The Ben Franklin Close In Sales

Imagine building a business using the exact framework of one of the world’s greatest innovationists. That’s exactly what the Ben Franklin Close is! If you haven’t already seen this in a movie when someone’s in a dying relationship and uses this strategy to figure out if they should break up or stay together, the Ben Franklin close is building a Pro’s and Con’s list with your prospect/client about a product you’re offering them.

Benjamin Franklin would famously sit down with people he was trying to convince of something and list out the Pros and Cons together. This technique is still used today by some of the best salespeople in the world.

Why Does The Ben Franklin Close Work?

Humans are visual creatures. When we see things in front of us, it has a much different effect than when it’s just in our heads.

The Ben Franklin close also works because you’re effectively doing two things:

You’re building rapport and trust by sitting down with your client and going through this exercise together while also understanding what’s truly important to them.

You’re also alleviating any cognitive biases they may have by getting them to think through everything logically, step-by-step.

When a sales rep is sitting together at the kitchen table with a husband and wife, trying to decide their next major decision, the trust and rapport that is being built will take the relationship to an entirely different level.

The Ben Franklin close is a powerful technique that is used in several different situations. In the world of sales, it’s often used to help close deals, but it can also be used in other areas of life, such as when making major decisions.

Five Things To Keep In Mind When Using The Ben Franklin Close

1. Be clear about the goal. Know exactly what you’re trying to accomplish. What is the goal of this exercise?

2. Be unbiased. This is not the time to be pushing your own agenda. You want to be as objective as possible.

3. Be patient. Rome wasn’t built in a day. This process takes time, so be patient and let it run its course.

4. Be prepared to change your mind. This is not a static exercise. As new information comes to light, you may find that your initial thoughts have changed. Be open to this possibility.

5. Keep it simple. This is not the time to get into the nitty-gritty details. Keep it high-level and focus on the big picture.

When Should You Use The Ben Franklin Close?

The Ben Franklin close is an incredibly powerful technique used in any high-stakes sales situation.

If you’re selling a product or service that will have a major impact on someone’s life, then this is the perfect technique to use.

Some examples of when you might use the Ben Franklin close include:

• When selling a car
• When selling a house
• When making a major business decision
• When making a high-level financial investment

For example, if you’re selling a business owner a new CRM system, you could use the Ben Franklin close to get them to list out all of the pros and cons of using your system.

Or, if you’re a real estate agent, you could use the Ben Franklin close to help a couple decide whether or not they should buy a particular property.

The bottom line is that if you’re selling something that is a major decision for your prospect, the Ben Franklin close can be an invaluable tool.

Although The Ben Franklin close is highly reliable with high-stress decision-making, it’s still effective when making basic decisions. Yes, it’ll be pretty time-consuming to sit down and use this strategy for everyday decisions, but the point is that it creates a clear mental picture of what you’re trying to achieve.

The Ben Franklin close technique can be used in many different situations. In the world of sales, it’s often used to help close deals, but it can also be used in other areas of life, such as making financial decisions or even personal ones.

If you find yourself stuck in a situation where you can’t seem to make a decision, give the Ben Franklin close a try. It just might help you see things from a different perspective and finally come to a decision that you’re happy with.

When You Should NOT Use The Ben Franklin Close:

The Ben Franklin close technique should NOT be used in every situation. If you’re selling a product or service that will not have a major impact on someone’s life, then this is not the perfect technique to use and may come across as pushy.

Some examples of when you should not use the Ben Franklin close include:

• When selling a pen. You get the point.
• When selling a pair of shoes
• When making a small business decision
• When making a low-level financial investment

For example, if you’re selling a customer a new pen, you would not want to use the Ben Franklin close. This would be overkill.

Or, if you’re a real estate agent, you would not want to use the Ben Franklin close when showing a property that is NOT a major financial investment for the buyer.

If you’re selling something that is not a major decision for your prospect, the Ben Franklin close is unnecessary and may do more harm than good.

Only use the Ben Franklin close in high-stakes situations where it can be used to its full potential.

Sometimes when making a sale, it’s easier to sell the idea in a very casual/non-serious manner. Make sure you choose the appropriate time and situation to use this technique.

How To Use The Ben Franklin Close

There are two different ways to use the Ben Franklin close: Alone or with someone else.

If you’re using it alone, the technique is pretty straightforward:

• Sit down and brainstorm a list of pros and cons.
• Once you have your list, weigh the pros and cons against each other to see which side has more weight.
• Make your decision based on the result.

If you’re using the Ben Franklin close with someone else, the process is slightly different:

• Sit down with the other person and explain the concept of the Ben Franklin close.
• Brainstorm together and come up with a list of pros and cons.
• Once you have your list, take turns presenting each side.
• After both sides have been presented, discuss the pros and cons together and come to a decision.

