Ever feel like your deals are dragging?

They’re not lost, but they’re not moving, either. You may have had solid conversations and all of their questions seemed answered. They must be interested, you think.

But, the days drag on and you don’t hear back from them when they said they would.

→ So what’s missing?

It might be urgency.

But, we’re not talking about artificial deadlines or “limited-time offers.”

We’re talking about real urgency that comes from getting clarity.

→ Because your buyers may not know how to buy.

As much as they might need this, they get busy or distracted or overwhelmed. If you don’t create urgency, your buyers likely won’t either.

Here’s where I see most folks unintentionally kill urgency:

❌ They get “happy ears” because the prospect said they were interested so they stop digging into the problem.

❌ They offer to “check in next week” instead of setting a clear next step.

❌ They wait passively for the buyer to get ready and end up waiting a loooong time.

In these situations you’re always passively waiting on the buyer.

You think it’s all on them. But, that’s only half the truth.

Maybe the buyer isn’t ready and never will be. Maybe they are not committed to solving this problem. That’s okay, that will happen.

But, by leading them proactively, you expose who is ready and who isn’t.

If you work together with the prospect to uncover the importance of this project (or not) it helps set a clear direction, one way or another.

Buyers will not move quickly unless they understand the cost of standing still.

You have to help them attach real weight to the pain they’re feeling.

→ Here’s what you can ask:

“What has this issue cost your team over the last 3-6 months?”

“If this doesn’t get solved, what’s at risk by the end of the quarter?”

We want these questions to open dialogue. This helps you start diagnosing the problem so they can quantify the cost. It makes them feel like weight of it more.

If they don’t, why do they need your product right now?

🎯 Outcome Goal: Make the problem feel expensive or risky enough that they prioritize solving it.

Don’t wait until later to ask, “When are you hoping to start?” You’re not coming off as pushy or trying to “close them” quicker, you need to know that so you can give them better insight on how to think about solving the problem.

So, flip it to the first call and ask it better.

You can approach it in a couple way…

→ “In a perfect world, when would you ideally like this solved?”

→ “How soon are you needing to get started on this?”

→ “Is there an internal deadline or line in the sand driving when you have to start?”

Whatever path you choose, it should lead in 1 of 2 directions.

Path 1: They give you more specifics.

If so, then you can coach them on how to hit those goals with something like:

→ “If we want to hit that date, we’d likely need to sign off by [insert date] so we have time to [insert task]. Does that feel realistic?”

Path 2: They don’t have a defined timeline

If so, then you can pry deeper into why?

→ “If there isn’t a specific target goal, how are you prioritizing this over other projects?”

→ “How will you know when it’s time to make a decision on direction?”

🎯 Outcome Goal: Create an agreed upon shared timeline. It removes vagueness from the sales process.

When a buyer says “Let me think about it this week” a common response is to not push back. So, “Okay, sounds good.” becomes the go-to response.

Thanks not acceptable. Let’s change that.

Try framing it this way:

→ “Just so I understand, what are you hoping to evaluate or think through this week that’ll help you move forward?”

Or

→ “Do you have all the information you need to make a decision, one way or another, or are there any lingering concerns important we should discuss?”

*No matter what happens, you must set a check-in call on the back-end of their “thinking”. If not, one week turns into two and you’ve lost control of the deal.

🎯 Outcome Goal: You’re not pressuring, you’re getting clarity on what’s really going on.

Urgency is a clarifying tactic, not a closing one.

And it’s your job to help your buyers get there.

You don’t do that by sending more follow-up emails or “just checking in” messages. You do it by guiding the conversation with confidence.

Ask better questions. Surface the real problems. Make the next step obvious.

And above all, you must lead.

Your buyer doesn’t need more time, they need to cut through the indecision and lack of clarity.

You are the capable guide that can help them do that.

Look at one deal in your pipeline that’s “on the fence.”

Ask yourself:

“Have I helped them see the real cost of not solving this?”

“Have we talked about timelines?”

“Do I know what’s holding them back?”

Then, send a message or book a call to close the gap. Try your best to be empathetic and keep it simple.

“Hey ______, is [problem] something you are still prioritizing to solve this quarter or have dates shifted? Either way is fine and making sure we were aligned on timing.”

You can’t push them to make a decision but you can be a helpful guide along the way.