How to Shorten Sales Cycle and Close More Deals

There’s a quote: simple scales, fancy fails.

As as sales person, you need to focus on what really matters - simplifying your journey to the close. Your job as a sales professional isn't just about convincing people, it's about designing an experience that makes it easy for prospects to say "yes" sooner.

It’s always about getting better.

And then once you become better, the goal is to get faster.

Then it’s time to get bigger. And then you’ll need to repeat the cycle.

In order to show you to get better, faster and bigger, we’re going to present you some key strategies that can transform your sales process, make your sales cycle shorter and get more closed deals.

Source: cience.com

How To Attract More Leads

Salespeople have a lot to manage:

• prospecting and qualifying leads  ✅
• holding discovery meetings and demos  ✅
• do the follow-ups  ✅
• search for a new potential customers  ✅

But there’s always a hidden time sink: those behind-the-scenes administrative tasks, like scheduling and sending follow-up emails that can eat into hours better spent building relationships. It’s no wonder that the median B2B sales cycle stretches over 2.1 months. But it doesn't have to.

That’s why we came with 7 top priorities in order to shorten your sales cycle and close more deals.

By the way, in order to close more deals, it’s good if you first learn how to attract more leads.

1️⃣ Lead Qualification and Prioritization Are Everything

To shorten the sales cycle, it’s crucial to be talking to the right people at the right time. Not every lead is created equal, and your sales team's time is far too valuable to waste on prospects that won't convert. To shorten the cycle, qualify your leads ruthlessly.

Qualification helps you sort the wheat from the chaff.

Understand where your leads are in the buying journey, what challenges they're facing, and how well your solution aligns with their needs. Once qualified, score your leads based on their behaviour and fit to prioritize who your team should pursue first. This means focusing on leads with the highest intent and readiness, so no time is wasted nurturing someone who isn’t ready.

2️⃣ Have A Follow-Up Game Plan

We all know that follow-ups can make or break the sales process.

The faster you follow up after a prospect signals interest, the more likely you are to close the deal. But it’s not just about being quick; it's about being strategic and adding value at every touchpoint.

For instance, after a demo, don’t just send a "Thank you for your time" email - instead, send a detailed follow-up that reiterates the main points you discussed and includes an actionable next step. Whether it's booking the next meeting or sending over a quote, make it easy for the prospect to move forward. Automating reminders and follow-up emails can also ensure prospects are never left hanging and that no opportunity falls through the cracks.

3️⃣ Evidence / Social Proof >>> Promise

Every sales has five basic obstacles: no need, no hurry, no money, no value, no trust.

When prospects seems indecisive, it's often because they don’t trust that your solution will deliver as promised, especially if you're offering something that sounds too good to be true. The quickest way to build that trust is by leaning on social proof.

Present case studies, customer testimonials, and success stories to show exactly how you've helped similar companies solve the same problem. Prospects want to know, "Has this worked for someone like me?".

Answer that question before they even ask, and watch as their hesitation begins to dissolve. Make these testimonials easily accessible, integrate them into your sales presentation, and share them in your follow-up emails to build credibility at every stage of the sales process.

As we said before: brand = trust.

4️⃣ Make Scheduling Simple

Few things can destroy the momentum like the dreaded game of email ping-pong to find a meeting time that works for both parties. A major way to shorten your sales cycle is to eliminate delays in scheduling.

Consider integrating a system that lets your prospect choose the best available time instantly. The goal is to reduce friction and allow potential customers to easily schedule next steps at their convenience. If you're on a call, ask if you can book the next meeting right then and there.

Based on Alex Hormozi’s experience, best sales people always schedule a meeting from a meeting.

The longer the wait, the more likely interest will fade. ❌

5️⃣ Create A Structured Sales Process

Consistency is key when it comes to improving sales efficiency.

A chaotic approach doesn’t just confuse your prospects - it also means things slip through the cracks.

You need to create a structured sales process that defines how each stage of the sale should be handled, the steps needed to move a prospect forward, and the resources that should be leveraged.

By having a repeatable, well-defined process, your team can work smarter, not harder.

They know what questions to ask, when to introduce a demo, and how to guide the conversation towards the close. This structure helps reps focus more on personalizing the pitch and creating value for the customer, instead of constantly trying to figure out the logistics of the next step.

6️⃣ Buyer’s Journey Must Be Clear

Too many sales cycles drag on because the path from interest to decision-making isn't clear for the prospect.

They’re unsure what happens next, what steps they need to take, or even what questions they should ask. That's why it’s crucial to map out a buyer’s journey that removes the guesswork.

Be upfront about the stages in the sales process and what’s needed from both sides to move forward. Set expectations during your first call - something like, "If this solution sounds like it could be a fit, our next steps are usually to set up a demo, get aligned on objectives, and then finalize the Cloud Service Agreement / Contract."

Make it crystal clear, simple, and transparent, so the prospect feels confident moving from one stage to the next without any confusion.

Because the best salespeople are the ones that are genuinely care about customers.

7️⃣ Always Close with Next Steps

One of the biggest mistakes in sales is ending a call without a defined next action.

Whether you’re on an initial call or following up after a demo, always end with a clearly defined next step. Ask to schedule the next call before you hang up, or at least lock down a date when you’ll follow up again.

The momentum of a sale is everything - if you let it die, bringing it to a life again often takes double the effort. Make sure every interaction is moving the deal forward in some way, with a new step always on the calendar.

📦 Wrapping It Up

Shortening your sales cycle and closing more deals isn’t about doing one thing right - it's about systematically creating an environment where it’s harder for deals to get lost.

Prioritizing lead quality, building a consistent and value-packed follow-up routine, leveraging social proof, and removing logistical barriers like scheduling can make the difference between a drawn-out process and a quick, confident decision from your prospects.

Approach each customer with the idea of helping him or her solve a problem or achieve a goal, not of selling a product or service.

And speaking of decision-making, check out our previous blogs on:

✔️ 5 Predictions for Marketing and Sales Strategies in 2024

✔️ How Sales People Are Wasting Time

✔️ How to Follow-Up Effectively

Remember - sales isn’t just about persuading someone; it’s about making it easy for them to say yes.