Welcome to Close it now, the podcast that's revolutionizing the H Vac and home improvement trades industries.

Get ready to dive deep into the world of heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

We're turning up the heat on industry standards and cooling down misconceptions.

And we're not just talking about fixing vents and adjusting thermostats.

It's about the transformative movement that's reshaping the very foundation of H Vac and home improvement.

We're the driving force, inspiring top performers who crave excellence not only in their professional endeavors, but also in fitness, nutrition, relationships and personal growth, proving that we can indeed have it all.

This is Close it now, where excellence meets excitement.

Let's get to work now.

Your host, Sam Wakefield.

Welcome back.

Sam Wakefield here.

Close It Now.

Super excited to get back into this recording.

This is 2026, January 2026.

Welcome back.

This is.

If you've been following along, this is year seven of the podcast we started in 2019.

This is 2026, so seven years running.

This has been such a fun journey and I love that every single one of you are here for your drive time University.

So this is the wrap up episode for the sales 101 series.

If you've been following this series in order, there's usually a little bit of relief that starts to show up right about here.

Most new salespeople worry about this part of the appointment more than anything else.

How do I talk about price without sounding salesy?

How do I present options without pressure?

How do I not mess this part up?

Here's the truth.

And not just beginners, every level, even expert level, I've seen anxiety creep in at this part of the process, this part of the appointment.

So here's the truth.

Pressure doesn't usually come from presenting solutions.

Pressure comes from uncertainty, especially once price enters the conversation.

And when the first three steps are done well, uncertainty starts to drop really fast.

So this episode is about how to recommend solutions calmly, clearly and without pressure.

And how to guide homeowners through the moment where emotions naturally will start to spike.

So that is what we are doing today day.

But first, before we get into that, I've got a couple of announcements, we've got a review that I want to highlight and yeah, just some, some cool stuff going on.

If you can see the whiteboard behind me, I just erased it.

I'm actually really excited about 2026.

There's two projects I'm working on right now.

One is this series itself.

The cells 101 is going to turn into its own Course, I'm going to expand every single one of these sections and really spend a lot of time going through them so you can be able to get this for your beginners and it's great for anyone to revisit, but for your beginners to be able to go from zero to hero in a real short amount of time to get them off the ground and actually making sales, becoming an income producer quicker than anyone would ever think possible.

So that's this.

The series is going to become a course in 2026.

Also, I just got off of a coaching call with one of my one on one coaching clients.

Him and I are to, we're to the place in every now and then you have those coaching clients come around that just absolutely pull the best out of you.

If you, if you've ever taught anybody, if you've ever been a trainer, you understand what I'm talking about.

But for all of you out there, the people that are the most hungry, when you're super insanely coachable, you immediately implement and you ask really great, thoughtful questions.

It pulls the best out of people.

So because that is what's happening with this particular coaching client, shout out to Ryan, you know who you are, brother.

What has happened?

As we've gone through the coaching process and we've gotten to the handling objections and the closing trail sequence of the appointment, what I've started doing is codifying every single one of the objections and creating an actual legitimate Close it now closing trail.

That's going to be a roadmap for you to be able to follow.

So that is also what's going to be coming out in 2026.

I don't have a solid name for it yet.

Right now I'm just calling it the Objection Guide or the Objection Handling Guide, the Closing Guide, Closing Trail.

Either way, we're going to figure it out.

I'm sure an inspired name will happen along the way.

So those two things are coming out this year.

So be on the lookout.

No idea of expectation of timeline or dates yet, but you will hear about it a lot as it starts to develop and gets close to time to release.

The next thing is we are actively now booking for Door to Door Institute.

If your organization could use 80, 100, 120 appointments on your calendar, no matter what time of year it is.

If it's shoulder season, if it's winter, if it's summer, it doesn't matter.

If you can use an extra 100 appointments on your calendar, let's have a conversation.

Because this and not only that, there's there's a couple caveats here.

One is these are actual appointments, not just leads.

