4 Proven Strategies to Close the Sale You‘re About to Lose

Picture this: you‘re halfway through a demo call with a hot lead. You‘ve done your research, crafted the perfect pitch, and have been bringing your A game. But then, the prospect‘s tone shifts. Their questions become more skeptical, their objections more pointed. You can practically hear their interest fizzling out through the phone.

We‘ve all been there. No matter how strong your sales skills, not every deal progresses smoothly from start to closed-won. But when you sense a sale slipping away, don‘t wave the white flag just yet. With the right strategies, you can often turn a "no" into a "yes" – even when things seem dire.

In this post, I‘ll share four proven techniques to deploy when you feel a deal starting to go south. Armed with these approaches, you‘ll be able to save sales that others might abandon and hit your quota more consistently.

Strategy 1: Discover the prospect‘s challenges and objectives

When a sale is circling the drain, it‘s usually because your pitch is missing the mark. Maybe you launched into your standard spiel without fully understanding the prospect‘s situation. Or maybe their needs or priorities have changed since your initial research.

Whatever the reason, if you‘re not speaking directly to what matters most to the buyer, you‘re not going to hold their attention, let alone convince them to sign on the dotted line. That‘s why the first step to salvaging a sinking sale is to stop pitching and start discovering.

Ask probing, open-ended questions to get the prospect talking about their biggest challenges, goals, and hesitations:

• "What‘s the #1 obstacle blocking you from hitting your revenue targets this quarter?"
• "If you could solve one problem in your department today, what would it be?"
• "It seems like X is a sticking point for you. Tell me more about that concern."

Really listen to their answers. Take notes. Ask follow-up questions. The more you let them talk, the more bought-in they‘ll feel and the better you‘ll understand how to reframe your pitch.

Consider this: according to HubSpot, salespeople who actively listen can boost their close rates by 43%. And personalizing your solution to the prospect‘s specific needs can lift conversions by up to 65%.

As sales guru Brian Tracy puts it: "Spend twice as much time asking questions as you do presenting. You‘ll be amazed at how much more you‘ll learn about what the prospect really wants – and how much more likely you‘ll be to give it to them."

Strategy 2: Be completely honest

When a demo is tanking, the elephant in the room can seem enormous. The prospect knows it, you know it – but acknowledging it out loud feels risky. Won‘t that just highlight the flaws in your pitch?

Actually, the opposite is true. Dancing around the obvious disconnect will only make your prospect trust you less. Addressing it head-on shows refreshing honesty and self-awareness.

If you sense your meeting going off the rails, try a candid comment like:

• "You know, I‘m picking up that the solutions I‘m presenting aren‘t quite hitting the mark for you. I want to make sure I‘m respecting your time, so do you mind if we pause for a second and you share what‘s missing the boat? I‘m all ears."
• "I have to be upfront: I‘ve thrown a lot of information at you, but I get the sense it‘s not resonating. What are the most important things I should focus on to better address your needs? If I‘m not able to provide value here, I understand, but I want to be sure I‘m not missing something critical."

I know it feels counterintuitive to call out your own pitch‘s flaws, but buyers respect vulnerability. One study found 89% of consumers are more likely to buy from a salesperson they view as honest, even if they‘re acknowledging a weakness.

A few years back, I was demoing our software to a major enterprise client. Halfway through, I could tell I was losing them. So I stopped and said, "I have to confess, I‘m not sure I‘m focusing on the right things here. I know how busy you are and I want to make the best use of our time together. Would you mind sharing what‘s top of mind, so I can better adapt my recommendations?"

The decision-maker smiled and said, "Honestly, you‘re the first rep who‘s asked me that. I appreciate you noticing this wasn‘t quite clicking. Here‘s what matters most to us." She went on to share crucial context I‘d missed, which helped me totally reframe my pitch. We ended up closing the largest deal of the quarter. Honesty pays.

Strategy 3: Get feedback from the prospect

Salespeople often see objections as a red flag, but they‘re actually a green one. When prospects voice concerns, it means they‘re envisioning using your solution, not tuning you out entirely. The key is to dig into their hesitations, not shy away from them.

