Voss, Never Split the Difference (2016)
  1. If you could cut that reporting time in half, what would your team do with the day back?
  2. States the benefit themselves, in their own words.
  3. Their own words become what you echo back when you close
DiscoverySourced

Need-Payoff Questions (SPIN)

Neil Rackham, SPIN Selling (1988)
  1. This looks interesting.
  2. It's probably not a fit for you, though, is it?
  3. The push-back pulls out their real position instead of polite noise.
Full archive
DiscoverySourced

Negative Reverse Question

David Sandler, Sandler Selling System (1967)
  1. We're interested, let's revisit next month.
  2. We have one onboarding slot left this month, and after that the next start date is in six weeks.
  3. If you want the earlier start, I'd need a yes by Friday.
ClosesSourced

Now-or-Never Close

Robert Cialdini, Influence (1984)
  1. Now's not a good time.
  2. Is it timing specifically, or is this just not a priority right now?
  3. What needs to happen on your side before this is worth a proper look?
Objection handlingCommon practice

Objection: "Bad timing right now"

Common practice
  1. I'm just looking, thanks.
  2. Of course, take your time. Is there a particular kind of {{Product}} you had in mind, or just seeing what's here?
  3. You stay useful and nearby without pushing, so they come back to you when ready.
Objection handlingCommon practice

Objection: "Just Looking"

Common practice
  1. We'll need to run this by legal.
  2. Makes sense. What does legal usually flag on deals like this, and how long does that typically take?
  3. Offer to join a call with legal directly instead of waiting on a relay.
Full archive
Objection handlingCommon practice

Objection: "Need to Run It By Legal"

Common practice
  1. Not interested.
  2. That's completely fair, you don't know me yet.
  3. Can I take twenty seconds to say why I called, and if it's not relevant you can hang up on me?
Objection handlingCommon practice

Objection: "Not interested"

Common practice
  1. That number sounds too good to be true.
  2. Fair, I'd be skeptical too. Here's exactly how {{Customer}} got there, and what it took.
  3. Name the cases where results were smaller, not just the best one.
Objection handlingCommon practice

Objection: "Sounds Too Good to Be True"

Common practice
  1. Switching everything over sounds like a huge headache.
  2. What's the part of switching you're actually worried about, the setup or something breaking mid-way?
  3. Lay out exactly what the migration looks like on their side, step by step.
Objection handlingCommon practice

Objection: "Too Much Hassle to Switch"

Common practice
  1. We tried something like this and it didn't work.
  2. That's really useful to know. What did you try, and where specifically did it fall down for you?
  3. You get the precise objection to address instead of pitching a generic difference.
Objection handlingCommon practice

Objection: "We tried something like this before"

Common practice
  1. You're a bit small for us.
  2. You're right, we're not a huge shop. That's exactly why you'll deal with me directly instead of a ticket queue.
  3. Here's a reference from a similar buyer, and we can start with a short pilot.
Objection handlingCommon practice

Objection: "You're too small / too new"

Common practice
  1. X quoted us less for basically the same thing.
  2. What did their quote actually include, so we're comparing the same thing?
  3. Point to the specific difference that explains the gap, without badmouthing them.
Objection handlingCommon practice

Objection: "Your Competitor Is Cheaper"

Common practice
  1. How does your team handle renewals today?
  2. We just handle it manually as it comes up, nobody really owns it.
  3. So that's about forty renewals a month?
DiscoveryCommon practice

Open vs Closed Questions

Common practice
  1. So that's {{Company}}, and we'll start the {{Plan}} on {{Date}}, did I get the spelling of your name right?
  2. (corrects a detail, which is itself a small yes to the paperwork)
  3. By the time they notice, most of the form is already filled in.
ClosesCommon practice

Order Blank Close

Common practice
  1. Skip "Hi, how are you today?" and open with a line the buyer has no canned rejection for.
  2. (the automatic brush-off doesn't fire because the script is broken)
  3. Follow the interrupt so you keep the attention you just won.
Full archive
ProspectingSourced

