Hey, 👋 Scott from The Sales Mastermind here.

Today’s edition only takes 2.5 minutes.

Buyers decide to buy; sellers only influence their decision.

And sometimes, all it takes is to ask.

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Today, we'll cover:

• Despite the Seller
• Why now
• What to ask

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Despite the Seller

Recently, I overhauled a client's sales pipeline, and we need a CRM to track progress and success.

Before even speaking to a sales rep, we decided to buy Hubspot.

My client simply wanted the best deal.

FYI, the best deal is 75% off for the first year, but there are a few qualifying criteria.

We were 100% qualified for the full 75% discount.

Our only sticking point was whether my client would be forced to pay an onboarding fee.

Spoiler: We had to pay the onboarding fee.

While a lucky rep at Hubspot got credit for a sale, realistically, the Hubspot rep had no impact on whether we bought or not.

This is true of many consumer and SMB sales. The customer buys DESPITE the seller, not BECAUSE of the seller.

After all, buyers are the only ones who can actually buy. A seller is merely an influencer and facilitator.

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Why Now

Universally, there are a few windows where buyers are hyper-motivated and move quickly.

One such window is January. In 2025, it'll last until the 24th or maybe the 17th.

Many people are off work during this time to celebrate the new year.

However, many senior buyers who respond to your outreach, such as the directors, c-suite, VPs, and owners of this world, will not mess around.

If they're working at this time of year, fewer people ask for their time, and fewer fires demand their attention.

And they remember last year's pains they don't want to repeat.

Your job is to allow them the space to make a quick decision and the certainty that they are making the right one.

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What to Say

To take advantage of January 2025, you need to generate leads already; if this is a problem, reply "Leads," and I'll see how I can help.

Assuming you are generating leads already (inbound or outbound), start every call with the question (after any small talk):

It's a cheeky question that needs to be delivered as such, but it's powerful.

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Some buyers will say:

Happy days; you speed up the sales cycle by weeks or months. Now, find out why to confirm they have the right idea.

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Other buyers will say something like:

Happy days; you know where you stand and must run an entire sales cycle. Keep the urgency of January, and you might close this one faster than expected.

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And the worst answer is some derivative of:

Oh man… this answer is rough. It's neither yes nor no; it's hinting at "Yes," and you have to fight hard to avoid Happy Ears.

The only response to this answer is to push for a real answer. For example, ask the classic "What do you mean?" or be a bit more cheeky and ask a no-based question, "I assume that means you don't need to be convinced?"

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No matter what they say, this question will shorten your sales cycle. January is the perfect time to use it, as you're more likely to have motivated buyers on the other side of the meeting.

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What questions do you ask in early sales conversations to speed up the buying cycle?

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Until next week,
Scott Cowley

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