More than ever, it’s important for sellers to create urgency in sales. Meanwhile, sales processes have typically always been longer than salespeople preferred. But now, buyers, and their practices are shifting.

Why is it important to create urgency in sales?

“Lately it seems as though more variables keep adding to the delay,” explains an article by Integrity Solutions. “Customers’ buying processes have slowed. Deal complexity has grown. Stakeholder groups that have the ultimate say in the decision have become larger, with a broader range of expectations and requirements.”

The longer a buyer is indecisive, the longer you are stuck trying to make the sale, taking up time and effort.

Push the sale forward without being pushy

There’s a fine line that sellers must walk when trying to move a sale forward. 30% of buyers say that a rep who pushes them to make a decision before they are ready is a “deal-breaker.”

So how can you create urgency in sales without irritating or pushing the prospect?

Keep on asking

Ask more questions. A lot of questions. While question-asking has (hopefully) been a part of the entire process to this point, you need to adjust them for this stage. Obviously, you haven’t yet convinced them to make the purchase. It’s time to find out why.

“Maybe you haven’t understood their needs completely or didn’t demonstrate how your product or service will fill those needs,” they write. “Maybe there are underlying concerns about internal politics or other hidden issues creating hesitation.”

They recommend focusing on questions that deal directly with any objections or concerns they’ve expressed. You should also make sure you haven’t overlooked any pain points that need to be addressed.

If you’re facing an objection, here are some tips for effective countering. Again, questions will be useful to get to the root of the objection(s). As SalesFuel suggests, “Ask open-ended questions that encourage the buyer to go a bit deeper. You can also use questions to guide buyers who may have trouble articulating their real concerns.”

Uncover the cost of waiting

Another non-pushy way to create urgency in sales is to show just how costly it is to procrastinate. Have you heard of the prospect’s theory? This strategy relies on human psychology: People are more motivated by avoiding losses than seeking gains.

“Salespeople can use this theory to create sales urgency by framing their product or service as a loss prevention tool,” explains the experts at Spinify. Do this by asking questions that cast a light on the money they could lose or the challenges that could multiply without your solution.

Spinify suggests questions like:

What will happen if you don’t buy our product?
How will not taking action affect your business?
What happens if you don’t act now?
What are the long-term effects of not solving this problem?

Listening is just as important as asking

As mentioned, sellers must come across as genuine and empathetic–not pushy–when trying to create urgency in sales. So, when the prospect responds to this next round of questions, listen. Use active listening skills so the buyer knows you hear them; here are some tips to make sure you’re doing it effectively.

As Integrity Solution points out, “Trying to force urgency in the sales process can backfire, leading buyers to do the exact opposite and stop responding — because remember, your priorities are not theirs.”

So leverage questions to demonstrate why your solution is the best choice for the buyer. Evolve what you ask for in this stage of the process, making sure that every concern is accounted for and they realize how much they stand to lose by waiting.

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