How To Shorten Your Sales Cycle

Generally; the longer a sales cycle, the harder it will be to make a sale – which is why we’ll outline in this guide how to shorten your sales cycle.

 

In this article, you’ll learn some simple yet effective sales tips to sell more often, and more consistently.

 

Read on to learn how to shorten your sales cycle, by implementing our consultative tips.

 

 

How To Shorten Your Sales Cycle – 5 x Effective Tips

 

 

How To Shorten Your Sales Cycle Tip #1 – Know Your Audience

 

 

The first tip we’d like to share on how to shorten your sales cycle, is to ensure you are completely clear on your target audience.

 

Although your product or service may be beneficial to a number of people, if you try to spend your time and energy trying to reach everyone, you’ll end up having no impact.

 

You only have so many resources and so much time, and it’s important to use both effectively.

 

The first step prior to any sales conversation, is working out who would benefit the most from your product or service, and who can afford it.

 

To help you work out how to do this, we recommend learning about putting together a sales targeting strategy.

 

Click the link below to learn how.

 

Related article: Sales Targeting Strategy – Your Ultimate Guide

 

 

How To Shorten Your Sales Cycle Tip #2 – Qualify Early

 

 

The second effective tip we’d like to share on how to shorten your sales cycle, is to qualify your potential clients as early as possible.

 

Many Sales Professionals and Business Owners make the mistake of having sales conversations with people, only to learn toward the end of the conversation that the person isn’t qualified to buy.

 

By speaking with people who aren’t qualified, you’re making a number of key mistakes.

 

Firstly, you’ll be speaking with someone who may not be a decision maker. If they can’t make a decision, they’ll need to speak with someone who can.

 

This means they’ll be selling on your behalf – and this is not how to close sales consistently.

 

Secondly, you’ll be wasting valuable time speaking with people who can’t afford your offer.

 

By qualifying early, you can save this time – and better spend it speaking with people who can afford your product or service.

 

When qualifying your potential clients, we recommend you focus on these four areas.

 

• Budget: Can they afford it, and what have they put aside for a solution?
• Authority: Can they make a buying decision?
• Need: Do they actually need it, and can you actually help them?
• Time frame: Can you deliver what they need, in the time frame they require it?

 

Related article: Qualifying Sales Leads – A Step By Step Guide

 

 

How To Shorten Your Sales Cycle Tip #3 – Handle Objections Early

 

 

If you want to know how to shorten your sales cycle, then you need to handle sales objections as early as possible.

 

Many Sales Professionals and Business Owners purely leave their objection handling until the end of their presentation.

 

Although some sales objections may still present themselves after your presentation, ideally you want to handle the key sales objections prior to your deep dive sales conversations.

 

This helps you close on the phone a lot more consistently, because you will frame yourself as a trusted adviser, as well as counter two key objections prior to them coming up later.

 

The way in which you do this, is with something called a pre-frame.

 

Think of the sales conversation as the frame. You will ask questions, that’ll give you a story and frame of their current situation.

 

The pre-frame is the conversation prior to your deep dive sales conversation

 

Read on to learn more about the pre-frame.

 

 

The Pre-Frame

 

 

As mentioned, the pre-frame (also known as an intent statement) is the conversation prior to your deep dive sales conversation.

 

During your pre-frame, you want to:

 

• Let them know you’ll be asking lots of questions; this is because you won’t offer a solution, until you know you can actually help them
• Learn who the decision makers are, and ensure they’re present prior to your sales conversation
• Give them permission to let you know if they’re not interested at the end of your conversation

 

Getting permission to ask questions is important, because it’ll allow you to deep dive into their pain points.

 

Learning who the decision makers are, and ensuring they’re present up front will prevent the “I need to speak to” sales objection later.

 

Finally – giving them permission to say no, will prevent the “I need to think about it” sales objection later.

 

Further reading: Positioning In Sales – How To Sell Effectively

 

 

How To Shorten Your Sales Cycle Tip #4 – Prescribe A Solution

 

 

A lot of Salespeople and Business Owners follow an old school, outdated sales process.

 

This process generally means they present their product or service, hope something sticks, and then ask for the sale.

 

We call this outdated sales model ‘Premature Presentation’; and it hurts your sales.

 

The forth piece of advice we’d like to share on how to shorten your sales cycle, is that we recommend prescribing your solution instead.

 

When you see a seasoned Medical Specialist; they ask you plenty of questions, learn about your pain points, and then tell you what you need to do/ or take to alleviate yourself from the pain.

 

Seasoned Sales Professionals and Business Owners do the same thing; they learn all about their potential client’s pain points, and how it’s affecting them both emotionally and logically.

 

Once they’re completely clear on their pain points, they then prescribe a solution to each pain point – rather than just present an offer or solution.

 

To present effectively, we recommend presenting in a way that solves each pain point – rather than present and assume they will know how it’ll serve them.

 

Related article: 10 x Effective Sales Presentation Tips You Need To Use

 

 

Tip #5 – Follow A Sales Process

 

 

Lastly – the most powerful yet effective tip on how to shorten your sales cycle, is to follow a sales process.

 

That is, you must follow a step by step and consistent road map to close new sales.

 

A sales process is a road map and framework that guides both you and your potential client towards a decision.

 

The decision can either be to proceed with the sale, or to get clarity on whether you can or can’t help them.

 

Although there are various kinds of sales process methodologies, we teach an eight step sales process called The 5% Sales Blueprint.

 

Our sales process consists of the following steps:

 

• Building rapport and qualifying
• Setting the pre-frame
• Asking questions to learn about pain
• Finding out what their desired state looks like
• Discussing money options
• Presenting
• Handling left over objections
• Asking for the sale

 

To learn about each of these steps in more detail, read the linked article directly below.

 

Further reading: The 8 x Step Sales Process – A Detailed Guide

 

 

Final Thoughts

 

 

To recap our list of tips on how to shorten your sales cycle, you need to master the following steps:

 

• Target the right audience
• Qualify early
• Handle objections early and pre-frame
• Prescribe a solution
• Follow a sales process

 

If you implement each of these steps, you’ll make your sales activities a breeze.

 

Are you interested in learning more about selling more consistently?

 

If so, you can register for our no cost 7 Day Sales Challenge by clicking the link here.

 

 

Want To Close Sales Easier?

 

 

Are you committed to closing sales a lot easier, and consistently?

 

If so, you should check out our self-paced and affordable online sales training program; The 5% Sales Blueprint.

 

It’ll give you everything you need to close sales consistently.

 

To learn more, simply click on the link below for more information.

 

Our Online Sales Training Program – The 5% Sales Blueprint.