Pattern Interrupt

NLP (Bandler and Grinder), adapted for sales cold-calling
  1. Can I have twenty-seven seconds to tell you why I called, and then you can hang up if it's not relevant?
  2. (grants the small, specific window because it feels safe to agree to)
  3. (keep to the time you asked for, exactly)
ProspectingSourced

Permission-Based Opener

Jeb Blount, among others
  1. You mentioned {{TheirStatedProblem}} is costing you {{Impact}}.
  2. Next step: {{NextStep}} on {{Date}}.
  3. (forwards it internally, using your own recap of their problem)
ScriptsCommon practice

Post-Demo Recap Email

Common practice
  1. Starting {{Date}}, your price changes from {{OldPrice}} to {{NewPrice}}.
  2. State the real reason plainly, and what stays the same.
  3. (reads a direct, confident notice instead of a defensive one)
Full archive
ScriptsCommon practice

Price Increase Notice

Common practice
  1. It's too expensive.
  2. Ask the diagnosing question that splits budget from value
  3. Re-anchor the price against the cost of the problem they described
Full archive
ScriptsCommon practice

Price-Objection Response Script

Common practice
  1. Take it for two weeks, no card, and just tell me at the end if it's not for you.
  2. (uses it daily and gets used to having it)
  3. Giving it back starts to feel like losing something they already own.
ClosesSourced

Puppy Dog Close

Kahneman, Knetsch and Thaler (1990)
  1. Does it integrate with our CRM?
  2. If it integrates cleanly with your CRM, is that the last thing standing between us and getting started?
  3. The vague "I'm interested" becomes a specific, testable commitment.
ClosesCommon practice

Question Close

Common practice
  1. Lead with a genuine, relevant gift before any pitch, like a specific teardown of their process.
  2. (receives something real, clearly for their benefit, with no strings attached)
  3. They're more likely to say yes when you later ask.
Persuasion principlesSourced

Reciprocity

Robert Cialdini, Influence (1984)
  1. Anchor the ask to the result you just delivered
  2. Narrow the ask to a specific type of person, not "anyone interested"
  3. Names someone and forwards the ready-made intro message
Full archive
ScriptsCommon practice

Referral-Request Script

Common practice
  1. So what do you do?
  2. We work with {{TypeOfClient}} who struggle with {{SpecificProblem}}. We help by {{WhatYouActuallyDo}}.
  3. Asks a natural follow-up question instead of changing the subject
ProspectingSourced

Sandler 30-Second Commercial

David Sandler, Sandler Selling System (1967)
  1. Our onboarding takes too long.
  2. How long, and how long should it take?
  3. Gives specifics, then the business impact, then how it affects them personally
DiscoverySourced

Sandler Pain Funnel

David Sandler, Sandler Selling System (1967)
  1. Here's what I'd like to cover, and here's what a "no" today would look like too, is that fair?
  2. Agrees to the agenda, or corrects it, before anything else happens
  3. Both sides know what a straight answer looks like at the end
RapportSourced

Sandler Up-Front Contract

David Sandler, Sandler Selling System (1967)
  1. I need to think about it, no rush on my end.
  2. Point to the real capacity limit or true deadline, not a fake countdown
  3. Frame what they stand to lose, not what they'd gain
Full archive
Persuasion principlesSourced

Scarcity

Robert Cialdini, Influence (1984)
  1. Can you throw in onboarding?
  2. If I can get onboarding included, are you ready to sign today?
  3. Yes, let's do it.
ClosesCommon practice

Sharp-Angle Close

Common practice
  1. A customer in almost exactly your position started three months ago...
  2. ...and here's specifically what changed for them.
  3. (sees themselves in the story instead of hearing a pitch)
ClosesCommon practice

