Best Practices for Closing Deals in New Markets

After 7 years of navigating sales and leading teams in price-sensitive markets across Southeast Asia, I've broken down my experience into these 10 lessons: 1. Leverage real-world examples: When addressing prospects' questions, anchor your responses in actual experiences with other clients. This illustrates social proof without sounding boastful. 2. Showcase intimate understanding: While discussing your product, be tactical, not theoretical; see #1. Display an in-depth understanding of the problem and the client's workflow. 3. Demonstrate first, ask second: Highlight the efficacy of your solution without pushing clients into an immediate commitment. Consider giving consultations, hosting workshops, delivering event talks, or writing articles. 4. Engage, don't oversell on LinkedIn: Stay active on LinkedIn, but refrain from frequent direct selling. Instead, genuinely engage with prospects' content and assist them. Ideally, they shall approach you first. 5. Outbound sales done right: If reaching out, ensure you a) contact 3 to 4 individuals within target organizations, b) A/B test email content and subjects, and c) follow up 3 to 4 times. Rinse and repeat. 6. Emphasize social proof: Populate your digital channels with client testimonials. Create a prominent “Wall of Love” on your website to host all testimonials and case studies, then distribute these across emails, ads, website, social media, blogs, and onboarding materials. 7. Build a lot of social proof: Consider the following to gather more testimonials: a) Offer to draft them for your client, b) Provide services at a reduced/no cost initially, and c) Incentivize the sales team not just for closing deals but also for acquiring testimonials/case studies. 8. Experience on the ground matters: Invest time in your target markets. Begin pitches by sharing personal anecdotes and what you cherish about that particular country. 9. Optimize commission structures: Continually refine your commission structures. Experiment until you find the sweet spot where the team is incentivized optimally for maximum output. 10. Streamline your deck: All supplementary slides should be in an appendix, displayed only if required. The deck structure I like follows this: a) introduce you and your company b) the as-is state c) why existing solutions are not effective d) requirements for the new world e) your solution f) demo g) social proof h) next steps What have I missed?

When I was VP Sales, my AE and I once flew with one of our investors to Japan to meet a late-stage prospect. We ended up closing a $1M deal (7x our ACV). Here are 6 ways you can use your network as a sales superpower: BACKGROUND: We knew our investor was connected in this deal. In fact, she opened the door in the first place. But most sellers would stop there. We didn’t. Throughout our 6-month sales cycle, she helped us; - Learn about the company and people - Get important internal feedback - Strategize our process - Build ROI scenarios and business case Then she FLEW WITH US TO JAPAN to help build a relationship with their executive team. The level of understanding we were able to build about their business was a HUGE advantage. Our ACV was $150K, but because of the connection we had… We were able to close a $1M deal. Of course, this was a dream investor and connection. But you too can find similar connections in your network. You just have to ask. ——— Executives at your target accounts are connected to people in Your Network. Investors, Board, Customers, Partners, Advisors, and Leadership. Here are 6 powerful ways you can use these networks in your deals: 1. Introductions The most obvious option, but surprisingly few sellers leverage it. Make sure you do the research, and map both your network and the connections in your accounts. Then reach out with the ask to either get a first intro or multithread. 2. Research Recently, we had an advisory board member who used to advise a CRO we’re selling to. We didn’t get the intro from our advisor, but we understood EVERYTHING we could throughout the deal. Their priorities, personalities, politics, how they make decisions, what’s top of mind now, etc. 3. Execution Your network might know your prospect’s business or the industry better than you do. They might be able to build an ROI model better than you. It could be executive decks, written business cases, or proposals. 4. Relationship-building People buy from people. And this is especially true for Executives who make decisions on large projects. They want to know they have someone they can trust, who can deliver and would be there for them if things don’t work. Your network could be a facilitator in building that relationship. 5. Problem-solving Deals always go south. You can do the obvious things like chasing with emails and value, or have someone check in for you and give you the inside scoop. 6. Closing Negotiating (especially high-stakes transactions) can be much more powerful with someone helping mitigate issues. A strong network can send messages and solve problems based on familiarity with the person/org. you’re selling to. TAKEAWAY: The better you are, the more you don't try to close deals. You build a strong internal and external network. You rally the troops to support you. You create a multiplying force for every step. Don’t try to be the hero closer. Be an orchestrator. Use your network.

