Closing deals during uncertain times

I'm writing this week's newsletter from Boise, Idaho, where I'm attending this year's Kit Conference—Craft and Commerce and Jay Clouse Creator Community. I missed last week's newsletter while traveling to Boise.

Pretty meta, right?

The past few days have been both inspiring and overwhelming. So many ideas!

Ironically it also gave me time to reflect on how to improve our newsletter. I want to write in a way that makes you feel like we're having a genuine conversation, not just a one-way broadcast. I want to be more open and share my experiences from my time as an account manager and senior sales leader—including the struggles, uncertainties, and real emotions behind those experiences.

I want to write in a more conversational style instead of getting caught up in technical sales jargon.

Sharing my stories in the sales field that make each newsletter feel less like a formal piece and more like a letter to a friend.This will be a new and unique writing experience for me!

This week, let's talk about "How to Win Deals in Economic Uncertainty" with our clients without being pushy or desperate.

With the continuing Trump drama plus Musk latest headlines, and the overall global market volatility, our clients are hesitant to make decisions.

This has a massive impact on our sales performance.

When our clients say,

“Let's wait and see”

or

“We need more time to decide”

We know that's bad news. Decision delays from our clients can derail even the most promising deals.

The truth is, indecision is not just frustrating; it can significantly impact your ability to meet revenue targets, especially in today’s difficult market.

Let's deep dive on what drives these delays, and how can you overcome them?

Understanding the Reasons Behind Decision Delay

To effectively address a problem, we first need to understand its root cause. Decision delay in sales arises from a combination of factors, especially during uncertain times.

Here’s why clients are often hesitant to commit:

Market Turbulence and Fear of Making the Wrong Move

Economic and market volatility makes buyers nervous.

Stakeholders are aware that wrong decisions during unstable times can result in significant financial and reputational consequences for their business and career. This fear drives many to delay or defer decisions.

Stakeholder Complexity

B2B sales often involve multiple decision-makers, each with their own priorities, concerns, and agendas. Aligning these perspectives can significantly slow deals.

Lack of Clarity on Benefits and Impact

Prospects may hesitate when the value or ROI of your offer is unclear. Without a strong case for why they should act now, the risk often outweighs the perceived benefit.

Selling Better Means Focusing on the Process

When navigating indecision, how you sell becomes more important than what you sell. Your approach should inspire confidence in uncertain times.

Here’s what you need to keep in mind:

• Clarity is Key: Whether it’s explaining the offer or navigating objections, ensure your pitch is clear and concise.

• Process Over Product: How you guide the client through their uncertainties is critical. A flawless, structured sales process builds trust and minimises hesitation.

Mistakes in Uncertain Times and Their Impact

The stakes are higher during difficult periods. Decision-makers are acutely aware of the potential for mistakes and their penalties:

• Loss of Budget: Making the wrong investment can deplete resources.

• Risk to Reputation: A poor choice impacts the decision-maker’s credibility within their organisation.

• Internal Pushback: Errors can lead to conflict among stakeholders and teams.

Recognising these risks helps you understand where hesitant stakeholders are coming from. It also highlights why it’s so important to improve your approach.

Flawless Sales Execution

Executing the sales process isn’t optional; it’s mandatory if you want to win the deal. In running, they say the key to finishing strong is learning to run slow before you can run fast.

It's so similar with enterprise sales. Following the sales process is key to success. Although it may seem tedious, following each step is crucial to ensure you're targeting the right client and maximising your chances of successfully winning and closing the deal.

Ask for Micro-Commitments

Moving a deal forward doesn’t happen overnight. Instead, aim for small agreements at every stage. Ask for commitments like booking the next meeting, trying a product demo, or reviewing a case study. These micro-commitments make the final decision seem less daunting.

Make a Compelling Case for Change

Show prospects the cost of inaction. Use specific data, case studies, and success stories to clearly communicate the transformation your solution offers. Help your prospects imagine what their business could achieve with your product or service.

Proactively Address Objections

Objections are inevitable, but they’re also an opportunity to build trust.

When handling objections:

• Empathise first. For example, say, “I completely understand how that could be a concern.”

• Align objections with a solution. Introduce data or insights that ease their worries.

• If you feel there is an objection, raise it by saying: "I noticed you seem concerned about X. Can you tell me more about that?"

• Resolve Objections before presenting a proposal.

Again, Don’t Skip the Sales Process

Every stage of your sales process should flow logically.

Clients will pick up on missteps, which could undermine their confidence in your offer.

Closing Is a Series of Micro-Commitments

One of the most common misconceptions in sales is the idea that “closing” is a single moment.

Every step in your sales process is a miniature close that sets the stage for the final agreement.

Examples of Micro-Commitments in Action

• Confirming interest in a case study that highlights relevant ROI.

• Securing agreement for a follow-up meeting with additional stakeholders that are part of the buying group.

• Gaining verbal confirmation of budget compatibility before drafting a proposal.

Each micro-commitment is a step closer to the ultimate “yes” and ensures momentum in the sales cycle.

Qualify Prospects Effectively Upfront

If decision delays are a recurring issue, the problem may stem from poor prospect qualification. To eliminate wasted time and resources, go back to the basic framework of ORD. Opportunities, Resources and Decision-making. Deep dive here, How to Qualify.

Ask yourself these questions early in the process:

Opportunities

• Is there a clear business need or pain point your solution addresses?

• Is there evidence the problem exist?

• What are the context and constraints? Why didn't they address it before?

Resources

• Have they allocated a budget, or is funding still uncertain?

• Do they have a timeline for implementation?

Decision-making

• Do you know how your clients make decisions ?

• What are the step by step process? Can you articulate it?

• Do they have the authority to make decisions?

A qualified prospect reduces uncertainty and significantly speeds up decision-making.

Turn Hesitation into Action

Decision delay doesn’t have to derail your sales. By understanding the reasons for hesitation, perfecting your sales process, and building trust through empathy and data, you can guide hesitant prospects toward confident decisions.

Curious about where your sales team stands?

Take our B2B Sales Maturity Self-Assessment today and gain actionable insights to transform your results.

Begin your self-assessment here.

To summarise:

• While decision delays occur due to market turbulence, which is not in our control, we can manage stakeholder complexity and demonstrate measurable ROI and tangible value.

• Success requires focusing on process over product, getting micro-commitments throughout the sales cycle, and making a compelling case for change.

• Qualify prospects early using the ORD framework (Opportunities, Resources, Decision-making).

• Proactively address objections with empathy and resolve them before presenting proposals.

What strategies have you found most effective in winning sales deals during economic uncertainty? Hit reply as I love hearing from you.

Thanks for being here see you next week!

Ren