The huge benefit of this is you get to dig deep into every potential decision and critically assess and analyze all potential outcomes. Not only is this a great way to build rapport, but also shows the quality of an amazing salesperson. Nothing will always work out perfectly, but at least you won’t be caught by surprise by what may arise.

What Are The Pros And Cons Of The Ben Franklin Close?

There are several pros to using the Ben Franklin close, which include:

Six Pros

1. It forces your client to think through their decision logically
2. It helps you make better decisions
3. It forces you to think about both sides of the issue
4. Builds trust and rapport
5. Gets an understanding of what’s truly important to them
6. Alleviates any cognitive biases they may have

From a salesperson’s perspective, the Ben Franklin Close allows you to be transparent with your prospect/client and shows that you’re not just trying to sell them something.

Building a list together helps you understand what is important to them and helps you address any concerns they have head-on.

It’s important that you can see their goals and concerns for obvious reasons. Still, on the flip side, by them hearing your opinions, they also learn a lot about you, which in this case, helps build a solid relationship for future business and also intertwines with how to easily get massive amounts of sales referrals.

Six Cons

1. It takes a lot of time.
2. It may not work if the person is not logical.
3. It may not be worth it for small decisions.
4. Difficult to use depending on the person’s personality type.
5. It’s also important to note that this technique won’t work well with everyone. Some people are just more emotional than others and won’t be as receptive to this type of decision-making. If you find yourself in this situation, it might be best to stick with your gut.
6. The bottom line is that the Ben Franklin close is a great tool to have in your arsenal, but it’s not a cure-all. There will always be situations where it’s not the best option, but when it is, it can be an incredibly powerful way to help you make the best decision possible.

As you can begin to tell, the cons of using the Ben Franklin close are that it’s time-consuming and may not work with certain individuals.

Again, this strategy is not worth it for small decisions. If you’re trying to decide whether or not to buy a new car, this close will work well.

But if you’re trying to decide what shirt to wear tomorrow, it’s probably not worth your time.

The Ben Franklin Close is an effective way to make decisions, but it’s not always practical or worth the time investment.

The key is to know when to use it and when not to use it. When in doubt, go with your gut.

Nine Best Ben Franklin Closing Techniques (With Example Scripts)

The premortem

This is a great way to avoid being surprised by problems that may arise in the future.

To do this, you imagine that the project has already failed and then try to come up with all the reasons it might have failed.

This helps you to identify potential problems early on so that you can avoid them.

Example: “I’m sorry to say that the project has failed. Let’s brainstorm all of the reasons why it might have failed.”

The Devil’s Advocate

This is another great way to ensure that you’re not overlooking any potential problems.

To do this, you find someone willing to play the role of the “devil’s advocate” and argue against your idea.

This helps you think through your idea from all angles and ensure that you’re not missing anything.

Example: “I’m going to play the role of the “devil’s advocate” and argue against your idea. Please try to convince me why I’m wrong.”

The Nine-Whys

This is a great tool for root cause analysis.

To do this, you ask “why” nine times to get to the root of the problem.

This helps you to identify the real source of the problem so that you can fix it.

SWOT Analysis

This is a great tool for decision-making.

It stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

You list out all of the factors involved in the decision and then weigh them against each other to see which option is best.

The Pro and Con List

This is a great way to compare different options quickly.

To do this, you list out the pros and cons of each option and then weigh them against each other to see which one is best.

Example: “Why don’t we do this? Let’s list out the pros and cons of each option and then weigh them against each other to see which one is best.”

PMI

This stands for Plus, Minus, and Interesting.

It’s a great tool for decision-making because it helps you quickly identify the key factors involved in the decision.

Similar to the Pro and Con list, to do this, you list out all of the factors involved in the decision and then weigh them against each other to see which option is best.

Example: “Let’s list out all of the factors involved in the decision and then weigh them against each other to see which option is best.”

Six Thinking Hats 

This is a great tool for thinking through problems from different perspectives.

It helps you consider the problem from different angles and develop creative solutions.

To do this, you put on a different “thinking hat” and look at the problem from that perspective.

Example: “Let’s put on our “thinking hat” and look at the problem from a new perspective.”

TRIZ

This is a great tool for problem-solving.

It stands for the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving.

It helps you quickly identify the root cause of the problem and develop creative solutions.

Example: “Let’s identify the root cause of the problem and come up with creative solutions.”

The ladder of inference

This is a great tool for thinking through problems from different perspectives.

To do this, you simply climb up or down the “ladder of inference” to get to the root of the problem.

Example: “Right now you believe this is the reason why you can’t do it. Let’s climb down the ladder a bit to see why you have those beliefs.”

These are just some of the best Ben Franklin closing techniques.

The key is to find the one that works best for you and your situation.

As mentioned before, when in doubt, go with your gut.

Conclusion

Ben Franklin was a great thinker and problem solver. He developed many techniques that are still used today. The key is to find the one that works best for you and your situation. As mentioned before, when in doubt, go with your gut. Thanks for reading!