We all deal with the delicate balancing act of keeping sales cycles moving forward without jeopardizing the deal by appearing too pushy or desperate. So (just for you) we’ve identified four research-based tactics that top performers use to accelerate deals without appearing aggressive. Here they are:
1. Mastering micro-commitments during discovery
If you went on a first date and asked the person to marry you immediately after, they’d probably run for the hills. In sales, you want to build a long-term relationship with your prospects over time. Instead of aggressively pushing for the sale right away, you should focus on getting the prospect to say “Yes” to small commitments. Top performers secure specific micro-commitments like:
- Agreement on priority challenges identified
- Confirmation of budget ranges
- Explicit permission to involve other stakeholders
- Scheduled follow-up meetings (critical)
Deals with documented micro-commitments have shown 23% increase in demo-to-close rates. You want your prospect to get comfortable saying “Yes,, so you can demonstrate that you can follow through on your commitments. This helps build trust and shows the prospect that you do what you say you’ll do.
2. Use contrast frameworks in demonstrations
The Contrast Principle, popularized by psychologist Dr. Robert Ciadldini in his book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion is a framework that salespeople can use to make your product or service more appealing by comparing it to something else — usually by highlighting the “painful old way” of doing things.
Spending time early in the sales process (and throughout it) reminding prospects of their current situation and pain points can help remind them of the urgent need for a solution, and keep the sales process moving forward.
3. Deploy strategic "anxiety questions"
Highlighting the fear of missing out can be a powerful tactic to get prospects thinking about the consequences of not following through on a deal quickly. Asking "anxiety questions" — questions that expose risk in maintaining the status quo — can increase a buyer’s desire to make a decision.
- "What happens if [negative trend] continues for another 12 months?"
- "How does this challenge impact [broader business initiative]?"
- "What's the cost of delaying this decision by a quarter?"
Steve Jobs famously used this tactic while recruiting John Sculley, the CEO of Pepsi, to join Apple in 1983. Jobs posed the question “Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or come with me and change the world?” By positioning Sculley’s current situation (the status quo) as bad and highlighting the potential upside of the offer, Jobs was able to close the deal and bring Sculley on as CEO, although we all know how that one worked out…
4. Practice "reverse timeline" planning
The beginning and end of a project are when we’re most enthusiastic and engaged. Deals usually get stalled somewhere in the middle of the process. One way to keep deals pushing forward is to practice reverse timeline planning with prospects. You can do this by:
- Establishing the customer's target implementation date
- Mapping organization-specific approval steps
- Building urgency around internal deadlines rather than quarter-end
When you focus on the end goal first, you are seeding the idea of successful implementation with your prospect. Research shows that starting with the end goal and planning backwards is more effective than planning in chronological order. It’s important to remember that you’re building a reverse timeline for your prospect, not for yourself. The timeline should be aligned to their goals. Don’t try to speed up their timeline with artificial urgency just because you have to hit your monthly quota.
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By implementing these research-backed techniques, you can accelerate your sales cycles while building stronger relationships and trust. Focus on facilitating confident decisions rather than pushing for quick closes, and (when done correctly) this will actually speed up sales cycles and lead to better outcomes for both parties.
