No doubt, you put valuable time and resources into prospecting and pitching. But does your win rate fall short? Or do you feel customers continually slow-play deals? Get out of neutral – leverage these tips to consistently secure orders quicker.

1. Pre-Qualify Prospects
Before cold-calling, take the time to find out about prospects to make sure they’re a good fit for you. Research the company, their target audience, the tone of their marketing and any events coming up. Pursuing those who are a good fit for your services will lead to more sales and quick closes, and helps you avoid pitching to those who can’t or won’t buy in the end.

2. Find the Decision-Maker
Don’t spend precious time delivering your best pitch to someone who doesn’t have the clout to buy. Work on securing an audience with the actual decision-maker, and then present your value and what you can do for them.

3. Make the Advantages Clear
Buyers will be less likely to move forward on the transaction if they’re not sure what’s being sold will benefit them. Clearly state your value propositions starting with the first pitch, and they’ll have fewer objections to be countered down the line in the process.

4. Answer All Objections
Don’t let objections go unanswered or gloss over them. It only takes one question that the buyer feels wasn’t answered satisfactorily to stop the sale in its tracks. Make sure you respond immediately, and ask the buyer as you move toward close if there are any you haven’t yet answered.

5. Ask for a Yes
After you’ve delivered a strong pitch, you can’t get all wishy-washy and forget the punchline. If you want to close deals quickly, you need to ask prospects and customers if they’re ready to do business then and there. If you don’t ask for the sale, you might not get it. And if you leave a meeting without striking a deal, your odds of clinching an order get longer.

6. Keep the Buyer Close
If the buyer requests time to think about their next move after you’ve made your pitch, be respectful of their decision-making process and give them room to breathe. But don’t allow more than five days to go by before following up to make sure the sale is still on track. Wait too long and you risk losing them.

7. Show Appreciation
After the sale is successfully closed, take the buyer out to lunch in appreciation. You’ll find that the sales pressure has been reduced and you’ll have a chance to discuss their long-term organizational goals, which means reorders and faster closes down the line.