Like you're buying leads online and you don't know what you get.

These are actual appointments from the, the specific neighborhood that you want to be in because we get to pick the neighborhood.

So those, that's where we hang out and where we set your appointments.

And the other thing is when you do this type of a process, it's the lowest cost appointment that you could ever get.

It's right now we're floating about somewhere between a third and 30% to 50% of what an actual appointment costs.

If you buy it online from Google or from PPC or from anywhere.

You're getting your leads right now.

This is coming in at about half that price or less.

So reach out to me, Sam Closeitnow.net and we can have a conversation about getting appointments on the calendar for you, especially if you're in San Antonio because that's where some of that's San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Houston, in the Texas triangle because I'm here.

So proximity is huge.

But anywhere in the country, anywhere in the United States, we can come to your location and put appointments on your calendar.

So, Sam closeitnow.net reach out and then the last two things I want to make you know that they're make sure you know they're available one on one coaching is about to disappear.

There's only like two slots left that are available for 20, 26 calendar for one on one coaching with me.

So reach out again samoseitnow.net or you can fill out the form on the website@closeitnow.net or you can go on to the Facebook group and you can send me a message there.

Find me on Facebook and we can talk about if coaching is right for you.

And the other thing is we're booking now for coming to your location for on site trainings.

Every single time I step foot on site, your team culture shifts.

The numbers explode.

It all happens because we bring some serious value.

And it's not just training.

We do ride alongs.

We're out in the field showing your people how it's done.

Now if you've talked around the industry, there are other trainers that do this, that try to do the ride alongs.

One I've heard that they go to, you know, go back to the hotel at 4 o'.

Clock.

This is not me, it's not my team.

We work until we're done.

So if you have appointments late, we run those late appointments.

The second is, and this Is the most crucial part is homeowners are glad that we're there.

We don't get cancels.

We have a really high close rate when we work together with your team in the field.

So we're not showing up and closing at 18% like I've heard some of the people do.

Does it happen in markets?

Absolutely.

Usually that's because there's other major problems with the company itself, but we can talk about that.

But more importantly, you know, your culture shifts.

We have insane numbers.

You know, you got everything from, you know, a company that I was working with in New York did 330k in two days while I was there on site with 10 people.

I mean, just all over the map.

So one guy in North Carolina went from average ticket of $8,900 to 16,000 and has stayed there for a couple of years after that.

Another guy in Kansas City went from a 40% close rate to a 60% close rate and stayed there for six months.

A gu in Michigan went from a 33% close rate to a 60% Close Rate.

And this is not discounting to do it.

So the numbers continue to happen.

There's a plumber in Baltimore area.

His biggest month before we started working together was 45,000.

After we started working together, of course we're still working together, it's 145,000.

And he went from a solo.

I do business coaching as well.

So if you want to talk about that as an owner or leader, you know, he went from himself and a helper to now he has three trucks on the road in a six month time period.

And so, and then we've laid the foundation to explode into 2026 from there.

So if you want to know about any of that, about training your people one on one coaching, door to door institute to get appointments on your calendar, reach out to me.

Samoseitnow.net let's read this review and then we'll get into the content for today.

See, this One comes from Mr. Nate Gross.

Good to see you my friend.

This is five stars it says is the least I can do.

Sam is the man.

I've been a listener of the podcast since 2022 and have been waiting to post these five stars until I had something magical to say.

Here it is.

When you're ready to be someone worth buying from, listen to Sam.

I am.

Thank you sir.

I appreciate that very much.

You are crushing it up in the north where you are and if you hear this, hear me, read your review.

My friend.

You just earned yourself a one hour coaching call.

And that goes for everyone.

If you leave me a five star review on Google or on Apple podcasts and I read your review on an episode and you hear it and you message me, then you will get a one hour coaching session, but only if those criteria are met.

So I'm going to keep doing these as long as I possibly can and so we'll see how far this goes.

But Mr. Nate Gross, you have earned yourself a one hour coaching session with yours truly.

