Mastering the Close: Steve Finkel on Closing for Recruiters and the Art of the Deal
Steve Finkel – often dubbed “the godfather of recruiting training” – is a globally respected recruiting trainer and author who has influenced the industry for decades. He recently released a new book titled Closing for Recruiters: Debriefing and Closing for Executive Search, which he believes will be a true game-changer, separating elite recruiters from the merely average. In a recent two-part interview on The Elite Recruiter Podcast, Finkel sounded an alarm: too many recruiters are under-trained in closing skills, and it’s costing them placements, fees, and credibility. While most recruiters obsess over the “front end” of recruiting – sourcing candidates, getting job orders, making introductions – Finkel reminds us that companies hire us to get the job done, not just to find candidates. In other words, the placement isn’t won until the deal is closed.
The Cost of Overlooking Closing Skills
Finkel argues that closing skills have been insufficiently emphasized in our industry. Recruiters pride themselves on relationships and intuition, but without a structured approach to closing, even strong candidates can slip away. “Our worth to the client is not at the beginning, it is at the end,” Finkel emphasizes. An internal hiring team might source plenty of candidates, but they can’t do what an expert recruiter does at the finish line: get the offer accepted and the candidate on board. If you submit great candidates but they decline the offer or never make it to a second interview, you’ve wasted the client’s time and your own.
The harsh reality is that many recruiters are losing placements (and lucrative fees) without even realizing it. Finkel has seen “really good recruiters” who “lose fees that they should have and don’t know about it, because they are not moving people from a first interview to a second interview and from a second interview to a close”. In other words, a lack of closing technique means deals quietly die when they could have been saved. Some recruiters boast that they “never lose a deal” – but Finkel suggests that if you think you’re batting 1.000, you’ve likely left plenty of deals on the table by only swinging at the easiest pitches. The goal shouldn’t be to avoid every rejection; it should be to skillfully navigate candidates through hesitation and hurdles so more of your hard work turns into actual placements.
Closing Is a Process, Not a One-Time Call
One misconception Finkel dispels is that “closing” is just a single conversation at the end of the hiring process. In reality, closing is a continuous process that begins with the very first candidate interaction and doesn’t end until the offer is accepted and the candidate starts. Finkel points out that we often think of the “close” as that final phone call to get a yes, but “a closing call is not just a call – it represents two weeks of effort” leading up to it. Every step between the initial outreach and the signed offer letter is part of the closing continuum. In fact, improving your effectiveness at earlier stages – like getting a candidate from a first to a second interview – has a huge payoff. Finkel notes that if you can increase your success in moving candidates to the next interview by even 20%, you amplify the returns on all the work you put in during those weeks. He gives a simple example: suppose your average “send-out to placement” ratio is 6:1, but your second-interview to placement ratio is more like 2:1. By expertly coaching candidates from that first to second interview, you triple your odds of making a placement. Those are massive stakes riding on what happens between sourcing and closing.
So what does it mean that closing is a process? It means that every interaction with the candidate is intentionally geared toward securing the placement. For example, Finkel advocates a rigorous debrief after each interview – not just to gather information for the client, but to actively shape the candidate’s perspective and momentum toward the next step. This debrief is a structured conversation (Finkel even suggests using a written checklist or form) to assess the candidate’s interest level, address concerns, and reinforce their positive impressions of the opportunity. It’s “subliminal selling”: asking guided questions that make the candidate elaborate on what they liked, and skillfully minimizing any negatives. For instance, if a candidate says they got along well with the interviewer, Finkel suggests responding with something like, “Really? He’s got a terrific reputation for developing top talent,” to magnify that positive reaction. By doing this, you’re subtly solidifying the candidate’s excitement and fit in their own mind. And if there were reservations (a “soft concern”), Finkel teaches a technique he calls “acknowledge and minimize”: you briefly validate the concern, then pivot to a question that moves the discussion forward before the doubt can grow. Through these structured debriefs and follow-ups, closing is happening at every stage – not just when it’s time to talk salary numbers.
