Why Better Closing Techniques Won't Fix Your Sales (And What Actually Will)

Have you seen or heard a good salesperson struggle to close deals even when they do everything right?

A manufacturing CEO recently approached me with this exact problem. His sales team had received extensive training. They followed up consistently. Their demos were polished. Their pipeline was full of seemingly qualified prospects.

Yet deals kept stalling. Win rates were abysmal. I suggested the problem was messaging the strategy rather than their closing techniques. He looked at me like I'd suggested the earth was flat.

"We've spent years perfecting our messaging," he insisted. "We know exactly what makes us different."

Three months later, after using the method I’ll explain, their close rate jumped by 27%. Also, their average sales cycle got shorter by 17 days.

The shocking truth? Their messaging strategy was actively pushing prospects away despite having superior products.

Let me show you why this happens and how to fix it.

The Commodity Trap: How "Unique" Messaging Makes You Sound Like Everyone Else

I analyzed this company's sales talks. I found something important that impacts 85% of B2B companies. They think their messaging is unique, but they actually sound like their competitors.

Their salespeople opened calls by:

• Talking about their company history

• Listing unique features and capabilities

• Claiming superior outcomes

• Emphasizing their "different approach"

Sound familiar? It should. This is exactly what every one of your competitors is doing.

The counterintuitive truth is surprising. The more you try to be unique, the more you sound like everyone else. And, your salespeople default to pitching.

I once made this same mistake when leading sales for a security company. We had superior technology. Our messaging began by highlighting all the ways we were "different" and "better." Prospects would nod politely, then vanish. Only when I accidentally discovered a different approach did our results change dramatically.

The problem isn't your closing techniques. It's that your messaging triggers buyer skepticism from the first moment.

"Most businesses try to stand out by claiming to be unique. The irony? This approach makes them sound identical to competitors."

The Patterns That Kill Credibility (And How to Spot Them)

Your prospective customers hear sales pitches constantly. They've developed a finely-tuned radar for typical sales approach. They tune out the moment they detect them.

Here are the three messaging patterns that instantly destroy credibility:

1. The Differentiation Claim When you say, "What makes us different is..." buyers mentally translate this to "Here comes another empty claim." Gartner found that 88% of buyers can't tell the difference between vendor messages.

2. The Feature Dump. Listing your great abilities without knowing what the buyer wants is awful. It is like throwing darts while blindfolded. You might hit something important, but usually, you just make noise.

3. The Premature Solution Explaining how your solution works before fully establishing why the prospect should care creates the "that's nice, but..." response.

I saw these patterns with a distribution client. Their salespeople were great at the technical side, but they had trouble closing deals. Their approach tried to show prospects they were unique. But buyers had already decided they were just like competitors.

What to do instead: Begin by acknowledging market realities. When I coached the manufacturing client's team to start conversations with "Like other providers in this space, we..." before highlighting what actually mattered, prospect engagement immediately improved.

"The first company to acknowledge market reality instead of fighting it instantly becomes more credible than competitors."

The Sifter Approach: Messaging That Attracts Ideal Customers (And Repels Poor Fits)

The solution isn't better closing techniques or more persuasive language. It's a messaging style that changes how prospects see you from the start.

Here's the simple framework that transformed results for my clients:

1. Acknowledge Sameness Start by explicitly acknowledging what you have in common with competitors. This instantly differentiates you as honest and credible.

   Want to know what makes prospects trust you immediately?

   An industrial supplier I worked with was struggling with price pressure. When they began by saying, "98% of what we do is the same as our competitors. Can we talk about the 2%? Their honesty surprised the prospects. This created immediate credibility for what came next.

   List 2-3 ways you are similar to your competitors. Then, make sure to mention these similarities right away in your messaging.

2. Focus on Problems, Not Features. Focus on the specific problems you solve best. Skip highlighting unique features.

   Most companies sell solutions to problems their customers don't care about solving.

   A technology client was convinced their proprietary algorithm was their key differentiator. We found that clients picked them for different reasons when we looked at their best deals. They liked their implementation approach and ongoing support. Refocusing their messaging on these elements increased qualified leads by 40%.

   Talk to your five best customers. Ask them, "What problem did we solve for you that others didn't?"" Use their language, not yours.

3. Qualify Out Non-Ideal Prospects. The most powerful messaging doesn't try to appeal to everyone. It deliberately repels poor-fit prospects.

   The fastest way to grow sales is to discourage certain prospects from buying.

   When my manufacturing client started explicitly saying, "We're not the right fit for companies that prioritize lowest price. If lifecycle costs matter, maybe we should talk." They switch to value. Something magical happened. Price-sensitive shoppers disappeared from their pipeline, and ideal customers started self-identifying.

   Define who should NOT buy from you, and incorporate this into your messaging.

This approach fundamentally changes the dynamic with prospects. You don't play the "we're unique" game like others. Instead, you change the game completely.

Implementation: Turning Theory Into Practice

Knowledge without implementation is just entertainment. Here's how to put these principles into practice immediately:

1. Audit Your Current Messaging. Track your sales team's calls or presentations. Note how often they claim to be unique or different. The number will shock you.

2. Create Your Sifter Message. Develop a clear, concise message that:

   • Acknowledges industry realities

   • Names specific problems you solve exceptionally well

   • Identifies who shouldn't work with you

3. Test, Measure, Refine Start using this approach and track results. When my clients implement this correctly, they typically see:

   • 25-40% increase in close rates

   • 15-30% reduction in sales cycle length

   • 10-20% improvement in margins

   • Significant reduction in wasted time with poor-fit prospects

The manufacturing CEO I mentioned earlier was initially skeptical. "This feels like we're admitting we're not special," he told me. Three months later with improved results, he said "I never realized how much our 'uniqueness' messaging was hurting us."

"Success in sales isn't about being seen as different. It's about being seen as relevant."

Conclusion: Beyond Closing Techniques

The next time your sales team struggles to close deals despite, resist the urge to blame closing techniques or skills. Instead, examine your messaging strategy.

Remember:

• Claiming uniqueness paradoxically makes you sound like everyone else

• Acknowledging market realities builds instant credibility

• Focusing on specific problems beats listing features

• Qualifying out poor fits attracts ideal customers

The greatest irony in modern B2B sales is that truly standing out requires stopping the desperate attempt to prove how different you are.

Your prospects don't need another vendor claiming uniqueness. They need a partner who understands their reality and delivers value that matters to them.

Ready to Transform Your Sales Messaging?

If you're tired of deals stalling despite having superior products or services, let's talk. I provide a free strategy session. This no-pitch meeting will help you find the messaging issues that are slowing your sales growth.

Contact me here to schedule your session. Or, respond to this email.

Remember: Your sales problems might not be what you think they are. And sometimes, the solution is hiding in plain sight.