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I was onsite training in Montreal , Canada last week—a software company, hi everyone! —and one of the sales reps brought up today’s quote as we were reviewing calls during the training.The call was a closing presentation—a demo, really—and after about an hour of slides and features and benefits, the rep was anxious to set next steps: schedule another demo call, schedule another Q & A session, etc.What was blatantly missing was any kind of a close attempt! There was no attempt to see what they thought so far, no attempt at a trial close, and not even a discussion about timeline and next steps toward moving towards a decision… Instead, the rep commented that it was essentially a “catch & release” call! The conference room burst out laughing and knowing nods of recognition spread around the room.He explained that he had “caught” the prospect, finally, and delivered a presentation. But at the end, instead of closing, he simply “released” them without any kind of resolution!Sadly, this scenario was endemic in their sales culture (hence the reason I was hired to change it), and, sadder still, this scenario repeats itself throughout countless sales teams worldwide. Think of your own company’s sales presentations. Ask yourself: How many closing attempts do you or your team make at the end?Related: How to Overcome All Objections with This One Question One of the solutions I introduced was the concept of using a combination of tie-downs and trial closes throughout the presentation. Tie-downs to get an idea of how the presentation is going, and then trial closes so asking for the deal—or at least an agreement that the sale is progressing towards a close—can be determined in advance of the end of the call (so real, meaningful “next steps” can be scheduled).