Sales and marketing programs have traditionally used the concept of a funnel to visualize the sales cycle. The wide top symbolizes the endless number of unqualified prospects who gradually thin out along the way, ending with the actual buyers (and ideally, repeat buyers) at the bottom of the funnel.

Everything in between represents the steps in the conversion process, from qualifying leads to educating buyers to closing the sale. If you can shorten the sales cycle, your salespeople can quickly move on to converting other prospects. With a more effective process, you gain a clear line of sight to making your sales numbers.

What are you doing to optimize your sales cycle?

There are workable methods you can use to shorten the sales cycle and improve conversion rates. By applying the Whole Brain Thinking method, which reveals how to approach people based on their dominant quadrant, your employees can pick up cues that help focus their presentations and lead customers to a buying decision.

Incorporate Whole Brain Thinking in your sales training and watch your employees convert more leads to meet and surpass your sales numbers.

1. Studies from Gleanster Research indicate that only 50 percent of qualified leads are ready to buy, so the sooner you find that one out of two, the sooner you can begin nurturing them. Identify a prospect's criteria and you can determine where they are in the buying process.
   
   
2. Does your sales training teach that selling is about solutions to a problem? People will also take action on things that help them meet their goals. Discovering a customer's positive motivators allows you to create a sense of urgency propelling him to purchase.
   
   
3. If you sell to enterprise-level companies, there's a good chance that more than one person is involved in buying decisions, which means multiple quadrants can come into play. A cookie-cutter presentation runs the risk of failing to engage all parties, but you can avoid that pitfall by using elements that appeal to each quadrant.
   
   
4. How do your employees react when a prospective customer hits a stall in their buying decision? Do they take it as a sign to back off? A stall simply means the buyer still doesn't have enough information to tip the scales. Be sure the conversation addresses how your product or service will help the prospect attain their goals, making adjustments as needed.

Lead conversion is the lifeblood of your business and the key to making your numbers. When your employees have the tools to shorten the sales cycle, they'll be better equipped to pursue more prospects, sustaining a momentum that carries them to success.