Most CEOs, agency founders, and sales reps are proud of their ability to close. The focus is usually on more opportunities – “just get me in the room and we’re good.”
But when I’ve sat in on those calls? There’s often room for improvement. With that in mind, here’s a speed-run of sales conversation tips I’ve picked up over the years (in no particular order):
- Shoot the shit a little. Ask how their week has been or if they did anything fun on the weekend. Don’t jump straight into business – you can build a lot of rapport in just a few minutes. People buy from people they like.
- Match their pace. Move fast or slow; let the prospect set the tempo within reason. Per point #1: if they want to jump into project details immediately, don’t drag them back into a chat about whatever movie you watched last night.
- Ask what their challenge is and how they’ve tried to solve it. Keep it open-ended. Don’t go through the motions – follow up until you genuinely understand the problem. Prospects want to feel heard, and they want to know you care about solving the issue.
- Ask and listen more; talk less. This isn’t your moment to deliver a sermon about how you’re creative problem-solvers. Ask sharp questions. Talk less than half the time. Be concise; have a point and make it.
- Be enthusiastic. Nobody wants to buy from someone who is indifferent. Rather, our prospects want someone who is excited to tackle the project and work together.
- Ask what the outcomes are if this project gets completed properly. What are the impacts? What does success look like? Don’t be satisfied with subpar answers. Keep asking until you understand what the business impact is (ROI, risk mitigation, competitive advantage, etc).
- Ask what happens if they don’t solve this problem properly. What’s the cost of inaction or poor execution? Where will they be? Will they lose competitive edge? Market share?
- Talk about money. Ask their budget. If they don’t have one or won’t share it, reframe: “What does this project feel like to you — $10k, $100k, or $500k?” They’ll inevitably gravitate toward a tier, even hesitantly, and you can narrow from there.
- Tell them you can solve their problem; back it up with a couple short, concrete stories. Share outcomes. Toss around a few early ideas — what might work, why it could resonate. You can note that these ideas need validation, but this is enthusiasm in action. Prospects love confident, straightforward answers.
- Know when to stop talking; don’t talk yourself out of a sale. When you get what you want – verbal agreement or similar – then move the meeting towards its end. If you keep selling after they’ve bought, you can only undo your own work.
- Set a clear next step with a date and hit it. End the call with what you deliver, and by when, then do it.
If there’s a guiding policy here, it’s this: Be personable and curious about the client and their project. Be enthusiastic about the possibility of working together. Don’t shy away from talking about money or from stating confidently that you can solve their problem.
Sales conversations are a craft; like every craft, it takes work and refinement. Put one, two, or all of these into practice over the next quarter and see how your close rates change. You might be pleasantly surprised.