The principle. Give the prospect two acceptable options instead of one yes/no. Both options are wins for you. The brain anchors on choosing between them and skips the "should I buy?" question entirely.
Examples.
- "Do you want to start with the standard plan or jump to the pro?"
- "Should we kick off this Monday or the following one?"
- "Would you rather pay annually for the discount or monthly for flexibility?"
Why it works (different from assumptive). The assumptive close presents one path forward; the alternative close presents two. For a prospect who feels controlled by a single option, two creates the illusion of control — and that lowers resistance. They feel they're choosing.
Where reps blow it. Offering two options where one is bad. "Do you want to sign today, or never talk again?" — the second option is a real out, not a fake one. Both options need to be wins for you.
Pair the alternative with logistics, not commitment. "Visa or Mastercard?" works. "Are you saying yes or no?" doesn't — that's just a yes/no with extra steps.
Best moment to deploy. After buying signals, after you've handled objections, when energy is positive but they haven't quite said the words. The alternative close gets them across the line without forcing them to say "yes" out loud — which some people resist for ego reasons.