Last week, I did a fireside chat with 30 founders on how we closed our first $1M ARR. Here's the advice I wish someone had given me 2 years ago: The reality of early traction isn't glamorous. It’s brute force. We used hustle, plane tickets, and a lot of late nights. Here is the reality of what it takes to close your first few deals: 1/ Write your own outbound In the early days, I wrote cold emails from 9 AM to 9 PM. I'd dig through their website, screenshot specific parts, circle the problem, and write exactly how we'd fix it. When you automate too early, you numb yourself to the feedback loop. Writing the message and getting ignored forces you to think like the buyer. You feel the failure viscerally. That's how you get good. 2/ Sell the plane while you build it We closed our first customer with a demo running on my laptop at localhost:3000. We didn't have a full product yet, so we onboarded them into a "sandbox environment." If a feature was missing, we could say "oh, that's a limitation of the sandbox environment, give us a bit and we'll enable it for you." Then we’d crank out code for the next 3-4 hours, ship the feature, and deploy it to their account. It allowed us to sell the vision but deliver the code just-in-time. 3/ A fast "no" is a gift What you should actually fear is a "no" after 6 months of your time. If a prospect can't tell me their use case, volume, current solution, and specific pain points — I know it's going to be a no eventually. I'd rather find out today. On the flip side, learn to spot real signals. 10+ people in a shared Slack channel? Serious. Champion inviting their manager? No one spends political capital like that unless they mean it. Pushing back on pricing instead of just asking? Real intent. 4/ Deals don't close over Slack and Zoom. They close over cocktails and iMessage. I've taken more last-minute flights than I can count. Minnesota, Texas, India. We still have a 100% close rate on in-person meetings. Most people won't get on the plane. That's exactly why it works. 5/ Never step away from sales Every founder I've talked to who hired a sales team and then stepped away from sales has regretted it. You need to stay close to what customers and the market are saying, because it's always changing. What we do now: AEs manage the deal cycle and pull me into strategic moments (a 30-minute 1:1 here, a dinner there). The first 10-20 customers are a slog. But it compounds quickly, so just hang in there. Anything else I'm missing?

I recently closed a six-figure deal with an enterprise client. While most deals this size take 6-8 months, I closed this one in under 60 days. Here's exactly how I did it: When selling to an enterprise company, it's easy to get trapped in long deal cycles. To avoid this from always happening, here are the 4 steps I take to expedite my enterprise closing process: 1. Subject Matter Expertise Plays    Most sellers pitch products. We pitch proven expertise in their space. This shifted the entire conversation from "vendor" to "expert." • Pitched as an industry expert, not influencer • Showed proven processes from our team  • Focused on vertical expertise vs following Expertise beats influence every time. 2. Multi-Threading     Instead of focusing on one champion, I built relationships across the organization. Each stakeholder had different things that made this a win for them. • Built relationships with seven key stakeholders • Sent a recap email to each buying department so everyone knew what was going on • Had notes for each department's goals and why they wanted to win Throughout the deal, I always asked who would feel left out if they weren't involved. Every time I found a new person, I made it a point to meet them. That means more allies for the deal to sell internally. 3. Weekly Momentum Building    Most deals need more momentum. That's why I keep the energy high. • Sent weekly videos to keep my POC informed • Highlighted each stakeholder's priorities • Highlighted work we were doing along the way Momentum beats perfection. 4. Procurement Fast Track This is where deals typically go to die. Not today my friends. This is where the party starts. As soon as I get introduced to procurement, I ask for a quick 15-minute call so I can quickly text edits as my lawyer goes back and forth. • Asked for concerns up front • Built solutions into proposal • Asked what do you people typically redline when they approach you Being proactive beats being reactive every time. Because doing the little things well will always yield great results. P.S. Have a favorite step?

Closing isn't about what happens at the end of the deal. It's about everything you did from the very first call. Not just the pitch. Not just the rapport. The real advantage is turning every call into clean follow-up, CRM updates, and next steps. And you can't do that if half your time goes to admin, chasing notes, logging CRM entries, drafting follow-ups from memory. You need a system that carries the deal forward with you. Claap does that for me. The conversation becomes the system. Here's what I use: https://lnkd.in/dXaj8gtj The reps who win consistently are usually the ones with the best process after the call. They reverse engineer the deal from day one. Start at the signed contract. Work backwards to today. Then ask: "What needs to happen before X?" That one exercise changes everything. It forces you to think in milestones, not meetings. You don't lose deals because of bad discovery. You lose them because the insights stay scattered: → The buying committee is spread across calls, emails, and Slack threads → The real cost of the problem was said once and never used in your business case → The trigger event was there from call one but never made it into your deal plan No deadline = no deal. If there's no event on their calendar forcing a decision, budget cycle, board meeting, product launch, your deal will drift. The other mistake? Trying to solve everything. One problem. One pitch. If it fits on one slide, it gets remembered. If it takes 40 slides, it gets forgotten. And when you're up against a competitor, don't sell your strengths. Sell against their weakness. Find where their last vendor failed. Build your entire proposal around the gaps they left behind. Save this cheat sheet and use it on your next deal. Every box in this matrix depends on what was actually said on the call, not what you think was said. P.S. This is what I use to make sure nothing slips: https://lnkd.in/dXaj8gtj

