You have no problem convincing prospects to schedule strategy calls with you. And yet your client acquisition rates are dismal. Why do these potential deals keep stalling in your pipeline?
At Seven Figure Agency, we’ve developed an effective strategy to keep prospects moving and close the sale. If you want to scale your marketing agency, continually expanding your client base is key. Learn why deals often stall in the pipeline, along with strategies to move them through the funnel.
Understanding Why Deals Are Stalling in Your Pipeline
Convincing prospects to schedule a strategy call is extremely valuable. It gives you the chance to build a relationship and show exactly how your agency can help them achieve their goals. But without the right approach, it can backfire and convince business owners they don’t need your services.
One of the biggest reasons deals stall in the pipeline is because you fail to recognize the problem potential clients need solved. The strategy call lets you talk through the client’s unique goals and challenges instead of pitching your services. If you don’t address the client’s pain points, your services will be far less attractive and valuable.
The other major reason deals stall is unclear decision timelines. When prospects feel they have an indeterminate amount of time to decide on your services, they may put the decision on the back burner or plan to revisit it when their circumstances change. Failing to build urgency around the sale is what keeps dozens of deals stuck in the pipeline and going nowhere.
How To Keep Prospects Moving and Close the Sale
If you are tired of dead deals in your pipeline, structuring your sales call more strategically can help you overcome this issue in most cases. Here’s how Seven Figure Agency founder Josh Nelson approaches agency sales calls to prevent them from stalling and close more deals.
Understand the Prospect’s Situation and Goals
Tailor every sales call to the business owner on the other end of the line. If you don’t already have this information from their contact form, ask them directly what urgent problem they actively want to solve.
Business owners aren’t looking for marketing services in general; they’re looking for solutions to their most pressing challenges. By understanding the problem early on, you can shape the rest of the sales call around identifying and explaining the solution.
Agree on a Decision Timeline During the First Call
Many stalled sales deals happen when prospects delay the decision-making process. This is why it’s important to agree on a timeline during the call.
Start by confirming that the solution you presented addresses their problem. If not, you can go back to the drawing board and describe a more actionable approach.
Once you’ve confirmed your solution meets the prospect’s needs, ask them to commit to a decision within two weeks. This creates a firm deadline that encourages the prospect to keep thinking it through instead of pushing it to the wayside.
Use a Structured Follow-Up Sequence
Over the next two weeks, schedule periodic follow-ups to remind prospects of the upcoming deadline. Send an email with the information discussed during the call, then send one or two additional emails. Avoid bombarding them or seeming desperate; instead, frame these communications as gentle reminders.
Send a Closing Message After Two Weeks
One of the most important follow-up strategies is sticking to your decision deadline. If the prospect hasn’t become a client within two weeks, send a closing message at the end of the timeline. Politely acknowledge that they may have chosen another direction or that the timing may not be right, but leave the door open for future contact.
This final message serves two purposes. First, it can prompt interested but undecided prospects to move forward. Feeling like they are “out of time” may be the final nudge they need to opt in.
But it also helps you stop treating inactive leads as genuine sales opportunities. Closing the door removes these leads from your sales pipeline and keeps you from investing extra time or effort in them.
Join Seven Figure Agency for More Deal Momentum Strategies
Understanding what keeps deals stalling in your pipeline is the first step to fixing this all-too-common issue. With the strategies above, our objection-handling guide, and mentorship from successful agency owners, you can set your agency up for success.
Join Seven Figure Agency for more strategies and coaching to take your agency to the next level. Request your free custom growth plan today.
