Data-Driven Selling By Sales Insights Lab

Closing Sales Tip #1: Stop being like others.It may sound obvious, but most salespeople out there are doing some version of the same thing. They get in front of a prospect, get excited, and pitch whatever they can.
                                
Closing Sales Tip #2: Take risks with prospects.One of the best ways to separate yourself from other salespeople is to take risks with prospects.
                                 
Closing Sales Tip #3: Get them talking.
Some powerful data has recently surfaced that shows the more a prospect is talking during the discovery conversation, the more likely the salesperson is to end up closing sales.
                                 
Closing Sales Tip #4: Shut up. 
I don’t mean to be rude, but the data doesn’t lie. The less salespeople talk, the better their chances of closing sales.
                                 
Closing Sales Tip #5: Nobody cares about your company.
New data shows that when salespeople talk about their company for too long, it’s highly correlative with negative outcomes in selling.
                                 
Closing Sales Tip #6: Quit pitching.
Pitching is a strategy that’s been around forever in sales. It literally goes back to the National Cash Register, when they developed their sales training philosophy in 1887.
                                 
Closing Sales Tip #7: Dig into challenges.
You want to really understand the key challenges that your prospects are facing.
                                 
Closing Sales Tip #8: Disqualify the non-fits.
This goes against what many salespeople have been taught. I can't tell you how many times I get on the phone with a VP of sales and they want to bring me into their organization to tell the sales team, “Never take no for an answer when selling.”
                                 
Closing Sales Tip #9: Understand the upside.
ROI is a really valuable concept we can use when selling, but don't want to tell prospects what the ROI is. 
                               
 Closing Sales Tip #10: Establish a budget later on in the process.
Data shows that most average and bottom-performing salespeople are talking about price really early on in the discovery process. On the other hand, top performers are waiting about 45 minutes into that initial discovery to discuss pricing and budget.
                                 
Closing Sales Tip #11: Know their process.
One of the biggest complaints that prospects have about salespeople is that they don’t take the time to understand their full buying process.
                                 
Closing Sales Tip #12: Keep the presentation brief.
The data shows that bottom and average performers spend much more time in presentation mode, whereas top performers spend much more time in the discovery part of the conversation.
                                 
Closing Sales Tip #13: Follow the 60-second rule.
During the presentation, top performers never talk for more than about 70 seconds without re-engaging the prospect back into the conversation.                                 

Closing Sales Tip #14: Use feedback loops.
One of the best ways to re-engage prospects in the conversation is to use feedback loops.
                                 
Closing Sales Tip #15: Stop closing.
Closing techniques don't matter anymore. What matters is that we're really strong in the discovery process so when it comes down to the close, it just happens.
                                 
Closing Sales Tip #16: Make clear and scheduled next steps.
This is so important in today’s world. Chances are, you’re not in one-call close situations.                              

Closing Sales Tip #17: SW cubed N.
What the heck does SW cubed N mean? It's very simple. It stands for: Some Will. Some Won’t. So What? Next.