The past two years have been hectic and volatile in the B2B world. Sales cycles have lengthened, buying committees have expanded, and budget approvals now require sign-off from higher-level executives. In the past, I worked primarily with middle managers to move deals forward—today, I’m in direct contact with the C-suite.
As we approached the end of 2024, while many people were winding down for the holidays, I spotted an opportunity to create a win-win scenario for my customers. I offered them a compelling renewal deal in advance, allowing them to secure their contracts early. Sounds ideal, right?
Well, reality was more challenging. Several factors made this approach tricky:
More stakeholders were involved in the decision-making process.
Sales professionals naturally aim to improve their deals and negotiate pricing.
A strict deadline—these offers were only valid until the end of 2024, and many decision-makers were heading off for the holidays.
Despite these hurdles, I managed to sign 90% of my quarter’s renewals, securing $1M and hitting my number before the quarter even started. Here are the best practices that made it happen—strategies that I believe drive long-term success in sales.
1. Be Proactive—Reach Out When It Serves Your Customer
Let’s be honest—vendors and sales reps (like me) aren’t always the most popular people in the room. Why? Because we’re often seen as just trying to push a sale. But here’s the thing: no one likes to feel sold to, yet everyone enjoys buying.
The key is to reach out with something valuable for the customer, not just to discuss pricing. Whether it’s tips on maximizing product usage or a heads-up about upcoming features, proactive outreach builds trust. When customers see you as a helpful resource rather than just another salesperson, they’re more likely to engage with you over the long term.
2. Deadlines Drive Action
Goals and KPIs are great, but without deadlines, they’re just wishful thinking. When you present a compelling offer with a firm deadline, it shifts the conversation. Suddenly, there’s urgency, and decision-makers become more receptive.
With year-end deadlines and holiday closures looming, my customers understood the time sensitivity and worked with me to finalize deals quickly. I highly recommend never making an open-ended offer. If expiration dates work for milk and cheese, they work for sales too.
3. Lay All Your Cards on the Table
In B2B sales, an initial offer usually marks the beginning of a long negotiation process. But what if you could speed things up?
I’ve found that when you have a strong relationship with your decision-makers, you can bypass unnecessary back-and-forth. Last quarter, I led with transparency—I put my best offer on the table upfront, explaining that due to the strict deadline, we didn’t have time for prolonged negotiations.
The result? Minimal pushback. Customers don’t want to risk losing a great deal by holding out for something slightly better. For example, one of my customers wanted to maintain the same budget as their previous contract. By reaching out early with a compelling offer, setting a firm deadline, and being upfront about the terms, we closed a $100,000 renewal three months in advance, within just 48 hours.
My Two Cents Moving Forward
Sales success depends on many factors, some of which we can’t control. But one thing we can control is how we build relationships with our customers.
From my experience, when you invest time in strengthening these relationships, commercial discussions become more of a collaboration and less of a tense negotiation.
Going the extra mile for your customers today will pay off when you need to secure revenue and grow your business tomorrow.
So, be proactive, set clear deadlines, and keep the conversation open and honest. Your future self will thank you.
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