What is ABC, or Always Be Closing?
Always Be Closing (ABC) is a catchphrase that refers to a sales approach. It means that a salesperson using the routine should constantly seek out new prospects, present their offerings, and finally close a deal.
The salesman must be persistent while using ABC as a tactic, but they must also know when to let up and move on to a different customer.
The ABC Principles
The 1992 movie “Glengarry Glen Ross,” starring Alec Baldwin, Al Pacino, and Jack Lemmon, is credited with popularizing the saying “Always Be Closing.” David Mamet wrote the screenplay adapted from his Pulitzer Prize–winning play. It stressed the competitive, murkier aspect of the sales sector.
A group of real estate salespeople are incited to sell more properties in the movie by an aggressive company representative threatening to terminate them if they don’t. He gives a profanity-laced rant criticizing the salespeople for their timidity and lack of drive. He displays his success and fortune. Throughout his lecture, he repeats the slogan “Always Be Closing,” written on a chalkboard. The speech fails, though, since the salespeople adopt various unscrupulous strategies to meet their targets.
In a later scene from the 2000 movie “Boiler Room,” a sales trainer mentoring a rookie stockbroker inquires about the stockbroker’s viewing of “Glengarry Glen Ross.” He then starts to question him on Always Be Closing.
The Value of Always Being Closed
The phrase has evolved into a collective representation of a number of the pithy sayings that sales managers frequently employ to inspire their teams and emphasize the value of being persistent with clients. Every activity a salesperson performs with a client prospect should be done to bring the transaction to a close, as this acts as a reminder.
The salesperson should be “closing” the entire time, getting the client to the point where it makes sense for him to take out his wallet, starting with the first rapport-building phase of the sales process and continuing through the discovery of customer needs and product positioning.
Real-world Case Study
ABC may be fun on the big screen, but it seldom works out in real life for several reasons. According to a 2018 survey by CSO Insights, an independent research and data source, successful salespeople spend, at most, 35% of their time actually selling or “closing” agreements.
According to the study, most of their time was spent on lead generation, client follow-up, strategy and planning meetings, and administrative chores.
Research reveals that the ABC approach is losing its usefulness, according to InvestementNews.com.
The typical client in the twenty-first century is far better informed than in 1984 when the David Mamet story was performed on stage and won a Pulitzer Prize, or even in 1992 when the movie was released. Today’s consumers tend to comparison shop and do their homework before making a purchase. They are significantly less vulnerable than people formerly were to sophisticated sales presentations.
Conclusion
- Always Be Closing is a mantra used in the sales world, meaning a seller must always be in the mindset of closing deals, using whatever tactics are necessary.
- The phrase’s origins are the 1992 David Mamet-scripted film “Glengarry Glen Ross,” based on his Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name.
- In the modern age, studies show lead generation, customer follow-up, and strategy sessions comprise a greater part of a salesperson’s day than “closing.”