Another critical piece of the process is handling objections and counteroffers proactively. Finkel notes that successful recruiters don’t wait for a candidate to voice an objection or entertain a counteroffer from their current employer at the last minute – they anticipate and address these well in advance. Part of closing is objection handling: knowing how to respond to the subtle hesitations candidates reveal (“I’m not sure about the growth potential at that company,” for example) with persuasive reframes. Equally, Finkel urges recruiters to have a counteroffer strategy: early on, discover what might tempt your candidate to stay where they are, and inoculate them against it. By the time an offer is on the table, both you and the candidate should already be prepared for the possibility of their current employer making a counter-bid – and have a plan to navigate it. The overarching idea is that nothing in the closing phase should come as a surprise. When you treat closing as an ongoing mindset rather than a last-minute maneuver, you prevent fires instead of constantly putting them out.
From Instinct to Method: Frameworks for Mastering the Close
Many recruiters rely on charisma, relationships, and gut feel to close deals. That might work sometimes, but Finkel’s core message is that closing is a learnable, repeatable skill, not an art reserved for “natural closers.” In his training and his new book, he shares step-by-step frameworks and language that transform closing from a black box into an achievable process. It’s about method over instinct. Here are a few of the key frameworks Finkel highlights (without giving away all the details):
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Structured Debriefs: Every candidate interview should be followed by a structured debrief conversation. Finkel provides a framework (even a two-sided form) for these calls, ensuring you gather crucial intel and influence the candidate’s outlook. By separating “live” candidates (ones the client is interested in) from “dead” ones quickly, you know where to focus your energy. The structured debrief also uses prepared questions to reinforce positives and surface any hidden objections while you still have time to address them. This systematized approach replaces guesswork with a reliable process after each interview.
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Embedded Closes: Rather than waiting until the final offer to “close” the candidate, Finkel advocates embedding mini-closes throughout the recruiting lifecycle. These are small check-ins or commitments that pave the way for the big decision. For example, you might ask early on, “If everything checks out with the offer, is this an opportunity you’d be ready to accept?” – gauging their commitment and priming them to say yes. By securing incremental agreements and aligning expectations at multiple points, you make the eventual close feel natural. (In sales, these are often called trial closes or minor point closes.) Finkel acknowledges that while embedded closes alone won’t eliminate final-stage nerves, they significantly ease the psychological leap at the end. The candidate is never in the dark; you’re actively guiding them toward a decision the whole way.
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Counteroffer Timing: A recruiter with true closing skill doesn’t treat counteroffers as an afterthought. Finkel recommends timing the counteroffer conversation strategically. Early in the process, probe the candidate’s motivations for a move – what if their current boss offers a raise or promotion to keep them? As the process advances, circle back to those motivations and reinforce why the new role outshines what they’d be leaving. Crucially, bring up the counteroffer scenario before the candidate resigns. By having them articulate why they wouldn’t accept a counteroffer (better growth, culture fit, etc.), you preempt second-guessing. Finkel’s approach ensures that when the offer comes and the counteroffer inevitably follows, the candidate is mentally prepared to stick with their decision. Timing here is everything: address this too soon and it may seem presumptive; too late and you risk a last-minute fall-through. Mastering this balance is part of the closing craft.
Underpinning all these frameworks is Finkel’s insistence on practiced language and technique. The difference between an average recruiter and an elite closer often comes down to using the right words at the right moment. Finkel, steeped in classic sales training, even references the linguistic school of selling – tiny phrasing tweaks that yield big results. For instance, asking a candidate “What are your feelings about the company?” instead of “What do you think about the company?” will make them talk 50% more, as one study found. More candid insight from the candidate gives you more material to work with in guiding them. Finkel’s point is that recruiters shouldn’t wing it or rely solely on charm; they should prepare scripts, questions, and rebuttals that are proven to work, and practice them until they become second nature. “You need to have these things written out,” he insists. In fact, his new book is filled with exercises – it’s a hands-on training manual designed to make you actually rehearse scenarios and responses, not just read theory. As the book reminds us (quoting Confucius), “What I hear, I forget. What I do, I understand.” Closing can absolutely be taught and learned – but only if you’re willing to put in the work to internalize the techniques.
