InfiniteGranite

Senior Enterprise AE

Executive

Contributor

Fire Starter

Any better way to agree 'next steps'?

Sales Legends,

I feel like I'm constantly chasing prospects that are in process to agree/align/confirm 'next steps'.

Naturally, this is part of the role and having agreed upon and actionable next steps is something we all seek (and in fact, we are measured on at my place of work).

Does anyone have any advice of how to phrase this better when speaking to prospects? I feel like I'm constantly asking 'what our next steps are' and I'm wondering if there's a better way to ask that question that makes it seem less like they're just another deal in a process. Anyone else feel this way or am I overthinking it???

Cheers!

🔎 Prospecting

📊 Metrics

💽 CRM

26 comments

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CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

I tell them I will send the meeting recap after the call. The email is one sentence, their company with one or two bullet points, my company with 4 bullet points, then a closing sentence saying the Outlook appointment invite for the follow up meeting is being sent after the email.

My next meeting is always accepted.

bandabanda

Tycoon

Senior AE Mid Market

Curious does it again. Are your recap emails that short even if it's a longer call? (multiple stakeholders, might have been an hour long).

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

Yup. I only recap actionable items. No filler.

bandabanda

Tycoon

Senior AE Mid Market

Get that fluff outa here.

1nbatopshotfan

Politicker

Sales

This is really good advice (of course you don’t need validation from me, you’re a legend), every step is defined end every action leading to a close.

Notmyrealname

Politicker

Know what the next steps typically are for each stage of your buying process. Then you can suggest how and when to act next. I've seen it so many times on calls with AEs where they just leave it up to the prospect and the deal flatlines because the prospect doesn't know how to buy.

braintank

Politicker

Enterprise Account Executive

Good advice! I like to say: "typically our next step is xyz". Then just go on mute.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Yes! You often have to tell customers what's next/typical/etc and take them down a process.

I've built out SOE documents before and walked through them with the customer to get buy in on the steps as well as the timeline. Give them a chance to agree to each one and modify if needed, which means you're creating a mutual plan. It doesn't have to be complicated, but you can get steps outlined with timing and expectations if you do it this way.

DungeonsNDemos

Big Shot

Rolling 20's all day

Love this <3. Failing to plan is a plan to fail.

braintank

Politicker

Enterprise Account Executive

There's nothing naughty about next steps. That's how business works. Don't be ashamed to ask about it.

As @Notmyrealname said, you can try suggesting the ideal next step and seeing if they agree.

Otherwise I typically say: what would you suggest we do next?

If you're having as issue getting people to agree, I'd focus on qualification and discovery more than phrasing.

poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

☕️

“How do you typically move forward when you’re evaluating a new tool like this?”

If they don’t know or have non preference then they are likely not the right person. In any case, you can suggest what comes next as Sir @braintank has suggested.

TennisandSales

Politicker

Head Of Sales

yep. this is for sure it.

I typically go for the
"most groups like your at this stage would like to do X. Does that sound good to you? Or is there a different next step you think would make more sense?"

bandabanda

Tycoon

Senior AE Mid Market

Exactly. I sell to SMB to take this with a grain of salt depending on your situation. I share what typical next steps are (ie. making it explicit what the buying process is like).

Then I ask: "What next steps, if any, would you like to take from here?"

Also, up-front contracts are your friend. I tell them what the agenda for the meeting is. Then I use an upfront contract and say "Given there are no hanging questions or concerns at the end of our meeting, would you be comfortable setting next steps then?"

I don't use this all the time but sometimes it helps.

TreTime

Catalyst

Account Executive

Great suggestions from the WR on this one already. I'd need to know more about your current process to give better suggestions.

Most products/solutions have a "buyer's journey" that they should be placed in the moment they show legitimate interest. Once they do show that interest, you should be upfront about what your typical buyer's journey is.

If they don't know how to buy your product they never will. Setting those typical steps early gives you opportunity to map out the appropriate timeline. It also lets you establish - who needs to be involved in this sort of purchase at the Org. and when.

At the end of every meeting and call, you should restate what your next step is in your process, get them to agree to it, then set up the action that takes them there. ie. Next step is demonstration - action step: Set the meeting for the demonstration with who needs to be involved.

antiASKHOLE

Tycoon

Bravado's Resident Asshole

I learned a simple phrase that has helped me gain clarity and alignment. I simply say "So we have a clear future..... fill in the blank on next steps" People always want to have clarity whether they are the buyer or the seller, unless they are the type of people who just like to create chaos and watch the world burn.. then you are screwed.

Try it out! It has helped me in so many appts/deals.

DungeonsNDemos

Big Shot

Rolling 20's all day

Do you use Mutual Action Plans?

If not, this allows you to phrase the conversation around "based on what you told me (goals/timeline/priorities/process), let's make sure we can align with your process. Generally when we work with companies/decision makers such as yourself, we leverage a mutual action plan to ensure what needs to happen, happens."

This is why DISCOVERY IS HUGE. You need anchor points of WHY they should/want to make a change and how, and by when.

techsales

Politicker

Enterprise Account Executive

I was going to suggest this as well. You frame it as the "typical way companies like XX procure our product is in these steps: 1, 2, 3"

Then you outline what those steps are and get the prospect's commitment. I got in the habit of every 2 weeks sending a breakdown in a table that lists what each next step is, the responsible party (specifically naming people at the prospect company and people at my company), and then the target completion dates for each. I then color code them as red, yellow, green depending on whether we are on track or not. I never did this in SMB or MidMarket sales but have implemented it as part of my process for enterprise sales and it hasn't been met with much resistance.

