So you’ve bought into the concept that the act of closing encompasses many skill applications needing activation during the sales cycle…good!

Because qualifying and objection-handling skills are foundational to closing, you need to sharpen those specific skills.

Since you’ve begun your journey by creating scripted qualifying and objection-handling questions, you may want to consider going deeper with the process: create a few more so you have variations to choose from. There is always more than one way to ask a question, and you’ll need to get comfortable with a version that rolls off your tongue.

Here’s a qualifying question to prompt further action: "Where are you with your analysis of my offering and potential alternatives?"

And here’s another objection surfacing question: "What do you think is the number one thing we must address to keep moving forward?"

Execution is everything, so after you write down the questions you’ll ask your customers in your notebook, you must hear your voice say the words to help make them real. Practice by saying them aloud.

Between creating the questions, writing them down in your notebook, and practicing them aloud, there’s no excuse for not asking them in your pitch meetings.

The worst that could happen is…well, actually, there is no downside. Ask them.