The Option Close
Never ask 'so what do you think?' — ask 'morning or afternoon?'
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 3
- Confidence
- 85%
The option close is Royce's fix for the two mistakes that kept him at zero sales early on: pitching features instead of benefits, and failing to actually ask for the business. Instead of ending with a weak 'so what do you think?' — which invites 'maybe next time' — you present two forward-moving choices: 'we'll be here tomorrow, morning or afternoon, which works best for you?' Both options move the sale forward and both serve the customer, so you're helping them make a decision rather than pressuring a yes/no. Most people respect that confidence and give you a shot.
Origin
As a new door-to-door rep, Royce sold zero for five days. He diagnosed that he was pitching features and, worse, trailing off with 'so what do you think?' instead of closing. He built the option close to ask for the business with two customer-serving choices, and it helped turn him into a top-1%-of-1% seller.
Core principles
- 01Sell benefits, not features — people buy the reason why something matters to them.
- 02You must actually ask for the business; an open 'what do you think?' invites 'maybe next time.'
- 03Offering two forward-moving options is easier for a customer to say yes to than a yes/no.
- 04Customers respect the confidence of an assumed close.
How to run it
- 1
Translate features into benefits
State each capability with the reason it matters to the customer — 'we do this because, and this is why it's important to you' — since people buy the why, not the what.
- 2
Commit to actually closing
Reach the end of the pitch prepared to ask for the business directly rather than deflecting with an open-ended question.
Watch out Ending with 'so what do you think?' hands the prospect an easy 'maybe next time' and kills the sale.
- 3
Offer two forward-moving options
Replace the yes/no ask with a choice between two next steps — 'morning or afternoon?' — both of which advance the sale and serve the customer.
Pro tip Frame it as helping the customer decide: both options are in their best interest, so you're assisting, not pressuring.
In the wild
Instead of asking whether the homeowner wanted service, Royce would say, 'we're going to be here tomorrow, in the morning or the afternoon — which would work best for you?' Both choices moved the deal forward and both served the customer.
→ Most prospects respected the confidence and said 'I'll give you a shot, why not,' converting hesitation into a booked job.
Common mistakes
Pitching features instead of benefits
Saying 'we do this' without the reason it matters to the customer gives them nothing to buy into — people buy the why, not the what.
Failing to ask for the business
Ending on a soft, open question like 'what do you think?' lets the prospect default to 'maybe next time,' wasting the entire pitch.
Is it for you?
Best for
Front-line salespeople and founders who pitch well but struggle to ask for the commitment.
Not ideal for
Complex enterprise deals requiring long multi-stakeholder consideration rather than an on-the-spot decision.
From the transcript
“I sort of do what I call an option close, where I would say, 'Well, so we're going to be here tomorrow, in the morning…”
“people buy for the reason why something is there. You don't just say, 'Well, we do this.' It's we do this because and this is…”
From the episode
David Royce: How to Turn a Boring Idea into a 9-Figure Business
David Royce