Law 14: The Law of the Trial Close - Always be testing the temperature before asking for the final commitment.

1 The "Big Bang" Close

1.1 The Archetypal Challenge: The Awkward, High-Stakes Question

Let's check in on a salesperson, Maria. She is diligent and has run a seemingly excellent sales process. She has done her research, delivered a compelling product demonstration, and has built a strong logical case for her solution. Now, she is at the very end of her final presentation with the key decision-makers.

She takes a deep breath and delivers the classic, high-stakes closing line: "So... what do you think? Are you ready to move forward?"

An awkward silence hangs in the air. The customers look at each other. One of them clears his throat and says, "This was very impressive, Maria. You've given us a lot to think about. We're going to need some time to digest all of this and discuss it internally. We'll get back to you."

Maria is crushed. She has no idea what just happened. Were they just being polite? Do they have a serious objection they're not sharing? Is the price too high? Do they not understand the value? She has no visibility into their thinking because she saved the single most important question for the very end. She treated the close like a "big bang"—a single, high-pressure moment that determines the fate of the entire deal.

This is the classic failure of the linear, presentation-first sales model. It assumes that the close is a single event that happens at the end of the process. The salesperson delivers their pitch, and then, with bated breath, they ask for the verdict, like a lawyer resting their case and waiting for the jury to return. This approach is fraught with risk, uncertainty, and unnecessary pressure for both the buyer and the seller.

1.2 The Guiding Principle: Closing Is a Process, Not an Event

The solution to Maria's problem is to stop thinking of the close as a single, dramatic moment. Instead, she must learn to see closing as a continuous process of seeking small agreements throughout the sales cycle. This brings us to a foundational principle of modern sales: The Law of the Trial Close - Always be testing the temperature before asking for the final commitment.

A trial close is a small, low-stakes question designed to take the customer's "temperature" and gauge their level of agreement and understanding at each stage of the sales process. It is a way of asking for the sale, piece by piece, instead of all at once.

• Instead of asking, "What do you think of the whole solution?" at the end of the demo, a trial close asks, "Does this specific feature seem like it would solve the data entry problem we discussed?" after showing a single feature.
• Instead of asking, "Can you afford this?" at the end, a trial close asks, "Does this type of pricing model seem fair and reasonable for the value we're providing?" after discussing the price.

The Law of the Trial Close dictates that a salesperson should never proceed to the next stage of the sale without first securing a small "yes" or uncovering a hidden "no" from the previous stage. The final close should not be a moment of high-stakes suspense; it should be a simple, logical, and low-pressure formality, because you have already won a dozen small agreements along the way. The final closing question should be a foregone conclusion.

1.3 Your Roadmap to Mastery: From High-Stakes Gamble to Predictable Process

By mastering this law, you will transform selling from a high-wire act into a predictable, low-stress process. You will eliminate surprises, uncover objections early, and build a foundation of agreement that makes the final close feel natural and inevitable. This chapter will guide you to:

• Understand: You will learn the psychology of commitment and consistency and why gaining small agreements makes it easier to gain larger ones.
• Analyze: You will be equipped with a framework for identifying the key "checkpoints" in your sales process where a trial close is most effective.
• Apply: You will learn a set of specific, non-threatening trial closing questions that can be used to test for agreement on the problem, the solution, the value, and the budget at every step of the conversation.

This journey will equip you with the tools to de-risk your sales process, increase your forecast accuracy, and turn the awkward, high-stakes close into a collaborative and confident confirmation.

2 Building the "Yes" Ladder

2.1 Answering the Opening: A Series of Small Agreements

Let's rewind Maria's presentation, but this time, she is armed with The Law of the Trial Close. She doesn't save her questions for the end; she sprinkles them throughout the conversation, building a ladder of "yeses."

• After diagnosing the problem: "So, it seems like the core issue is the 10 hours per week your team is wasting on manual data entry. Have I understood that correctly?"

  • Customer: "Yes, that's the biggest headache we have right now." (First rung of the ladder)

• After showing a single feature: "Let me show you our automated import tool. You can see how it pulls the data in with one click. Does this look like it would solve that manual data entry problem for you?"

  • Customer: "Wow, yes. That would be a huge time-saver." (Second rung of the ladder)

• After quantifying the value: "So, by saving those 10 hours a week, you'd be reclaiming over 500 hours of productive time a year for your team. Is that the kind of impact that would be meaningful for your department?"