The Payoff: More Placements and Higher Billings
Why put all this effort into mastering the art of the close? Because the payoff for your recruiting business is enormous. Finkel drives home that point with hard numbers: improve your follow-up and closing process, and you can “triple your odds” of making a placement from a given set of candidates. Consider how that compounds – higher placement ratios mean more fees from the same work, and fewer deals slipping through your fingers. This is why Finkel is so passionate about closing skills: he’s watched recruiters transform their production once they learn how to systematically get candidates across the finish line. It’s not just about saving the placements you might have lost; it’s about elevating your overall success rate and reputation. In Finkel’s words, this body of closing knowledge has “never...been exposed to the industry at large in the past,” and separating yourself by mastering it is akin to separating yourself from “dramatically increased production.” In plain terms, great closing skills = more offers accepted = more revenue for you.
Perhaps most encouraging, Finkel’s message is that closing excellence is attainable for anyone in recruiting. It’s not reserved for veterans or extroverts or the “gifted” – it’s a discipline you can study and implement. Too many recruiters plateau because they keep doing what they’ve always done, especially when it comes to closing. Finkel challenges us not to be complacent. Even if you’re a top biller, there are likely “areas where you could stand some improvement,” and leveling up your closing technique might be the single biggest lever to pull. In a world where sourcing is getting easier (hello AI and LinkedIn) and competition is fiercer, closing is the X-factor that will distinguish the elite recruiters from the rest. The recruiters who make a conscious effort to master closing – from first call to final signature – are the ones who will consistently win deals, delight clients and candidates, and see their billings soar.
Mastering the close is not an optional extra; it’s at the very heart of a recruiter’s value. As Steve Finkel would say, our job isn’t done until the candidate is placed and stays placed. The good news is that with the right training and practice, any recruiter can get better at this “art of the deal.” It’s time to move closing from the sidelines to center stage in your skill set.
Next Steps for Recruiters
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🎙️ Listen to the Podcast: Hear Steve Finkel dive deeper into these topics in his two-part interview on The Elite Recruiter Podcast. It’s a masterclass in real-world closing scenarios and will leave you fired up to improve your own process. (Check out “The Art of Closing” episodes featuring Steve Finkel.)
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- Part 2 -
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📘 Get the Book: Invest in your development by reading Closing for Recruiters: Debriefing and Closing for Executive Search. The book is packed with 150+ pages of industry-specific closing techniques and exercises. As Finkel emphasizes, it’s not just theory – it’s a workbook to help you practice and perfect your closing skills. Grab a copy and keep it on your desk for constant reference. - https://www.stevefinkel.com/
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🤝 Level Up at the Summit: Register for the upcoming Recruiter Sales & Business Development Summit. This event will cover advanced tactics (including closing strategies) to help you bill more and build better client relationships. It’s a great opportunity to learn from experts and network with other ambitious recruiters. Don’t miss the chance to sharpen your sales edge. - https://bd-sales-recruiter-2026.heysummit.com/
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🌐 Join the Community: Finally, surround yourself with other growth-minded recruiters by joining the Elite Recruiter Community. Share your wins, swap advice on tough closing situations, and continue learning every day. Recruiting can be a rollercoaster – having a community to turn to will keep you motivated and accountable as you implement new techniques. Together, we’ll all become better recruiters. - https://elite-recruiters.circle.so/checkout/elite-recruiter-community
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Mastering the Close: Steve Finkel on Closing for Recruiters and the Art of the Deal
