The Best Way to Shorten the Sales Cycle (Inc.)

Customers do not drag out the sales cycle — salespeople do. Customers don’t buy because either they do not recognize a problem or they feel the solution won’t work. More often than not, a customer fails to see a problem. It’s therefore the salesperson’s job to help the client understand the problem, and if they don’t, move on to someone who does. There are three challenges to address in order to shorten the sales cycle time: decision, change and value. To overcome the first challenge, both parties must agree there is a problem. Second, help customers prepare for the change that will come from purchasing a solution. Finally, figure out a way to measure the impact of the solution.