  • Customer: "Absolutely. That would be a game-changer for us." (Third rung of the "yes" ladder)

• After discussing the price: "The investment for this solution is $20,000 for the year. Based on the 500 hours you'd be saving, does that seem like a reasonable investment?"

  • Customer: "When you put it like that, yes, the ROI is clearly there." (Fourth rung of the ladder)

Now, when Maria gets to the end of the conversation, her final closing question is not a high-stakes leap of faith. It is the final, logical step on the ladder they have built together.

"Great," she says. "So it seems we agree that the manual data entry problem is a significant one, that our tool would solve it, that the value is there, and that the price is reasonable. The next logical step would be to get the paperwork started so we can get you up and running. Are you ready to move forward?"

The question is no longer awkward or jarring. It's a simple summary of the agreements they have already made. It is almost impossible for the customer to say "no" to the final question when they have said "yes" to all the preceding ones.

2.2 Cross-Domain Scan: Three Quick-Look Exemplars

The principle of building commitment through a series of small agreements is a universal strategy for influence.

• Exemplar 1: The Foot-in-the-Door Technique. This classic social psychology experiment demonstrates the power of the trial close. Researchers found that they could dramatically increase the number of people who would agree to put a large, ugly "Drive Safely" sign in their front yard (a big request) if they first asked them to put a tiny, three-inch-square "Be a Safe Driver" sticker in their window (a small request) two weeks earlier. Getting the small "yes" first made people feel like "the kind of person" who supports safe driving, making them far more likely to agree to the larger request later. This is the essence of the "yes" ladder.

• Exemplar 2: The Free Sample. The free sample at a grocery store is a form of a trial close. The store is not asking you to buy a whole box of a new product. They are asking for a small commitment: "Will you try this one bite?" Trying the sample is a micro-agreement. Once you have tried it and enjoyed it (a small "yes"), the psychological barrier to buying the whole box is significantly lower.

• Exemplar 3: The Political Canvasser. A skilled political canvasser will never start by asking, "Will you vote for my candidate?" That's a "big bang" close. Instead, they will build a "yes" ladder. "Do you agree that the economy is the most important issue this year?" (Yes). "Do you agree that we need new leadership to fix it?" (Yes). "Our candidate has a five-point plan to do just that. Does that sound like something you'd support?" (Yes). By the time they get to the final ask, the voter has already committed to the underlying principles, making the final step a small one.

2.3 Posing the Core Question: Why Is a Small "Yes" So Powerful?

We see that from social psychology to grocery stores to politics, the strategy of gaining small commitments before asking for a large one is a consistently effective tactic. This leads to a fundamental question: Why? What is it about saying "yes" to a small request that makes us so much more likely to say "yes" to a larger one later? What is the cognitive mechanism that drives this desire for consistency, and how can a salesperson leverage it to create a smooth and predictable path to a closed deal?

3 Theoretical Foundations of the Core Principle

3.1 Deconstructing Agreement: The Psychology of Consistency

The immense power of the trial close is rooted in one of the most potent drivers of human behavior: our deep-seated, often subconscious, desire to be consistent with our past commitments.

1. The Principle of Commitment and Consistency: This is one of the six core principles of influence identified by psychologist Robert Cialdini in his seminal work, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. The principle states that once we make a choice or take a stand, we will face personal and interpersonal pressure to behave consistently with that commitment. This desire for consistency is a mental shortcut. Instead of re-evaluating every new, similar situation, we can simply ask ourselves, "What have I said or done about this in the past?" and then act accordingly. This saves mental energy.

Each time a salesperson secures a small "yes" with a trial close, they are setting a new commitment in the customer's mind. * Commitment 1: "Yes, this problem is a high priority." * Commitment 2: "Yes, this feature would solve my problem." * Commitment 3: "Yes, the value is worth the price." When it comes time for the final close, the customer is not making one big decision. They are simply acting in accordance with the dozen small decisions they have already made. To say "no" at the end would be to create a state of cognitive dissonance—a psychological discomfort caused by holding two conflicting beliefs ("This is a valuable solution" and "I'm not going to buy it"). To avoid this discomfort, the customer is powerfully motivated to say "yes."

