J.R. Ewing was shot in the season three final episode of the hit T.V. show Dallas. For eight months until the show re-aired and the perpetrator was revealed, there was a media frenzy with everyone speculating “who dunnit.”

That particular episode represented one of the all-time great cliffhangers in television history. Cliffhangers are used extensively in media. For example, a radio host will tease what is coming up in the next segment right before a commercial break. Not only are cliffhangers used before every commercial break on television, but mini cliffhangers are also used during the show.

One plot line will be established, and a conflict will arise. Still, before that conflict is resolved, the director will cut away and start another plot line and a conflict, leave that unresolved, cut to another plot line, and then jump back and resolve the conflict in the first plot line.

Doing this causes viewers to keep watching the show because they need resolution. Cliffhangers create a feeling of tension that only can be released through the resolution. In selling, we call this creating “open loops,” they are very powerful, although few people use them properly or even know about them.

Creating open loops in your sales presentation will keep your audience engaged throughout your presentation. That is essential today because attention spans are so short. Properly utilized open loops can also dramatically increase your sales.

For example, let’s say I’m doing a presentation to sell a workshop, and I tell you that there are three important things you need to do to get the most registrations, but I only tell you one of them. You immediately want to know what the other two are. So when I get to the close and explain that I go over all three things in my training program, you are more likely to buy because you want to “close the open loop” I created inside your brain.

A much more sophisticated way to create open loops involves planting thoughts and ideas in your audiences’ minds so they create internal buying pressure. I’ll reveal how to do that so you close more sales in my upcoming three-day sales mastery workshop.

If you’d like to join us, send “Sales Mastery” to dave@davedee.com, and I’ll get you the details.

Kick butt, make mucho DEEnero!

Dave “Cliffhanger” Dee