If you do a good enough job in discovery, you get the buy in on the MAP, and then you can hold the prospect accountable to it.

JustGonnaSendIt

Politicker

Burn Towns, Get Money

The best way I've found to shepherd the customer into next steps is to build a joint vision.

Usually, this starts with how you frame the agenda for the meeting. For a discovery call, I'd frame it like this:

- Introductions
- Understand your goals
- Educate you about the types of problem we solve
- Determine best next steps

This is even better in person with a whiteboard in the room. You can literally draw the joint vision with the customer.

ALWAYS reserve time at the end of a meeting for next steps. Don't wait for the follow-up to establish what happens next.

Be prepared to recommend next steps based on the content of the meeting. Game this out with your team ahead of the meeting and determine your ideal next step, and what other possible next steps could be based on what you learn.

Even if that next step is the dreaded "we'll go discuss internally" or "we'll send you some information" - Time box that. When will the discussion happen? When can we regroup to understand your feedback?

Of course things happen and people don't follow thru. But by discussing it openly during the meeting as a main agenda item, this helps build momentum in the deal and build confidence with the customer that you can help them walk the path.

FormerStartupJobHopper

Tycoon

I wonder the same thing. I typically take two approaches when people push back, and use their responses to gage disqualifiaction/de-prioritization. If they resist the initial ask of a follow up call

"I'm lucky enough in my role that it is difficult for me to find time to follow up with people who I don't have specific calls booked with. Can we book a short Zoom call and adjust the day and time if need be?"

If they refuse or push back

"Happy to do things on your timeline. What I always feel the need to ask just so that I'm not bothering people who don't want to hear from me, are you relucant to book a call because you think for pricing reasons or otherwise that this may not be a fit?"

A good chunk of the time this will either DQ people or get them on the rails. Some people that are annoying but still qualified I will chase though.

Tres

Politicker

Account Executive

Set expectations at the beginning and then use this as an excuse to meet those expectations or ask if they have changed

Pachacuti

Politicker

They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy

You shouldn't be asking about next steps - you should be dictating them.
"Ok Mr Prospect, to summarize things I will be providing X,Y,Z and you will send me A,B,C and we'll meet up again next Wednesday at 3pm..." Something like that. It should be natural from the conversation.

MTW

Opinionated

Sales Director

Don’t leave the next meeting without next steps. Message it as “seems like you have next steps in mind?” Almost always works.

If it’s a there’s 6 of us, we need to chat. Set up a touch point with the main person 2 or so weeks out to confirm progress

AnchorPoint

Politicker

Business Coach

You should never end a conversation without a clear "next step". Selling 101

The_Sales_Badger

Notorious Answer

Account Executive

At the end of each call, I present a standard "Process Timeline" - This is a spreadsheet that you create based on the steps within your sales process. Now - this is far more effective if your prospect has given you a timeline for when the project needs to be implemented (not sold).

Step - Meeting Type - Action Items - Attendees - Date

i.e.
1 - Introductory Meeting - Forward project details - 4/2
2 - Demo - Watch Recording with CEO - IT; Marketing - 4/5
3 Partner
4 Cost Evaluation
5 Purchase
6 Project implemented - Follow-Up Cadence; CEO - 7.5

I show this spreadsheet at the end of my first meeting with the first line already filled out with the date - During the meeting; if they have given me the timeline for implementation, I input that in the row of the spreadsheet.

Then I say, "Now based on how you make purchasing decisions, this is a look into our path to project completion. Typically, our next step is a Demo. For us to meet your timeline comfortably, we should schedule this ASAP. Do you have access to your calendar?

Through this, you can tell I continue to gauge their interest by putting firm dates, and deadlines on the project. If their not ready to schedule that meeting, or agree to that timeline - that is not a qualified prospect. Or if it is, they probably don't have much skin in the game.

I look at next steps as the thermometer for a qualified deal. The more skin your customer has in the game, the more likely they are to stay accountable and committed to your timeline.

If they seem hesitant to move forward, ask them why. "I can't help but feel like there's something holding us back from moving forward. What's going on?" or "XXX, how do you feel comfortable moving forward? " let them explain - "I see. Maybe I need to take a step back; based on our convo - it seemed like setting the next steps would be a natural fit; what else is stopping us?"

Or something like that that - the Badger is a lil Buzzed.

Diablo

Politicker

Sr. AE

I ask them about the next steps and try to book a 10 mins follow up meeting right set and set some topics about the conversation we will have.

SVP Sales & Partnerships, Owner.com

Lots of great feedback here so I won't repeat what's already been shared and instead share a slightly different opinion.

If you dig deeper for the root cause of why Next Steps are unclear, not agreed to or not followed/actioned, we usually see that the buyer isn't really that engaged. We're often trained to basically shove a Next Step down the buyers throat and those are often 'agreed to' with a fake yes. Your prospect had no intention of doing the homework or showing up to the next call but said yes in order to end the call without having an uncomfortable conversation (telling you no).

That's why I encourage reps to offer an 'offramp' to their prospects in order to identify who's really engaged and who's not. Josh Braun/Chris Voss refer to this as 'calling out the uglies,' which I like. By offering the prospect an opportunity to say no, you can understand their lack of interest and resolve. Once you've done that, they'll be much more likely to agree to a Next Step and actually honour it.

I talked about this on the Hey! Salespeople Podcast here if you want to hear more: https://salesloft.com/resources/podcast/radical-transparency-between-sellers-and-prospects-with-kyle-norton/

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