2. Self-Perception Theory (Daryl Bem): This theory offers a complementary explanation. It posits that we often infer our own attitudes and beliefs by observing our own behavior, much as an outsider would. When a customer repeatedly says "yes" to a salesperson's trial closes, they begin to perceive themselves as someone who is in agreement with the salesperson. They subconsciously think, "I keep agreeing with this person, so I must believe that this is the right solution for me." The trial closes are not just confirming agreement; they are actively shaping the customer's self-perception. They are helping the customer build the identity of "a person who is going to buy this product."

3.2 The River of Thought: From Socratic Method to Agile Development

The idea of breaking a large, complex problem down into a series of small, manageable steps with checkpoints is a recurring theme in intellectual and engineering history.

• The Socratic Method: The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates was a master of the trial close. He would never make a grand statement. Instead, he would lead his students through a long series of simple, leading questions, each one designed to elicit a "yes." After a dozen of these small agreements, the student would be forced to concede the larger philosophical point, often to their own surprise. Socrates was not "pitching" an idea; he was building a "yes" ladder that led his interlocutor to an inevitable conclusion. This is precisely the job of the modern, consultative salesperson.

• Agile Software Development: The traditional "waterfall" method of software development is analogous to the "big bang" close. Engineers would work for a year on a massive project and then deliver it to the customer all at once, often to discover that they had misunderstood the requirements. The modern "agile" methodology is a direct application of the trial close philosophy. The project is broken down into small, two-week "sprints." At the end of each sprint, the team delivers a small, working piece of the software to the customer to "test the temperature." This allows them to get constant feedback, uncover problems early, and ensure the final product is aligned with the customer's needs. The master salesperson runs their deal cycle like an agile sprint, not a waterfall project.

3.3 Connecting Wisdom: A Dialogue with Educational Theory

The Law of the Trial Close is also a foundational principle of effective teaching and learning.

• Formative vs. Summative Assessment: In education, there are two types of assessment. A summative assessment is a final exam. It is a "big bang" test that happens at the very end of the semester to see if the student learned the material. A formative assessment is a series of small quizzes, questions, and check-ins that happen throughout the semester. The purpose of formative assessment is not to grade the student, but to "test the temperature"—to see if they are understanding the material and to uncover any misconceptions before they become big problems.

• The Salesperson as Teacher: A salesperson who relies on a "big bang" close is treating the sale like a summative assessment. They are putting all the pressure on a single, final "exam." A salesperson who uses trial closes is acting like a skilled teacher using formative assessment. They are constantly checking for understanding, inviting questions, and ensuring the customer is learning and agreeing at every step of the way. This creates a collaborative, low-pressure learning environment, which is also the most effective buying environment. It reframes the salesperson's role from a high-pressure examiner to a helpful, consultative teacher.

4 Analytical Framework & Mechanisms

4.1 The Cognitive Lens: The 4-Quadrant Checkpoint Model

To apply this law systematically, we need a map of the sales conversation that shows us exactly where and when to "test the temperature." The 4-Quadrant Checkpoint Model provides this map. It divides the core components of a deal into four distinct areas, each of which must be "closed" with a trial close before moving to the next.

The Four Quadrants:

1. Quadrant 1: Problem Agreement. This is the foundation. Before you ever discuss your product, you must have an explicit agreement from the customer that the problem you have identified is a real, painful, and high-priority issue for them.

   • Trial Close Questions: "Have I understood the problem correctly?" "On a scale of 1 to 10, how big of a priority is solving this for you right now?" "If we could wave a magic wand and solve this issue today, what would that mean for your business?"
   • Checkpoint: Do not proceed to showing a solution until you get a definitive "yes" on the problem.

2. Quadrant 2: Solution Fit. After securing problem agreement, you introduce your solution (or a specific feature). The goal here is to get agreement that your solution is a good fit for their specific problem.

   • Trial Close Questions: "Does this seem like it would solve the problem we just discussed?" "Can you see how this would work for your team?" "Is this approach making sense so far?"
   • Checkpoint: Do not proceed to discussing value until you get a definitive "yes" on the solution's fit.

3. Quadrant 3: Value Alignment. The customer may agree that your solution works, but they may not agree that the outcome is valuable enough to justify the cost and effort of changing. This quadrant is about securing agreement on the "so what."

   • Trial Close Questions: "Is this the kind of impact that would be meaningful for your team?" "Would this outcome help you achieve your larger business goals?" "If we could deliver this result for you, would this project be considered a success?"
   • Checkpoint: Do not proceed to discussing price until you get a definitive "yes" on the value.