Similar Situation Close

Common practice
  1. Two other regional clinics your size switched last year, here's what happened.
  2. Sees themselves in the example and feels the risk drop.
  3. Perceived risk drops because comparable buyers already chose you
Persuasion principlesSourced

Social Proof

Robert Cialdini, Influence (1984)
  1. Ask light Situation questions about how things work today
  2. Admits a Problem.
  3. What does that delay cost you a month?
DiscoverySourced

SPIN Selling

Neil Rackham, SPIN Selling (1988)
  1. So you get the faster turnaround, the reporting your boss asked for, and the fixed cost.
  2. Shall we set a start date?
  3. Agrees, yes let's set a date.
ClosesCommon practice

Summary Close

Common practice
  1. Signal the offer or fit may not be available, grounded in a real limit
  2. Realizes how much they actually want it and re-engages
  3. Avoid inventing fake deadlines; use genuine capacity or offer windows
Full archive
ClosesCommon practice

Takeaway Close (Scarcity)

Common practice
  1. Attach a reason to your small request, even a fairly weak one.
  2. (agrees, responding to the presence of a reason more than its strength)
  3. The small ask gets granted with less friction
Persuasion principlesSourced

The "Because" Justification

Ellen Langer, Arthur Blank and Benzion Chanowitz, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (1978)
  1. You've probably lived with this a while. Why is it worth sorting now?
  2. Names a real trigger, a new boss, a lost client, a contract ending.
  3. Listens for a concrete driver, not a vague we've been meaning to line
DiscoveryCommon practice

The "Why Now" Question

Common practice
  1. Add a third option that is worse than your target option on every dimension
  2. (the decoy makes the target option look like the obvious win)
  3. Present all three side by side, without pushing the target explicitly
Full archive
Persuasion principlesSourced

The Decoy Effect

Joel Huber, John Payne and Christopher Puto, Journal of Consumer Research (1982)
  1. Have the buyer help build the proposal, not just review it
  2. (invests real effort, filling in numbers or choosing options)
  3. Present the plan as something you built together
Full archive
Persuasion principlesSourced

The IKEA Effect

Michael Norton, Daniel Mochon and Dan Ariely, Journal of Consumer Psychology (2012)
  1. Ask for a specific, named introduction tied to the win you just delivered, not "do you know anyone?"
  2. (says yes because the ask costs them almost nothing)
  3. Hand them a ready-to-forward message so saying yes takes no real effort.
Full archive
ProspectingCommon practice

The Referral Ask

Common practice
  1. How does this sound so far, based on everything we've covered?
  2. (reveals real temperature: enthusiasm, hesitation, or a hidden objection)
  3. You know whether to move to the real close or dig deeper first.
ClosesCommon practice

Trial Close

Common practice
  1. Saw you just opened a second warehouse in Rotterdam, congratulations.
  2. Most operations teams hit the same tracking headache right after that.
  3. Sees why you're calling today, not last year.
ProspectingSourced

Trigger-Event Opener

Craig Elias and Tibor Shanto (2010)
  1. I ran a three-person agency for years, I know that cash-flow month feeling.
  2. Feels you're genuinely one of them, not an outsider pitching.
  3. Only use a shared identity that is real and honest, never fabricated
Persuasion principlesSourced

Unity

Robert Cialdini, Pre-Suasion (2016)
  1. Hi {{FirstName}}, it's {{YourName}} from {{Company}}, my number is {{Phone}}.
  2. I'm calling about {{SpecificReason}} at {{TheirCompany}}.
  3. Again that's {{YourName}}, {{Phone}}. Thanks {{FirstName}}.
ScriptsCommon practice

Voicemail Script

Common practice
  1. Open with the result they got, or were on track to get
  2. Raise the renewal or return only after that, not as an invoice
  3. Feels continuing is the obvious next step, not a fresh decision
Full archive
ScriptsCommon practice

Win-Back / Renewal Note

Common practice
Men at a table negotiating and signing a sales contract for a rotary press, 1958

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