So reach out to me.

We'll get that going.

Alright, so let's get into some content.

Let's zoom out for a second.

Episode one was about starting with clarity and with a shared plan.

Episode two was about curiosity before conclusions.

Episode three was about showing the homeowner you truly understand.

So if those steps are in place, this part shouldn't feel heavy.

When people feel clearer, heard and understood, they're not waiting to be sold.

They're waiting for guidance.

And so that is your role at this step of the appointment.

So you're not convincing anyone.

One of the biggest mindset shifts for beginners is this.

Your job is not to convince someone to buy.

Your job is to guide them toward the decision that makes the most sense.

Convincing creates resistance.

Guidance creates clarity.

I'm going to say that again.

Convincing creates resistance.

Guidance creates clarity.

Your job is not to convince someone to buy.

So if you've ever feel like you're selling hard at the end of an appointment, that's usually a sign.

If it feels like a fist fight, you get throwing the gloves and you got a boxing match going on.

That's a sign that something earlier in your process is missing.

Not that you need better closing lines, but you got to fix the process.

And so when the foundation is solid, the recommendation starts to feel natural.

So what I want to talk about one of the first things that happens when we get to this phase is if you're unless you're expert level over explaining.

So many people over explain when pressure shows up.

When we start to over explain, beginners tend to talk too much.

Explain every detail, try to justify price.

And this is almost the most important.

Fill the silence because it feels uncomfortable.

Here's what's happening underneath that though.

Information overload creates uncertainty.

Uncertainty will slow decisions and that slowdown feels like rejection.

Confidence doesn't sound like more words.

Confidence sounds like calm.

The calmer you are, the calmer the homeowner becomes.

So here is how to set up your recommendations.

So I'm a massive fan of the option close and I'll talk About that in a second.

And then we'll get back into this.

So quick, pop out on this training.

There's a lot of people that recommend.

Here's the one.

They'll go through your discovery process and then get to the end.

And here, based on everything we talked about, here's what I recommend for you today.

And they make one recommendation.

I'm here to tell you to.

I'm advising against that.

And the reason is psychologically, people need something to say no to the entire reason.

I've said this for years, even before.

Never split the difference came out.

Never split the difference comes out.

And Chris Voss clearly outlines the reason why people have to have something to say no to.

That was not an original idea of his.

It's been going on for forever.

I've heard Zig Ziglar say it years ago, but he defined it the best.

People need something to say no to.

So he, you know, talks a lot about the no questions.

Questions that generate a no response versus a yes response.

It's very important.

So when we start talking about an option close is.

Here's a good example.

So we've got Tuesday or Thursday open.

Which one works best for you?

You're giving them an option to choose.

It's moving forward, but which one works best?

That's an example of an option close.

It's very different than I've got Tomorrow available for install.

Does that work?

Then the only possibilities are yes or no.

So when you're presenting solutions, you don't want to have one thing because then what happens is the only thing they can decide is a yes or no.

When you have multiple options.

If one doesn't work.

So think about your company and you're like the restaurant, right?

Somebody comes into the restaurant that's deciding on you as the company and you're the waiter at the table or the server.

Waiter or waitress, you're the server at the table.

And off of the menu they're choosing.

If they don't like the steak, that's fine.

We've got chicken, you don't like the chicken, that's fine.

Pick the fish, you don't like the fish, that's fine.

We've got tofu.

We have an option that will work for wherever your palate lies in.

In a restaurant context, it's the same thing with our why I like to present with options.

If we only present one thing, the only thing they can say is yes or no.

When we present multiple options.

Now they have something they can say no to.

And I'm not going to get into the weeds on how many options are the best number.

3, 4, 6.

All of that I'm here to tell you the answer depends.

There's never a this is the perfect number.

This is the only way it works in sales.

For most of sales, the answer is usually it depends.

So but getting past that, however many options that you have and make them legitimate options, don't fabricate things just to come up with say six options because that's a ridiculous way to do business.

