Nine strategies to transform your sales process and close deals faster

A quick search will lead you to believe that a B2B software sales cycle is just over 2 months on average. If you speak to any salesperson they’ll tell you that number is rubbish (or “trash” or any other variation of the word depending on who you’re asking). There are a huge number of variables that can impact the length of a sales cycle - some are in your control, and some aren’t.

We don’t need to remind you that time is money or that speeding up your sales cycle not only boosts revenue but also ensures you’re meeting customer needs in real-time. You know that. But we do have nine actionable strategies to help you pinch where possible, streamline your sales process, and close deals quicker.

1. Qualify leads more effectively and optimize your sales funnel

Quality over quantity is the name of the game. Implement a robust lead scoring system to prioritize high-value prospects. Use specific criteria - like engagement levels and industry relevance - to focus your team's efforts on leads that are most likely to convert.

Speak to your marketing team (more on that later) about what tactics can be employed at each lead stage and score to try and move contacts down the funnel. Most of these can be automated through the likes of Hubspot, Salesforce Pardot, Marketo, and many more.

2. Enhance sales training and playbooks

Equip your sales team with the latest tools and techniques. Regular training sessions and up-to-date playbooks provide them with a competitive edge, ensuring they're always prepared to close deals swiftly. Playbooks can be particularly important in larger companies where many hands may not always make for light work if processes and areas of ownership aren’t locked down.

There are a number of providers out there that offer sales playbook templates for free, and don’t forget to include both sales and marketing teams for input to ensure the whole process is covered from interest to won.

3. Invest in the right technology

An obvious one so we’ll keep it short, but leverage technology to your advantage. A comprehensive CRM system keeps track of all customer interactions, ensuring no lead is overlooked. Sales enablement tools can provide real-time analytics and insights, helping your team to make data-driven decisions.

4. Streamline internal processes

A simplified sales funnel is crucial for efficiency. Clearly define each stage of your process and eliminate any unnecessary steps. Automation tools can handle the mundane, freeing up your sales team to engage with leads in a more meaningful way. Automation can be used across things like prospect nurture and activity logging via CRM platforms, sales call note-taking, and even automation of RFP/DDQ responses.

Set clear timelines for each stage of the sales process to keep things moving. Internally, streamline approval processes to eliminate delays and expedite decision-making.

Case study snapshot:

Omnea was growing fast, and the number of clients and the manual process through which the team was tackling the high number of RFPs and due diligence questionnaires became onerous. Omnea needed a solution that would be scalable as it continued its growth trajectory, help internal teams with standardising the process, and provide consistency in the response process, as well as removing the complexities associated with needing input from multiple teams who may be working with outdated or inaccurate information.

Following a thorough market review and successful proof-of-concept, Omnea selected Platformed as its partner of choice. Platformed’s AI-powered Respond offering gave the team a fully automated questionnaire platform that emulated Omnea’s voice using data from uploaded historical questionnaires, with the ability to learn as each response changes going forward.

“The repetition involved in answering questionnaires was making me want to tear my hair out. Platformed’s ability to learn and suggest responses based on historical data saved my team in more ways than one!” Ben Freeman, Chief Executive Officer, Omnea

5. Analyse and adapt - track metrics and continuously improve

Regularly review your sales metrics - conversion rates, deal sizes, and sales cycle lengths. Use these insights to continually refine your approach and adapt to changing market conditions.

6. Understand customer needs and provide value

You don’t need the basics covered - you know how to prospect and provide value to build trust, but this same tactic can be applied throughout the sales process. A structured and personalized follow-up strategy can help maintain momentum and keep prospects engaged without overwhelming them. This could even include keeping an eye on any company wins - new customers, award wins, and other milestones are a great way to stay in touch with your leads without pressuring them into specific actions.

7. Effective proposal management - reduce time spent on paperwork

Picture this... You sit at your desk and three fresh RFPs are in your inbox with a very imminent due date looming. “Ugh”. This should be a good thing, right? But you have targets to meet and could do without the avalanche of admin.

Paperwork can eat into a lot of your time and take the wind out of your sales with constant repetition. Things like standardized proposal templates, setting up e-signatures, and making use of automation tools can make it easier and faster to finalize deals.

Feel like you're spending too many hours answering questionnaires? We built Platformed to give sales teams their time back. Platformed makes questionnaires easy with automated responses. No more tearing your hair out answering the same questions again and again and again and again.

Platformed Respond automates RFPs, RFIs, DDQs and SAQs - in whatever format they come:

• Get onboarded in less than an hour and be ready to automate responses the very same day
• Import data in a multitude of formats - if you find something Platformed can’t automate, our support team will handle it for you
• Fully automate your questionnaire responses - Platformed’s AI emulates your “voice” using historical questionnaires
• Assign, notify, collaborate and report with multiple teams and subject matter experts. Send updates via email or Platformed’s Slack integration - however your organization chooses to communicate
• Export documents back into their original format

Case study snapshot

As Orbital Witness continued to grow and win contracts, internal teams were being hampered with manual and repetitive processes for due diligence questionnaires. The team previously worked via Excel sheets and documents which took up a lot of time, internal resource, and caused disruption across multiple teams.

Orbital Witness needed a solution that would be scalable, help with standardising the process and provide consistency in their response process, as well as removing the complexities associated with needing input from multiple teams who may be working with outdated or inaccurate information.

We signed up for Platformed because too much sales and engineering time was being spent filling in due diligence questionnaires. It took us less than an hour to onboard and we were saving time straight away. We can now do DDQs in a fifth of the time it took before. Less time spent on admin, more time spent selling!" Aisha Tummon, Chief Revenue Officer, Orbital Witness

8. Offer incentives

Time-limited offers and special incentives can encourage prospects to act quickly. What you offer will be individual to your own company’s appetite, but this typically includes offers such as ‘sign up now and receive two months free’ or more personalized funnel offers such as ‘sign contract within 2 weeks and receive a 25% discount for the first 6 months’.

Implementing a referral program can also be a powerful tool, rewarding current customers for bringing in new leads.

9. Align sales and marketing

Ensure that your sales and marketing teams are working in harmony. Regular collaborative planning and sharing relevant content can help align messaging and strategies, providing a seamless experience for prospects. The two departments work best when they work together - involving both teams for each of these strategies ensures a harmonious experience internally and externally.

By implementing these strategies, you’ll not only streamline your sales process but also create a more efficient and effective pathway to closing deals. This approach can benefit your bottom line and also enhance the overall customer experience, driving long-term success.

Trusted by innovative brands globally, Platformed is your integrated toolkit to navigate procurement and risk management processes. Platformed automatically builds and maintains a live graph of trust information about your organization, and empowers your team to showcase your trust credentials, respond to trust enquiries, and build trust with enterprises faster than ever before.

If you sell to enterprise organizations and have to balance multiple RFPs and questionnaires per month, Platformed can help to put your procurement pains to bed. Explore our case studies, or get in touch to find out more.