4. Quadrant 4: Price & Process Agreement. This is the final quadrant. Once the customer has agreed on the problem, the solution, and the value, the discussion of price and the process for purchasing becomes a simple logistical step, not a confrontation.

   • Trial Close Questions: "Is this pricing model fair and within the budget you had in mind for solving a problem of this magnitude?" "What does your typical purchasing process look like for a solution like this?" "Who, besides yourself, would need to be involved in approving this?"
   • Checkpoint: The answers to these questions give you a clear, predictable path to the final signature.

By methodically moving through these four quadrants and getting a "yes" at each checkpoint, the salesperson de-risks the entire process. The final close becomes a simple confirmation of the journey they have taken together.

4.2 The Power Engine: Deep Dive into Mechanisms

The 4-Quadrant Checkpoint Model is effective because it leverages two key psychological mechanisms: objection surfacing and collaborative construction.

• Diagnostic Mechanism: Early Objection Surfacing. The primary function of a trial close is not actually to get a "yes." It is to create a safe opportunity for the customer to say "no." A "no" to a trial close is a gift.

  • When a customer says, "No, that feature wouldn't really work for us," in Quadrant 2, they are giving you critical information that allows you to re-route and show them a different feature.
  • When they say, "No, that's not a big enough impact to justify the change," in Quadrant 3, they are giving you the opportunity to dig deeper and find a more compelling value proposition. A trial close acts like a diagnostic tool. It is a "check engine" light that illuminates hidden objections while they are still small and manageable, long before they can blow up the deal at the final close.

• Collaborative Mechanism: The Co-Creation Effect. When a salesperson delivers a linear, "big bang" pitch, they are positioning themselves as a performer and the customer as a judge. This is an adversarial dynamic. The 4-Quadrant model, with its constant use of trial closes, transforms this dynamic. By constantly asking, "Does this make sense?" and "Have I understood you correctly?", the salesperson is inviting the customer to co-create the solution with them. It feels less like a pitch and more like a collaborative problem-solving workshop. This sense of co-creation dramatically increases the customer's buy-in and ownership of the final proposal. It's no longer the salesperson's solution; it's our solution.

4.3 Visualizing the Idea: Crossing the Chasm

To visualize this law, imagine the sales process as trying to get a customer from one side of a deep chasm (their current, problematic state) to the other side (the desired future state with your solution).

• The "Big Bang" Close (The Cannonball): The salesperson who avoids trial closes is trying to fire their customer across the chasm in a cannon. They spend a long time loading the cannon (the pitch), and then, with a single, high-stakes "bang" (the closing question), they launch the customer into the air and hope they land safely on the other side. This is a terrifying, high-risk, and low-probability strategy.

• The Trial Close (The Bridge Builder): The master salesperson is a bridge builder. They don't launch the customer across the chasm. They work with the customer to build a bridge, one plank at a time.

  • The first plank is Problem Agreement. "Do we agree we need to get to the other side?" (Yes).
  • The second plank is Solution Fit. "Does this look like a sturdy design for a bridge?" (Yes).
  • The third plank is Value Alignment. "Is the view from the other side worth the effort of building this?" (Yes).
  • The fourth plank is Price & Process Agreement. "Do we have the resources and permits to build this bridge?" (Yes).

By the time the bridge is finished, walking across it (the final signature) is a safe, simple, and logical next step. There is no high-stakes leap of faith, only a confident stroll across the structure they have built together.

5 Exemplar Studies: Depth & Breadth

5.1 Forensic Analysis: The Flagship Exemplar Study of the MEDDIC Sales Methodology

The MEDDIC sales qualification methodology is one of the most respected and effective frameworks in enterprise B2B sales. Developed at PTC in the 1990s, it is the embodiment of The Law of the Trial Close, applied not just to a single meeting, but to the entire, complex sales campaign.

Background & The Challenge: In enterprise sales, deals are large, complex, and involve dozens of stakeholders over a period of months or even years. The "big bang" close is particularly ineffective in this environment. A salesperson could spend a year on a deal, only to find out at the last minute that they were missing a key piece of information—a hidden stakeholder, a budget constraint, a technical objection. PTC needed a rigorous, repeatable process to de-risk these large deals and improve forecast accuracy.

The "Law of the Trial Close" Application & Key Decisions: MEDDIC is, at its core, a structured series of trial closes. It is an acronym that represents the six critical elements of a deal that a salesperson must "close" before they can be confident in the final outcome.

