Length of Sales Cycle is a key lever within the Sales Velocity equation, however it's one that is often overlooked.

💡 Did you know: Deal slippage due to extending sales cycle length is the most common reason why reps miss quota, and according to Ebsta: "Time kills deals".

Here are 7 steps to decrease length of sales cycle:

1 - IDENTIFY YOUR CHAMPIONS AND ECONOMIC BUYER EARLY ON

Understanding who makes the buying decisions and their decision-making process is critical. The earlier you can identify and engage with them, the quicker you can move the sale forward.

Use a relationship-scorecard scoring your stakeholders against: level of influence, engagement, motivation and alignment.

2 - ESTABLISH CLEAR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Establishing clear goals and objectives for both the customer and the sales team can help keep the sales cycle on track and moving forward.

Use full-cycle opportunity and close plans to keep you on track.

3 - DO YOUR ACCOUNT AND PERSONA RESEARCH

Tailor your sales approach to each prospect's specific needs and pain points. This will help establish trust and build rapport, which can speed up the sales process.

CHAT-GPT is a great way to speed up the account research process. More on this in the future!

4 - STREAMLINE THE SALES PROCESS

Identify areas where the sales process can be streamlined and eliminate unnecessary steps. This can help prevent delays and accelerate the sales cycle.

Get a grip on the actual time you spend selling. See how to reduce non- selling activities, to allow you to focus on needle- moving actions

5 - USE TECHNOLOGY TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

Understanding who makes the buying decisions and their decision-making process is critical. The earlier you can identify and engage with them, the quicker you can move the sale forward.

Use a relationship-scorecard scoring your stakeholders against: level of influence, engagement, motivation and alignment

6 - STAY IN REGULAR COMMUNICATION

Understanding who makes the buying decisions and their decision-making process is critical. The earlier you can identify and engage with them, the quicker you can move the sale forward.

Use a relationship-scorecard scoring your stakeholders against: level of influence, engagement, motivation and alignment

7 - LEARN THE ART OF QUALIFYING OUT

Yep, we said it. Qualifying out is a skill in its own right. Focusing on deals that are not going to progress is a win rate and length of sales cycle killer. Qualify hard, early and at every stage of the cycle.

Use a structured qualification methodology, such as MEDDPICC to ensure you ask the right questions, at the right time.