Question Close
Answer a buyer's question with a question that turns their yes into a commitment.
How it sounds
- Buyer Does it integrate with our CRM?
- You If it integrates cleanly with your CRM, is that the last thing standing between us and getting started?
- Result The vague "I'm interested" becomes a specific, testable commitment.
The full entry
The question close responds to a buying question with a question of your own that, if answered yes, is a decision. The buyer asks “Does it integrate with our CRM?” and instead of a flat “Yes,” you say “If it integrates cleanly with your CRM, is that the last thing standing between us and getting started?” Their answer tells you whether the integration was a real blocker or just noise.
Use it when questions start sounding like conditions rather than curiosity, which is a signal the buyer is mentally shopping. It works because it forces the vague “I’m interested” into a specific, testable commitment. It backfires if you dodge a straight question the buyer needed answered plainly, so give the honest answer too, not just the reversal.
Closely related to the sharp-angle close, this is long-taught sales practice with no single documented originator.