A trial close is a question that asks the buyer's opinion of the deal so far, to test how ready they are before the rep asks for a decision.
Testing one piece of the deal at a time
A close asks for a decision. A trial close asks what the buyer thinks so far. In a B2B deal with several calls and several people, a trial close usually tests one piece at a time: does this part solve the problem the buyer named, would the approver see it the same way, is the timing real. The answer tells the rep what is still missing, and it belongs on the deal record, where a manager can see it.
- Does this part solve the problem the buyer named?
- Would the approver see it the same way?
- Is the timing real?
Done well, it gains commitment in small steps. The weak version is the leading question ("You seem interested, is that right?"), which gets a polite yes and tests nothing. The strong version ties back to something the buyer said, as in the example below. For where trial closes sit in discovery, see our discovery call guide.
Example (illustrative)
This deal is invented. In discovery, a buyer said two contract renewals slipped past their notice dates last year. In the demo, the rep shows the renewal alerts, then asks: "If this had been running last year, would it have caught those two?" The buyer says it would have caught one; the other was a contract nobody had logged. That answer is worth more than a yes. It shows the rep the next thing to solve, getting old contracts loaded, and gives a reason for the next meeting.
Related terms
- What is a discovery call?: where the quotes a trial close tests come from.
- What is talk-to-listen ratio?: trial closes hand the floor back to the buyer.
- What is a buying committee?: each member may need their own trial close.
- Discovery call questions: open questions that set trial closes up.
FAQ
What is an example of a trial close?
"Would this have caught the two renewals you lost last year?" is a trial close. It asks for the buyer's opinion on one part of the deal, tied to something they said earlier, and the answer shows what is still missing before asking for a decision.
When should you use a trial close?
Use one after each piece of value the buyer has seen, such as a demo segment or a business case figure, and before asking for a next step. Several small checks across the deal beat one big ask at the end.
What is the difference between a trial close and a close?
A close asks for a decision; a trial close asks for an opinion. Trial closes are low risk because a "not yet" gives the rep information. To see how your reps' trial closes land on real calls, talk to us.