Have the number of options that make sense for who you are talking to.

So before you ever show, so getting back into this content here, now that we've covered the option close and why it's important, before you ever show numbers, you've got to set the container for how decisions will be made.

So this is first of all how to set up the recommendation.

And so this is where co creation in this project really starts to matter.

So here's the framing language that's going to keep pressure low and leadership's high.

So as you get into it, you know, start with okay, so I'll walk you through the options that are available and based on everything we've talked about today, I'll point you in the direction of what I think is the best fit for you and your family.

Then we can talk through it together.

Now there's what's being said and there's also what's not being said, which is underlying in that, in that couple sentences there.

This does a few important things at once.

It removes the yes, no trap, it establishes you as the guide, it keeps the homeowner involved and it signals that this is a shared decision, not a sales pitch.

So you're not handing them a menu, you're orienting them.

If you've ever been to a really high end restaurant that has a big menu, but you don't feel like you get into decision overload because those servers are so well trained, they guide you through a handful of questions, they guide you exactly where they want you to land in your decision for what you're ordering.

And if you've had that experience, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Iykyk.

If you know, you know.

Okay, so presenting the options.

So here's the this is sales 101 simplicity.

We're keeping it simple for, for the sake of this series.

When you present options, remember, more option.

More options don't create freedom.

It just does not create freedom.

It creates confusion.

Your role is not to show everything.

Your role is to show what's relevant.

So this Goes back to show what makes the most sense for them.

Walk them through the options that make sense.

Then you point calmly.

One, don't use your finger to point.

Use a pen or something to point calmly and confidently toward the direction you believe is the best fit based on what they told you mattered.

You're not asking, which one do you want?

You're saying, here's how I see this based on our conversation.

Then you pause.

Now, there is a power to the pause.

This is where many people will undo the good work they've done up until this point.

Because the pause after presenting options, and especially after price, is not awkward.

It's respectful that silence gives the homeowner space to process.

Talking through the pause is how pressure starts to sneak in.

So let it land, Let them think, let them respond.

Silence is part of a confident communication.

So remember that you have to get comfortable in silence.

So the moment after price.

So this is the piece that most people miss.

I'm sure you've hopefully, if you've ever heard other sales trainings, they'll say, present the price and then shut up and don't say anything else.

And the person who talks next loses.

I disagree with that.

Now that, yes, that's a negotiation principle.

We'll do a whole other series on how to negotiate effectively.

That is not what's happening here.

You're just presenting.

This is first look.

So you give them time to let it land, let them think, and let them respond.

Silence is confident communication.

But the moment after the price, this is the part most sales training skips.

The moment you present price, the homeowner's nervous system starts to react.

Even if they trust you, even if they agree with the solution, even if they think the price is fair, their brain still says, this just became real.

This became a very real moment for us.

Right now.

It's no longer just, hey, here's a presentation.

I'm staring down a price, and this became real.

So this is the ledge moment.

Your job here is not to push them forward off the ledge.

Your job is not to rescue the moment with more talking.

Your job is to steady the moment.

Because they came up to the ledge at the precipice, looking over this cliff.

And now if you've ever walked up to the edge of a cliff, all of a sudden it feels like you're unstable.

And you take two steps back and you can stand still, but you get up to the edge and all of a sudden your body starts shaking.

That's what's happening in your homeowner's brain.

And you can literally see it sometimes in their physiology.

They get unsteady.

So it's your job to steady this moment.

Most pressure gets created right here because the salesperson, the rep, starts to panic and then starts what, explaining more.

They start to try to.

You start to try to justify the price.

You start to defend the recommendation.

What that's doing is actually pushing people closer to the edge of that ledge, closer to the edge of the cliff.

What helps is regrounding them in meaning.

So what I mean by that is what we're going to do is we're going to gently bring them back to why this matters to them, what problem they said they wanted to solve, and how this direction fits their situation.

So you're not pushing, you're guiding them off the ledge and back onto solid ground.

I hope this is making sense.