Most people think the sales call is the 80/20 of closing clients. It isn't. What ACTUALLY goes into closing a client: 1. Build Trust via Content I grew my personal brand on social media to 100k followers. So before I ever contact a prospect, there’s some level of credibility. Pick one platform and post: ➡️ Your frameworks for success ➡️ Your experiences in the industry ➡️ Case studies from clients 2. Set Calls with The Right People No matter how good a salesman you are, you won’t close the deal if: ➡️ The person doesn’t match your ICP  ➡️ The person doesn’t have the financial means to buy ➡️ The person doesn’t currently feel pain So before you get on a call, qualify them. I do this in a pre-call survey. 3. Identify their pain points on a call I used to think selling was about convincing people to buy. Then, I learned the Gap Selling method: ➡️ Learn about their pain points ➡️ Learn where they want to go ➡️ Position your service as the roadmap That’s how you sell. Your service is just the antidote to their problems. 4. Proposal Tailored to Pain Points The proposal is just the written roadmap to their dream outcome. Here’s how I build proposals that make "yes" a no-brainer: ➡️ Start with the dream outcome ➡️ Write out each obstacle in the way  ➡️ Offer the solution to each obstacle ➡️ Add a price for that solution It’s really that simple. 5. Follow up until you close Most people send a proposal… and wait. Instead think of these 3 factors: ➡️ Action: Offer a next step ➡️ Speed: Follow up the next day ➡️ Frequency: Follow up at least 4xs Speed is vitally important. I try to send proposals within hours of the call. The longer you wait, the less likely they are to close. I hope that helps. P.S. This is the exact sales process I use today, and it helped me scale my most recent agency to $1,000,000/month in just 8 months. I teach this exact sales system in Copyblogger Academy. Hit the link in my bio to learn more.

Our close rate jumped from 15% to 30% after we implemented these four plays on every deal: I call them the "4 Keys to Unlock a Deal". Nothing fancy. Just a repeatable system that helped our reps stop hoping for a close and start engineering one. (Remember, hope is not a strategy) Here’s the 4 Keys playbook: 1. Find a Champion If no one inside the company is going to fight for your deal, it’s already dead. The Champion isn’t just your point of contact, they’re your partner in getting the deal done. - They coach you through the buying process - They advocate when you're not in the room - They want the solution and the win 2. Create a Closing Plan Write down every step between now and the go-live date. Who needs to be involved? When will legal get looped in? What does success look like 30 days after signing? Don’t guess, build it with your Champion. The best reps email this plan back to the customer before the meeting ends. 3. Set a Next Step Never leave a meeting without a follow-up on the calendar. No next step = no deal. Your job is to guide the buying process. If your Champion says “let me circle back internally,” you just lost control. 4. Introduce a Compelling Event This is not a made-up deadline. It’s a date tied to a business outcome. Example: “If we want your team live by July 1, we’ll need the contract signed by May 15.” Even better if you have an economic incentive tied to that signature date. "We are excited about this partnership and we want to invest my waiving $2,500 off your implementation fees. The only thing we ask is that you execute our agreement by May 15 like we discussed." You’re not forcing urgency. you’re aligning on what success looks like and backing into it. These 4 moves aren’t revolutionary, they are common sense. And your close rate will increase when you use them on every deal. Consistency wins deals. Don’t rely on charisma. Don’t rely on luck. Run the 4 Keys.