If you‘re getting pushback, some great questions to open up the conversation:

• "That‘s a fair concern. Can you tell me more about what‘s holding you back there?"
• "I appreciate you sharing that hesitation. If we could find a way to resolve it, is there anything else that would stop you from moving forward?"
• "It seems like [objection] is a dealbreaker for you. Help me understand why that‘s such an important factor. I want to be sure I‘m not overlooking something critical."

Actively soliciting feedback might feel like you‘re inviting criticism, but it‘s one of the best ways to surface and solve prospect‘s real reservations. And often, their input will help you better position your product as the answer.

For example, I once had a buyer tell me, "I like your software, but we have a lean IT team that‘s always swamped. I‘m concerned they won‘t have time to support the rollout." Armed with that insight, I was able to dive into our white-glove implementation services, dedicated training, and lightning-fast support. Knowing his specific concerns, I was able to tailor my pitch to allay them.

Pressing prospects for direct feedback can feel uncomfortable, but it‘s essential to getting – and saving – the sale. As sales legend Zig Ziglar said, "Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning. Use their objections as a guide to improve your pitch and product."

Strategy 4: Create a customized solution

If there‘s a cardinal sin in sales, it‘s the generic pitch. Rattling off a laundry list of features without connecting them to the prospect‘s unique situation is a surefire deal-killer, especially if you‘re already struggling to keep them engaged.

Instead, use the intel you‘ve gathered to connect the dots between your offering and their specific needs. Personalize your proposal to speak to their top priorities, whether that‘s cutting costs, saving time, or reducing risk.

For instance, consider two versions of the same software pitch:

Generic: "Our platform offers real-time data syncing, a drag-and-drop workflow builder, and one-click reporting. Plus, it integrates with over 500 third-party tools. Companies across industries trust our solution to streamline their operations."

Customized: "Based on our discussion, it sounds like your top goals are improving data accuracy and helping your team reclaim time in their day. Our platform‘s real-time, two-way syncing ensures everyone is always working with the most up-to-date information, which has helped clients like Acme Co reduce manual data entry by 75%.

The drag-and-drop workflow builder also lets you automate repetitive tasks, like the weekly reports you mentioned. On average, our customers shave 10 hours per week off busywork, freeing them up to focus on strategy. I think you‘d see similar results, especially given your team‘s technical savvy. Implementation could also be turnkey, since we integrate with the CRM and ERP you already use."

See the difference? The first pitch could be sent to anyone. The second speaks directly to the prospect‘s environment, demonstrating you understand their world and have a plan tailored to their needs.

In fact, a study by Infosys found that 86% of consumers say personalization plays a role in their buying decisions, and 25% say they‘re more likely to buy from a salesperson who provides customized recommendations.

If a sale is sliding sideways, don‘t stick to your standard script. Tailor your talking points and solutions to align with the particular points that matter most to that buyer. A little customization can be the difference between a closed-lost and closed-won.

Turn stalled deals around

Losing a deal you thought was in the bag stings, but it‘s not inevitable. By staying attuned to your prospect‘s engagement level and being willing to change course if needed, you can often prevent – and even reverse – a sales slump.

The next time a call starts going south, resist the urge to keep blindly plowing through your pitch. Instead, pause and try one of these four strategies:

1. Stop selling and start discovering. Ask questions to surface the prospect‘s true needs, challenges and goals.
2. Acknowledge the elephant in the room. If your pitch is falling flat, call it out and ask the buyer to share why it‘s not resonating.
3. Mine for objections. Encourage the prospect to voice their concerns and use them as a roadmap to refine your proposal.
4. Connect the dots. Armed with deeper insight into the buyer‘s world, customize your solution to their top priorities and paint a clear before-and-after picture.

Remember, fortune favors the doggedly persistent, not just the naturally talented. As Thomas Edison famously said: "Many of life‘s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."

So the next time you feel a prospect‘s interest waning, don‘t throw in the towel. Dig deeper, get creative, and refuse to let that sale slip away without a fight. With the right strategies, you can turn many "no‘s" waiting to happen into "yes‘s".

Now if you‘ll excuse me, I have a demo starting in five, and you better believe I‘m ready to close – no matter what twists may come.

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