Five Ways to Close More Deals Right Now

Buyers want value (you knew that one) and they also want speed (that also sounds familiar).

A buyer’s pursuit for value starts with your very first interaction and lasts all the way to deal closed. 

Speed in getting to value isn’t just being the first person to set up a meeting or follow-up on their form inquiry – it’s being the first person to answer ALL of their questions and confidently.

These five sales closing techniques are simple to implement but will have a massive impact on reducing your sales cycle length and increasing your buyer’s confidence in you. 

1. 1. Never leave a meeting without the next meeting scheduled
   2. Be confident in your ask
   3. Be the meeting organizer
   4. You get to talk to who you sound like
   5. Smile and have fun

5 Sales Closing Techniques (by starting off on the right foot)

#1 Never leave a meeting without the next meeting scheduled

Momentum is key when it comes to closing deals. 

Nearly 60% of salespeople say they struggle to create momentum throughout their entire sales cycle. Even after feeling like they nailed their first call. 

What’s happening? Nothing kills momentum like two weeks of trying to get the next meeting on the calendar. 

If you say I’ll follow up with you next week, or I’ll send you some times via email, you’re opening yourself up to the dreaded back and forth and potential ghosting. 

The solution is to make sure you have a meeting on the books before you end your current call. 

It’s as simple as, “Hey, I know we both have busy calendars, let’s go ahead and get the next call on the books.” 

If you feel like you need to, you can always add, “And we can always move it if something comes up.” But we’d honestly steer clear of that as well. Sometimes it will get you a quick “Yes” but your buyer will feel no responsibility to keep it.

Pro tip: Eliminate check-in calls. It adds no value to the buyer and can unintentionally display a lack of understanding of a buyer’s needs or next steps. 

#2 Be confident in your asks

Use “typically” or “normally” instead of “would love to” and “it would be great if” in your sales ask. 

Confidence in your product and confidence in your own abilities as a sales professional is critical when it comes to closing deals more quickly. 

A surefire method of demonstrating confidence is avoiding conditional statements such as “could” or “would” when discussing next steps. Instead, drive the conversation by providing buyers with a series of options as next steps. Showing that you’re giving them a choice, but also showing that you know what the best choice is.

Understanding their next steps and putting them into your process can help you build stronger language, such as “great let’s meet the week of X after you’ve met with ABC.” 

Obviously, this means you would need to acquire this information earlier in the call by asking great questions.

Speaking of great questions… Another way to demonstrate confidence? Ask open-ended questions that demonstrate your understanding of your buyers’ needs. Not only will your buyer’s answers help you get a better grasp of their needs, but they will also help you define a clear path to those next-step options. 

Related Content: Three Secrets to Communicating Confidence as a Salesperson

Pro tip: Confidence is one of the most important qualities to develop as a salesperson. Keep your tone strong, exude confidence and remember that your prospects are just people. Remember you’re offering something valuable. Have confidence in yourself and in your product, and your buyer will too.

Not sure you have the confidence? 

“Stick with it. I promise you, the skills you’ll pick up will benefit you in the long term, whatever industry you end up in 💯” – Jake Dunlap. View post.

#3 Be the meeting organizer

You have to be the quarterback. Realize that waiting for someone else to be the organizer and waiting for them to loop in all the players is a recipe for a longer sales cycle.

Long gone are the days when buyers make their decisions over a leisurely game of golf. Busy professionals don’t want to build relationships with salespeople. They just want someone who understands their business, and who respects their time. 

Pro tip: Most buyers want someone who is smart, seems relatively trustworthy, knows their space, and they believe you can help them. This is what 90% of buyers actually want. –  View post.

Yes, it may seem like the number of gatekeepers from first-call to final-decision just keeps growing. But one of the best things you can do for your buyer is help them move the decision up the chain by taking that off their plate and coordinating the next meeting for them. 

You be the organizer.

Related Content: Keeping Executives Engaged in a Zoom World [Webinar Recap + Recording]

#4 You get to talk to who you sound like

If you’re talking features, you’re talking to end-users. If you’re talking industry trends, you get execs.

Being an expert on your product means being able to discuss it through all levels of the sales cycle and all levels of buyers.

If you know what motivates each potential decision-maker, and speak their language, this will be the most important sales closing technique you’ll ever learn.

Don’t know what your customers want? Ask questions. 

“‘You earn more credibility from the questions you ask than the stories you tell.”

On average, salespeople spend about 17% of their time prospecting and researching leads. When you do reach out, make sure you’re speaking in the language of your prospects. 

Here are some tips for connecting with your desired prospects on LinkedIn:

• • First, create a list of your top 100-200 prospects in LinkedIn Sales Navigator. 
  • Keep your list manageable and follow your prospects to see what they are posting (use Lead Alerts)
  • Reach out to them with relevant messages and not just a greeting followed by “How about them Chiefs?… chief.”

You can also showcase the breadth of your knowledge in the type of content you create and share. Don’t know what to post? Try…

• • Opinions on industry news or trends
  • Common misconceptions in your industry
  • Answer common questions you get from clients
  • Ask questions you really want to know the answer to
  • Share a challenge from your week
  • Pull back the curtain to what’s going on in your office
  • If you’re in a leadership position, inspire and give advice

Related Content: What should I post on LinkedIn? 99 Ideas.

#5 Smile and have fun

When you’re having fun, you’re confident. You’re not worried about making mistakes. 

“In a face-to-face meeting, don’t get anywhere near pitching before you’ve gotten a belly laugh out of the client.”  – Francisco Mahfuz, LinkedIn: Best Tactical Piece of Advice Your Sales Leader Ever Gave You

Not everyone excels at funny, and not everyone agrees that a sales call is time for a belly laugh. But everyone does agree that it is entirely possible to hear someone smile via a phone call and see their confidence on a Zoom chat.

This may not sound like an obvious sales closing technique, but no prospect wants to feel like they are a hassle, and you’re just doing your job. Being authentic and demonstrating interest helps you evolve from cold sales to an educated guide who enjoys helping people reach their goals.

You might consider recording and playing back your cold calls or role-playing your warm calls to see where your communications could be lightened.

“Learned to not care so much about the sale and instead focus on genuinely helping the person on the other end of the phone, or table, to make the right decision.” – Jake Dunlap, LinkedIn: Be Authentic: Sell to Solve Your Client’s Problem, Don’t Sell to Sell

What is One Thing You Can Change?

Every seller can use a tune-up on their sales techniques every now and then. If you focus on creating value for your clients, remember to do it with confidence and have fun

What’s one thing can you start doing today to build momentum for a higher close rate and faster sales cycle?