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Sales & Retail vocabulary · Objections & Closing

Trial close

Meaning in sales & retail, with examples

/ˈtraɪəl ˌkloʊz/nounCommon term

In sales & retail, trial close means: A question asked during a sales conversation to test how ready the customer is to buy, without asking for the final decision yet.

In Turkish: deneme kapanışı, ara kapanış sorusu

How it is used

Taught in sales training. Typical trial closes are “How does that sound so far?” or “If we can deliver by June, would that work for you?” The answer shows whether to move on or to deal with an objection first.

Example sentences

  1. Use a trial close after each key point to see how the buyer is reacting.

  2. My trial close showed that they were still worried about the installation time.

Common collocations

  • use a trial close
  • trial close question
  • test with a trial close
  • closeTo get a customer's final agreement to buy, such as a signature, an order or a payment, so that the sale is complete.
  • buying signalSomething a customer says or does that shows they are seriously thinking about buying, such as asking about delivery dates, prices or contract details.
  • objectionA reason a potential customer gives for not buying or not buying yet, such as price, timing, trust or a competitor's offer.
  • closing techniqueA planned way of asking for the customer's decision at the end of a sale, such as offering a choice between two options or summarising the agreed points.

More terms: Objections & Closing

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