If this is making sense for you, raise your hand.

So how the guide shows up.

So let's talk about this for a sec.

This is where your identity truly starts to matter.

That's why we say you have to become someone worth buying from.

Because what a guide does not do is chase.

You don't argue, you don't try to persuade.

That is not the time and place for this.

What a guide does is hold the space, you keep things grounded and you maintain clarity when emotions spike.

If you are the most calm, level person in the room, you will win the conversation.

So energetically, what you're saying to them is, we're okay, we're not rushing.

Let's stay oriented on the real goal.

The real goal is not the price.

If you let it get stuck and hung up on price, that's why people trip out right there and they have to think about it and email us and we'll get back to you.

If you stay oriented and focus towards the problem and solution.

And the price is just the bridge to get there.

That's what allows decisions to be made from clarity instead of fear.

Now, do not be one of those companies that's using terminology like, oh, we've hit fourth stage four with your system, treating it like cancer.

That's scare tactics.

That's fear mongering.

Don't do that crap.

I know there's a big PE group that's training that it's wrong.

It's fear mongering.

Don't do it.

It's literally called dark psychology.

If you try to sell on fear, that's gross.

So stop it.

That's what's wrong with our industry right now.

So beginning back to this, having energetically as we Say we're okay, we're not rushing, let's stay oriented.

That's what allows decisions to be made from clarity instead of fear.

So when you hear, let me think about it, this phrase is really rarely, rarely, rarely an actual objection.

It's not, there's no meat in it most of the time it means something feels unclear, something feels misaligned, or emotions are still high.

So before pushing, you have to check alignment.

Not by defending your price, not by trying to sell harder, not by over explaining more, but by making sure the direction you pointed them still connects to what matters to them.

When alignment is there, this moment becomes clarification, not confrontation.

So you have to bring it back to identity.

This is where everything comes together.

Remember the mantra, my job is to understand the human first, the problem second, and the solution last.

When you honor that order, presenting doesn't feel like selling, it feels like guidance.

You're not guessing, you're not pushing, you're helping someone make a clear decision.

So you don't need to say everything, you don't need to justify yourself, you don't need to pressure anyone.

The right options presented calmly for the right problem to the right person don't need pressure.

And sometimes the most confident thing you can do is help someone step back from the ledge and breathe.

So that is the, that's the wrap.

So give them space, let them take a beat, let them breathe, needing to think about it.

So one quick pop out on when someone says I need to think about it.

For whatever reason, we have this so many times, we're pre programmed with this idea that I need to think about it is a set amount of time and for most people, they think that's overnight or days.

I'm here to tell you that's wrong.

It's completely, it's a story you're telling yourself I need to think about it could literally be as short as seconds if you give them enough time and space.

So eliminate the idea that I need to think about it is a set amount of time.

You just have to remain calm, breathe through it, show no outward signs of your inward panic.

Because if you're new, this is an anxiety moment and it doesn't have to be.

So stay calm, guide them to the destination, let it breathe, and have a calm conversation at this point.

And that is how you close deals with confidence without feeling pushy.

So this completes the Sales 101 foundation, everything else, pricing, strategy, objections, scripts, it all builds on this.

So if you can master these four steps, you're already ahead of most of the people in this industry and more importantly, you're working towards becoming someone worth buying from.

So until next time, folks, you go be that person.

Constantly work on yourself.

What are you doing in 2026 to improve yourself and in what area or areas to be better this year than you were last year?

How are you?

What are you doing to become someone worth buying from in 2026?

You've been listening to the Close it now podcast.

Our passion is to dive headfirst into the transformative mind movement that's reshaping the very foundation of H Vac and home improvement and at the same time covering fitness, nutrition, relationships and personal growth, proving that we can indeed have it all.

We hope you've enjoyed the show.

If you did, make sure to like, rate and review.

We'll be back soon, but in the meantime find the website@closeitnow.net find us on Instagram Instagram at the real Close it now and on Facebook at Close It Now.

See you next time.