1. M - Metrics: The quantifiable business outcomes the customer expects. The salesperson must get the customer to explicitly agree on the metrics that will define success. This is a trial close for Value Alignment. (e.g., "So, we agree that a 15% reduction in production errors is the primary goal here?")

2. E - Economic Buyer: The person with the ultimate authority to spend the money. The salesperson must identify and gain access to this person. This is a trial close for Process Agreement. (e.g., "Is it fair to say that the final sign-off for a purchase of this size would sit with the COO?")

3. D - Decision Criteria: The formal criteria the company will use to evaluate the solution. The salesperson must get the customer to agree to these criteria. This is a trial close for Solution Fit. (e.g., "So, the three main criteria you'll be judging us on are scalability, ease of use, and our security certifications. Is that correct?")

4. D - Decision Process: The specific, step-by-step process the company will follow to make a decision. This is another trial close for Process Agreement. (e.g., "So, just to confirm, the next steps are a technical review, then a legal review, and then it goes to the CFO for final signature. Have I missed anything?")

5. I - Implicate the Pain: This is about delving deep into the consequences of the customer's problem. This is a trial close for Problem Agreement. (e.g., "What happens if this problem isn't solved in the next six months?")

6. C - Champion: The person inside the customer's organization who has a vested personal interest in your success and is selling on your behalf internally. You must trial close to confirm their commitment. (e.g., "Are you willing to help me navigate the internal process and get this in front of the right people?")

Implementation & Details: In a company that runs MEDDIC, a sales manager will review a deal with a salesperson by going through the acronym. "Have you confirmed the Decision Criteria?" "Who is the Economic Buyer, and have you spoken to them?" "What is the Decision Process?" A "no" to any of these questions reveals a gap in the deal and a necessary next step.

Results & Impact: MEDDIC is credited with helping PTC grow from $300 million to $1 billion in revenue and has since been adopted by thousands of the world's most successful enterprise sales organizations. It transforms the sales process from a series of hopeful presentations into a rigorous, evidence-based qualification process. It is a powerful testament to the fact that closing a complex deal is not about a single, heroic moment, but about the methodical process of securing dozens of small agreements over time.

Key Success Factors: * Systematic Qualification: It provides a common language and framework for de-risking deals. * Focus on Evidence: It forces salespeople to replace assumptions with confirmed facts. * Predictable Forecasting: By ensuring all six elements are "closed," it dramatically improves a sales leader's ability to accurately forecast their business.

5.2 Multiple Perspectives: The Comparative Exemplar Matrix

These examples illustrate that the process of building a "yes" ladder is a fundamental pattern for guiding anyone—a customer, a new user, or a patient—from a state of uncertainty to a state of confident commitment. It is the art of making a large decision feel like the small, inevitable conclusion of a dozen smaller ones.

6 Practical Guidance & Future Outlook

6.1 The Practitioner's Toolkit: Checklists & Processes

To master this law, you must embed the habit of "testing the temperature" into your natural conversational flow. These tools will help you build that habit.

Tool 1: The Trial Close "Question Bank"

Keep this list of low-pressure, open-ended trial closing questions handy. The goal is to have a variety of phrases so you don't sound like a robot repeating the same question over and over.

• To Check for Understanding:

  • "Does that make sense so far?"
  • "Am I explaining this clearly?"
  • "Just to check, have I lost you anywhere?"

• To Check for Agreement on a Problem:

  • "Have I captured the essence of the problem correctly?"
  • "Is this what you're experiencing as well?"
  • "How does this resonate with what you're seeing on your team?"

• To Check for Agreement on a Solution/Feature:

  • "Can you see how a tool like this would help?"
  • "What are your initial thoughts on this approach?"
  • "Is this the kind of solution you were hoping to see?"

• To Check for Agreement on Value/Payoff:

  • "Is that the kind of outcome that would make a real difference?"
  • "If we could achieve this for you, would this be a success?"
  • "How would a result like that impact your team's goals?"

Tool 2: The "Post-Call" Audit

After every significant sales call, perform this quick audit to grade your own performance and build the right habits.

1. Did I confirm the primary problem at the beginning of the call? (Yes/No)
2. How many times did I use a trial close during the presentation? (Count them)
3. Did I uncover any new objections as a result of a trial close? (Yes/No) If yes, what were they?
4. Did I get a clear "yes" on Problem, Solution, and Value before the call ended? (Yes/No)
5. What is the single biggest unanswered question or assumption I have about this deal right now? What trial close can I use in my next conversation to get an answer?

