As a sales professional, one of the biggest challenges you face is getting your prospects to take action now, rather than putting off a decision. Closing deals often comes down to creating a sense of urgency – the feeling that the prospect needs to make a move today, or risk missing out on a valuable opportunity.
In this in-depth guide, we’ll explore three proven techniques you can use to inject urgency into your sales process and accelerate deal closure. Whether you’re dealing with prospects who know exactly what they want, those who are aware of a problem but unsure of the solution, or those who don’t even realize they have an issue that needs solving, these strategies will help you guide them towards a timely purchasing decision.
The Importance of “Why Now?”
The key to creating urgency lies in answering the question, “Why should the prospect take action right now?” As Michael Humblet, founder of Chaomatic.com and School of Sales, explains, this is the fundamental challenge you must solve in order to drive prospects towards a sale: “The ultimate thing you’ve got to solve is the ‘why now?’ – why should they do it now? And the only way to create urgency is not by you putting pressure. Typically in B2C, that would be ‘I’m going to give you a discount, it’s the end of the quarter, are you going to…?’ But that only works for emotional buyers who can decide in the moment. If you don’t have that, and you’re in a hierarchical environment where you have many layers in B2B, you’ve got to do something else.” In other words, simply applying pressure or offering short-term incentives isn’t enough, especially when dealing with complex B2B sales. To truly create a sense of urgency, you need to tap into deeper psychological drivers that compel the prospect to act now. That’s where these three techniques come into play.Technique #1: Solution Selling
The first approach is what Humblet refers to as “solution selling.” This is the strategy to use when you’re dealing with a prospect who already knows exactly what they want – the solution to their problem. In this scenario, your job is to make the prospect feel insecure about the solution they think they need. You do this by explaining that there may be a better way to address their issue, one that they haven’t considered. By positioning yourself as the expert who can provide a superior solution, you become the trusted advisor the prospect turns to. As Humblet explains: “If they’re really sure about the solution, is to make them insecure by explaining that the problem that you think, or better the solution that you think they need, is not the right one. There is another way to do it by making them insecure – you’ll actually become the expert, you’ll become the thought leader.” The key here is to avoid directly contradicting the prospect’s existing beliefs. Instead, gently guide them towards reconsidering their assumptions, while demonstrating your own expertise and the advantages of your solution. This could involve:- Sharing case studies or testimonials that highlight how your approach delivers better results than the prospect’s preferred solution
- Outlining new industry trends or developments that render the prospect’s current thinking outdated
- Proposing a creative, innovative way to solve their problem that they hadn’t considered
Technique #2: Consultative Selling
The second technique Humblet describes is the “consultative” approach. This is for when you’re dealing with a prospect who knows they have a problem, but is unsure of the best way to solve it. In this scenario, your role is to guide the prospect towards a solution, rather than trying to force them into a decision. You do this by taking a more collaborative, advisory stance – becoming a trusted partner who helps them navigate their challenges. As Humblet explains: “If somebody is insecure, so the opposite comes to you and says ‘we don’t really know what the solution is, there is something wrong there’ – you need to make them secure. You need to actually give them a guide and say, ‘Look, the problem you think you have is not the real one. Let me explain how easy it is to solve it with our framework, with our product, whatever.'” The key here is to avoid overwhelming the prospect with too much information or pressure. Instead, take the time to deeply understand their challenges, then methodically guide them towards your solution as the best fit. This could involve:- Conducting a thorough needs analysis to uncover the prospect’s true pain points
- Educating them on industry best practices and emerging trends that could impact their business
- Presenting your solution as a simple, straightforward way to address their specific challenges
- Providing a clear, step-by-step roadmap for implementation and success
Technique #3: Provocative Selling
The final technique Humblet describes is “provocative selling.” This is the approach to use when you’re dealing with a prospect who has no idea they even have a problem that needs solving. In this scenario, your job is to essentially create a problem for the prospect – to make them aware of an issue they didn’t even know existed, and convince them that it’s something they need to address immediately. As Humblet explains: “If you come to somebody and he has no problem at all, he has no clue what you do, then you do something called provocative selling. Then you need to explain that there is a problem that’s not going to go away, it’s only going to become worse, and it’s actually coming after them.” The key here is to strike the right balance – you want to create a sense of urgency, but not to the point where you’re inducing panic or overwhelming the prospect. It’s about planting the seed of a problem, then guiding them towards your solution as the best way to address it. This could involve:- Sharing industry data or news stories that highlight emerging trends or competitive threats the prospect may not be aware of
- Conducting a diagnostic assessment that uncovers hidden issues or inefficiencies in the prospect’s business
- Presenting a compelling vision of the prospect’s future if they don’t take action to address the problem you’ve identified
Integrating the Techniques
While each of these three techniques has its own distinct approach, they can also be combined and integrated to create a comprehensive sales strategy. As Humblet notes, most modern sales methodologies can be mapped back to these core principles: “Basically, most sales methodologies you can find today – if you focus around that, you can create an internal tension with the person you’re talking with, and that creates a sense of urgency.” For example, you might start with a provocative approach to make the prospect aware of a problem they didn’t know they had. Once they acknowledge the issue, you can then transition into a consultative selling mode, guiding them towards a solution. If the prospect seems set on a particular approach, you can then employ solution selling tactics to make them question their assumptions and consider your offering instead. By seamlessly moving between these different techniques, you create a multi-layered sense of urgency that compels the prospect to take action. They feel the pressure of the problem you’ve identified, the security of your guidance, and the insecurity around their existing solution – all of which culminates in a timely purchasing decision.Putting it into Practice
Of course, successfully implementing these techniques requires a deep understanding of your prospects, their challenges, and the competitive landscape. It’s about striking the right balance between creating urgency and building trust, all while demonstrating your expertise as a solutions provider. To help you get started, here are some additional resources from Michael Humblet and the team at Chaomatic.com and School of Sales:- Subscribe to Michael Humblet’s YouTube channel for more sales strategy videos and insights
- Check out Chaomatic.com for sales consulting, training, and revenue growth services
- Explore School of Sales for online sales education and certification programs
- Connect with Michael on LinkedIn for one-on-one advice and support
