The Big Idea from The Lost Art of Closing

Closing is not something you do only at the end of a sales conversation.

It is a process of gaining the commitments that move a customer from their current situation toward the outcome they want.

The Lost Art of Closing identifies ten major commitments:

Time

↓

Explore

↓

Change

↓

Collaborate

↓

Build Consensus

↓

Invest

↓

Review

↓

Resolve Concerns

↓

Decide

↓

Execute

These commitments do not have to happen in a perfectly linear sequence. But they give you a useful way to understand what needs to happen before an opportunity can move forward. 

This book teachez you how to guide a qualified customer toward a clear decision.

What Business Problem Does The Lost Art of Closing Solve?

It solves: I have a good solution, but my sales conversations stall because the customer doesn’t commit to moving forward.

You may have:

• A real problem
• A strong diagnosis
• A relevant solution
• A good offer
• A reasonable price

And still fail to make the sale. Why? Because the customer may not yet be committed to:

• Changing
• Collaborating
• Investing
• Getting other stakeholders involved
• Reviewing the proposal
• Resolving concerns
• Making a decision

The offer itself is only one part of the process.

Should I Read The Lost Art of Closing  Now?

Yes. Your main go here is to:

Find out how to present a recommendation that connects to the customer’s diagnosed opportunity and gain the commitments needed to move that opportunity toward a decision.

Which Parts of The Lost Art of Closing Matter Most for this Step? Focus on these:

Chapter 1: A new Philosophy of Commitment  Gaining (ESSENTIAL)

Start here. This chapter establishes the philosophy behind the entire book.

The important shift is: Don’t obsess over the final close. Instead gain the commitment needed to move the process forward.

This changes how you conduct the conversation. Instead of asking:

How do I get this person to buy?

Ask:

What commitment needs to happen next?

Chapter 2: control the commitments and control the process (ESSENTIAL)

This helps you understand why a sales opportunity can appear healthy while actually going nowhere.

A customer saying: Send me the proposal is not necessarily a meaningful commitment.

A stronger process establishes:

• What happens next
• Who is involved
• When it happens
• What each person needs to do
• What decision will be made

This prevents vague next steps such as: I’ll get back to you.

Chapter 3: Trading Value (ESSENTIAL)

Before asking for a commitment, make sure you are creating value. The customer should receive something useful from the interaction like:

• A useful insight
• A clearer diagnosis
• A better understanding of their situation
• A recommendation
• A useful framework
• A path forward

This reinforces an important EVUNN principle:

Don’t ask for commitment without giving the customer a reason to continue.

Chapter 6: The commitment to change (ESSENTIAL)

This connects directly to Step 4. You already established the gap.

Now determine whether the customer is actually committed to changing the current state. Ask:

• Do they agree the current situation needs to change?
• Do they believe the gap matters?
• Do they want the future state?
• Are they willing to do something differently?

If the customer is comfortable with the current situation, don’t rush into presenting your solution.

You may need to return to diagnosis.

Chapter 7: The  Commitment to Collaborate (ESSENTIAL)

Your customer should not be treated as a passive recipient of your expertise.

They may need to:

• Provide information
• Share access
• Give feedback
• Make decisions
• Involve their team
• Participate in implementation
• Help shape the solution

This is particularly important for coaches, consultants and professionals selling expertise. Your offer is not simply: I will do something to you.

It is: We will work together to achieve a defined outcome.

CHAPTER 8: The Commitment to Build Consensus (IMPORTANT)

This matters especially when more than one person influences the purchase.

For example:

The user of the service

The business owner

• A manager
• Finance
• A procurement team
• A partner
• A spouse
• A board

You need to know who else needs to be involved. For a simple B2C purchase, this may be less important.

For B2B consulting or professional services, it can be critical. Don’t build an entire section of your process around complex consensus if your offer is normally sold to one decision-maker.

Use this chapter according to your business model.

Chapter 9: The Commitment to Invest  (ESSENTIAL)

This is where the customer decides whether the expected value justifies the investment. Investment isn’t only money.

It can include:

• Money
• Time
• Attention
• Internal resources
• People
• Access
• Political capital
• Implementation effort

Your job is to make the relationship between Investment and Expected Value clear.

Don’t immediately respond to price concerns by discounting. First understand what the customer is actually evaluating.

Chapter 10: The Commitment to Review (ESSENTIAL)

A proposal should not simply be emailed into the void. The customer should commit to reviewing it. Ideally say:

Let’s schedule a time to go through the proposal together.