During my time at Qwilr, I’ve seen THOUSANDS of proposals. Here are 4 proposal plays that the best sellers use to close deals: #1 Lead With Problems Start your proposal by articulating your prospects' problems, ideally in their own words. Using quotes from relevant stakeholders within their organisation will grab your buyers’ attention and show you understand their problems. This immediately demonstrates that this isn’t just a generic pitch – you actually understand them and are focused on their specific issues. Doing this also puts decision-makers in somewhat of a tricky situation. They must either… 1. Disregard the opinions of their team as incorrect 2. Acknowledge they’re facing a problem, but decide not to look for a solution 3. Look for a solution (which you are providing in the rest of your proposal) Most (good) leaders will opt for the latter and will read on to better understand your offering. #2 It's Easy to Digest You MUST ensure your proposal is clear, straightforward and easy to understand. Remember, the folks who will be reviewing your proposal are incredibly busy and don’t have time to decipher endless information, searching for what is relevant for them. If your offer is easy to understand, it’s easier to say yes to. Avoid dense walls of text, and use images, graphics and interactive elements to simplify complex ideas. Always steer away from jargon. While it might showcase a level of expertise, you have to keep in mind that it’s likely a number of people will review your proposal. You need to make sure that EVERYONE will buy in. #3 Make It Relevant Buyers want to know that you’ve helped organisations that look like them, or the type of organisation that they aspire to be. Making sure that your proposal speaks to your buyers’ industry, needs, challenges and objectives will increase the likelihood of engagement Build your case by including concrete data and case studies that resonate with your client’s situation. CAUTION: It can be tempting to litter your proposal with logos and quotations from your “biggest” clients. You should not (always) do this! Instead, focus on featuring logos of similar companies or aspirational peers, not just massive brands. Remember, just because a company is “big” to you, that doesn’t mean your client will care. They want to know you can help THEM! #4 Keep Next Steps Simple It’s essential that you break down your proposal into clear, actionable steps – giving your client a roadmap on how to proceed and what will happen when they sign. You should also educate your champion on how to position the proposal to the buying committee, arming them to sell internally. Meet with them and go through your proposal, asking what needs to be removed and added (for other stakeholders) and how they plan to share it more widely. Want to send proposals that impress buyers and close deals? Try Qwilr for free at https://getqwilr.com

I've been analyzing sales patterns in some of the European markets, and want to share some of my findings: 📍 Nordics -> Decision-making is consensus-driven and thorough. Don't expect quick wins - multiple stakeholders need alignment, requiring patience and persistence. -> Nordic salespeople act as trusted advisors, not product pushers. Lead with expertise and a consultative approach, not pressure. -> Buyers prefer regional partners or vendors with local presence, language capability, and references from nearby clients 📍 DACH -> Skip the small talk - they prefer to get straight to business. Come to every meeting fully prepared with complete, concise data. -> Expect structured sales processes with measurable KPIs. Negotiations are formal and detail-oriented, and decision-making is slow due to hierarchical structures. -> Don't underestimate language: many traditional industries and companies don't operate in English. 📍 Eastern Europe -> Business culture is formal and hierarchical. Use titles and professional designations - senior leaders make decisions, and deference to authority is expected. -> Relationship-building comes first. Don't rush into the pitch. -> Face-to-face communication is king. Video calls work, but in-person meetings seal deals. -> Language matters significantly - many professionals don't speak English 📍 Southern Europe -> Personal relationships are the foundation of business. -> Communication is expressive and emotional, with face-to-face contact valued above all. -> Trust must be earned before deals close. Expect to invest time getting to know your partners. -> Strong local pride means favoring homegrown businesses. Social proof beats case studies - who vouches for you matters more than what you claim. Which European market has surprised you most in your sales journey? Drop your story below - I'd love to learn from your experience👇

The client who ghosted me for 1.5 years, ended up being one of my biggest accounts! Sometimes, closing a deal isn’t about having the best product or the most competitive pricing. It’s about patience, persistence, and truly understanding the client’s needs. Let me share a story about a client I onboarded after nearly 1.5 years—and the lessons I learned along the way. When I first approached this client, they seemed interested. But after a few discussions, they stopped responding—no emails, no calls, nothing. For months, it felt like I was being ghosted. Here’s what I did differently to close the deal: 1️⃣ Listened to what they actually wanted. In B2B, maintaining relationships and actually listening to the customer is very important. I was trying to sell the product which we already had in our portfolio, and they wanted a customised solution. 2️⃣ Customized Solutions – Worked closely with the team to create a tailored approach that addressed the client’s unique challenges. 3️⃣Face-to-Face Connections – Traveled to Bangalore to meet them in person, attended exhibitions, and arranged coffee meetings to establish trust and demonstrate commitment. 4️⃣Transparency – Acknowledged and corrected a mistake in a document openly, which strengthened the relationship and earned respect. 5️⃣Responsiveness – Ensured every query or concern was addressed within 24 hours, showing clients they were a priority. In the end, persistence paid off. What started as months of silence turned into a long-term partnership.