My Go-To Tips for A Great Sales Cycle

What does having a sales cycle mean? It means having a documented process for how a lead goes from a lead to a client, repeatedly. This is how businesses grow and thrive like no other, keeping it sustainable AF.

Having a kicka** sales cycle means you have a SUREFIRE way to attract, close, and upsell to both existing and new clients! It’s a process that once you got it nailed down, makes things smoother and easier. 

With that being said, I’m going to share 5 signs about your sales cycle that will show you that it’s indeed – bulletproof: 

 

1. You track leads and prospects, and you ACTIVELY communicate with them.

We all know communication is key when it comes to anything sales or business-related. So of course, when you’re attracting new clients, you can’t expect them to show up to your front door willing and ready to purchase from you (if that’s how it worked, you and I would NOT be here). 

A lead is essentially someone who looks and feels like a good opportunity for one of your services, but “two-way” contact has not been made yet – a prospect is someone where contact has been made and they have expressed interest in your business or services! 

When qualifying prospects, it’s important to make sure that they can follow through on both payment and authority to make payment. Obviously, it’s important that they want or need your service, but also make sure that they are accessible to them as well. 

When communicating with either a lead or prospect, the best way is as close as possible. I don’t mean besties texting besties close, but through some sort of DM, continuously engaging with them on their socials, sharing content that might benefit them like blogs or freebies. Your goal here is to try and build a relationship, so that when they do start to think “hey, I do need help with xyz” they think of YOU.

 

2. You have a response for basically every objection you could get. 

Rejection is just a part of life, but it helps when you are prepared for whatever might be thrown your way! But in sales… objections could excite you. Objections are opportunities to SHINE.

A few responses you might already be familiar with are objections to affordability, objection to time, and objection to the necessity of your service. 

Some responses you can have ready to go in your back pocket include: 

Money Objections: Offer them a payment plan that meets their budget, or suggest a group program that might help them in the areas they need but not at the cost of something more personalized. 

Time Objections: Ask them why right NOW isn’t the time for them. Pick their brains to see what’s going on within their biz, and potentially see if there is a way to keep them engaged with you to find a time that would work for them – be it now, or in the future!

Necessity Objections: Stress that it’s about the transformation of their business, not the process. Your prospect might not believe that it’s something they need because of the process it’ll take, but you know that the transformation they’ll undergo is worth their while. 

 

3. You’ve simplified your closing process.

Don’t you hate it when you’re online shopping and you have to click a million times just to get to the checkout landing page? Or if getting the checkout page is taking forever to load? Your client also doesn’t want to go through those things – so let’s make sure your closing process is as simple as can be. 

Consider using software that makes everything an all-in-one experience – your proposal, contract, and invoice. (Queue my daily Honeybook plug, because without it I’m not sure how I would have survived MY closing process). Honeybook is an all-in-one cloud-based software that helps you manage projects AND clients from start to finish- you can track projects, see where the client is on payment, see new client inquiries, etc. 

AND luckily for you if this sounds like something you want to try (which I HIGHLY encourage you to do) simply click here to get 50% off your first year of Honeybook! 

 

4. You have an exit strategy for every single closed client. 

Closing a client is exciting, but it also makes them an ACTIVE client which makes it easier for you to a) keep them engaged and keep them informed about your business and upcoming and new services b) makes it a great opportunity for an upsell!

In the biz world, it is no new fact that it is easier to sell to existing clients/customers than it is new ones because you’ve already established that relationship. So when closing, it’s a good idea to have already thought through what could potentially be the client’s “next steps” with you. 

This is called an exit strategy, and you should 10000% be meeting with the client prior to project or contract-end to review how else you can keep this working relationship alive. (Upsell, baby!)

 

5. You’ve incentivized referrals. 

The only thing better than closing a deal on an existing client? Getting referrals from them! 

How do we go about doing this? Through affiliate programs, discounting your services to them, giving them free swag – by being as appreciative as you can without being a sleazeball. 

The goal here is to go from having them as just a client, to having them as a biz bestie. Because friends take care of eachother, and biz besties take care of eachother AND their businesses. 

The key here: make sure you’re tracking your referral sources and efforts and following up with them as much as you possibly can. Stay front of mind, just as you would your prospective clients and it will yield results – trust.

So, how does your sales cycle look after seeing these 5 points? If you’re unsure, or ready to finesse the heck out of it, you might be a good fit for a mini-intensive with me – 1:1 time to build the perfect sales cycle… just for your business. Click here to see availability and book your session today! 

 

– Laur