The sales cycle is the time it takes from first conversation to the time you make the deposit. What would happen if you could shorten your sales cycle by 10%, 20%, 30% or even 50%? One, you’d have a thinner pipeline. Two, you’d have more sales in less time. That equals more revenue and more time for the sales to find more opportunities. And three, you grow exponentially. What does it take to shorten your sales cycle?
Below are the 11 factors that all contribute to shortening the sales cycle. Each of these listed below certainly deserve their own article, but we’ll give you a brief definition. If you want to find out how your team measure up in the 11 factors below, Click Here for a Free Evaluation.
- Makes Decision – Only decision makers can help other make decisions.
- Consultative Selling Skills – Listening and Questioning Skills (emphasis on Listening)
- Qualifying – a defined process to disqualify the prospect.
- Accepting put offs and stalls – there are many different causes for a salesperson to accept stalls and put offs.
- Need to be liked – When the salesperson’s need to be liked is greater than the need to be respected.
- Controls Emotions – lack of emotional control when face to face or voice to voice creates poor listening skills, therefore creates poor questioning skills.
- Ability to discuss money when it’s time to discuss money. Not selling on price.
- Rejection Proof – how quickly can one get back in the game after being rejected.
- Healthy Skepticism – Wearing happy ears is the kiss of death in sales.
- Supportive Beliefs – Whatever you think about most will manifest itself into reality.
- Effective Sales Process – a milestone centric process to effectively define the steps and the order of those steps to produce consistent outcomes.
Combine the above 11 factors and your sales process will shorten. Find out how your team is doing with the sales process and what factors should be strengthened here with our Free Evaluation.