This audit forces you to move from unconsciously "pitching" to consciously building a "yes" ladder in every interaction.

6.2 Roadblocks Ahead: Risks & Mitigation

While the trial close is a powerful tool, it can be misused or misinterpreted.

• Risk 1: The "Happy Ears" Problem. A salesperson hears a vaguely positive comment from a customer ("Oh, that's interesting") and mistakes it for a firm "yes." They hear what they want to hear and fail to dig deeper to get a true commitment.

  • Mitigation: A trial close must be answered with a clear and unambiguous "yes." If you get a vague or non-committal answer, you must gently follow up. For example, if a customer says, "That's neat," you can respond with, "I'm glad you think so. But is it just 'neat,' or is it something you can see your team actually using to solve the problem we discussed?" Don't be afraid to ask for clarity.

• Risk 2: The "Interrogation" Risk. As discussed, a salesperson can ask too many trial closes, too quickly, and come across as a high-pressure interrogator. The conversation loses its natural flow.

  • Mitigation: The 80/20 Rule. A good sales conversation should still have the customer talking 80% of the time. Trial closes are short, precise questions designed to punctuate the conversation, not dominate it. Use them at natural transition points—after you've explained a key concept or demonstrated a key feature. Let the conversation breathe.

• Risk 3: Fear of "No." The most common reason salespeople don't use trial closes is that they are subconsciously afraid of hearing "no." They prefer the comfort of ambiguity to the potential pain of rejection. They would rather believe a deal is on track than ask a question that might reveal it isn't.

  • Mitigation: This is a mindset shift. You must learn to see "no" as a gift (Law 8). A "no" to a trial close is not a rejection of you; it is a priceless piece of data that helps you better understand the customer's needs. You must train yourself to celebrate a small "no" today because it is the only thing that can prevent a catastrophic "no" at the end of the quarter.

6.3 The Future Compass: Trends & Evolution

In a world of increasingly empowered and well-informed buyers, the trial close will become the default mode of communication for all successful salespeople.

• The Death of the Monologue: The era of the salesperson as a "talking brochure" who delivers a 45-minute monologue is over. Modern buyers have already done their research online. They come to the conversation with their own opinions and questions. A linear pitch will fail. The only viable approach is a collaborative dialogue, and the trial close is the fundamental tool of dialogue. It is the conversational turn-signal that invites the customer to speak.

• The Rise of "In-the-Moment" Analytics: In the near future, conversation intelligence software will analyze sales calls in real-time. A salesperson might get a subtle, private prompt on their screen: "You have been talking for three minutes straight. It's time for a trial close," or "The customer's sentiment just turned negative. Ask a question to check for understanding." Technology will act as a real-time coach, helping salespeople master the art of the trial close by making the invisible patterns of conversation visible.

6.4 Echoes of the Mind: Chapter Summary & Deep Inquiry

Chapter Summary:

• Relying on a single, "big bang" close at the end of a sales process is a high-risk strategy that creates unnecessary pressure and uncertainty.
• The Law of the Trial Close dictates that you should be "closing" continuously by testing the temperature and securing small agreements at every stage of the sale.
• The power of this approach is rooted in the psychological principles of Commitment & Consistency and Self-Perception Theory.
• The 4-Quadrant Checkpoint Model provides a map for securing agreement on Problem, Solution, Value, and Price/Process.
• The primary function of a trial close is to surface objections early and to co-create the solution with the customer.
• Practitioners must be wary of "happy ears," of turning the conversation into an interrogation, and of their own fear of hearing "no."

Deep Inquiry & Discussion Questions:

1. Think about the last deal you lost. At what point in the process did it go off the rails? Was there a "no" that you didn't hear because you didn't ask the right trial closing question?
2. What are the three most common objections you face in your sales process? How could you use trial closes earlier in the conversation to proactively surface and address these objections?
3. Take a video of yourself delivering a short, 5-minute product demonstration. Watch it back and count how many times you used a trial close versus how many minutes you spent in a monologue.
4. How does the concept of a "trial close" apply to your internal relationships with your manager or other teams? How could you use it to build alignment and prevent surprises?
5. Debate the statement: "A salesperson should never ask a question that they don't already know the answer to." How does this idea conflict with or support the Law of the Trial Close?