This gives you an opportunity to:

• Explain the recommendation
• Answer questions
• Confirm alignment
• Identify concerns
• Clarify the investment
• Establish the next commitment

The goal is not to send a document. The goal is to move the buying process forward.

Chapter 12: The Commitment to Decide (ESSENTIAL)

This is where you actually ask for the decision. Many experts get uncomfortable here.

They finish the conversation with:

I’ll leave it with you or

Think about it, or

Let me know.

And then wonder why the opportunity disappears. You need to be willing to ask:

Are you ready to move forward?

Or:

What do you need to decide whether to proceed?

A no is also useful. A clear no is better than an opportunity sitting indefinitely in your pipeline.

The goal is not to force a yes. It is to get a clear decision.

Chapter 13: The Commitment to Execute  (IMPORTANT)

The sale isn’t truly complete when the customer says yes. They still need to:

• Sign
• Pay
• Schedule
• Provide information
• Attend
• Implement
• Begin

The transition from: Decision → Executionshould be clear. Your customer should know exactly what happens after they say yes.

Chapter 14: Guidelines for Closing (ESSENTIAL)

Use this chapter as your practical review. After completing Step 5, return to it and ask:

• Am I asking for commitments clearly?
• Am I creating value?
• Am I avoiding pressure?
• Am I establishing specific next steps?
• Am I actually asking for the decision?
• Am I helping the customer move forward?

What parts of The Lost Art of Closing should I save for step 6?

Chapter 11: The Commitment to Resolve Concerns (SAVE FOR STEP 6)

This is deliberately moved into the next step because when you are done with presenting the offer, concerns will arise.

Step 6 is specifically about following up and handling resistance. 

YOUR EVUNN ACTION

PRESENT & CLOSE YOUR OFFER

Now take one of the Qualified Sales Opportunities you created in Step 4. Your task  now is to turn that diagnosis into a relevant recommendation and move the customer toward a clear decision.

1. Start with the  Customers Diagnosis 

Return to Step 4 and record. Look at the :

• Current State (Where is the person now?
• Future State: Where does the person want to be?
• Gap: What is preventing the person from getting there?Impact: What is the gap costing the person?
• Why:Why does solving it matter?

Don’t abandon this information when you begin selling. It is the foundation of your offer.

2. Define your Recommendation 

Now answer:

Based on everything I have learned, what do I recommend?

Your recommendation should directly address the diagnosed gap.

Avoid:

I offer business consulting.

Instead say:

Based on the challenges you’ve described, I recommend that we work together to build and implement a repeatable customer acquisition process.

The recommendation should feel like a logical response to the diagnosis.

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EVUNN Mindset Checkpoint

Are you trying to close, or are you helping the customer commit?

You may believe selling means convincing someone to buy. It doesn’t have to.

A better process is:

Understand

↓

Diagnose

↓

Recommend

↓

Create Value

↓

Gain Commitment

↓

Ask for Decision

↓

Execute

The customer should understand why your recommendation makes sense before you ask them to invest. And you should be comfortable accepting:

• Yes
• No
• Not yet
• I need more information

All four are useful. A clear decision is better than an indefinite maybe. Ask yourself: have I earned the next commitment?

If not, don’t force the next stage. Go back and determine what is missing.

Your Step 5 Output

By the end of this step, you should have a PRESENTED OFFER + CLEAR NEXT COMMITMENT

Your process should now look like:

Qualified Sales Opportunity

↓

Customer Diagnosis

↓

Relevant Recommendation

↓

Offer

↓

Customer Commitment

↓

Decision

↓

Execution Plan

The objective is not simply to have sent a proposal. Your objective is to know:

What you recommended

•  

Why it addresses the customer’s gap

•  

What the customer is being asked to invest

•  

What commitment they have made

•  

What decision has been reached

•  

What happens next

Getting a prospect interested is only the beginning. You need to show them how your offer addresses what they need and make it easy for them to decide what to do next.

🔓Use the  EVUNN Execution Toolkit: Offer Presentation & Commitment Planner

Don’t create a generic sales pitch.

Use the EVUNN Offer Presentation & Commitment Planner to easily turn a qualified opportunity into a relevant recommendation and identify the commitments needed to move it forward.

The toolkit helps you map:

Customer Diagnosis

↓

Recommended Solution

↓

Value Connection

↓

Offer

↓

Commitment to Change

↓

Commitment to Collaborate

↓

Commitment to Invest

↓

Commitment to Review

↓

Commitment to Decide

↓

Commitment to Execute