The best buyer-centric approach to shorten your sales cycle

Sales professionals are constantly seeking ways to shorten sales cycles whilst maintaining strong relationships with prospects. During a recent webinar 'Ask Me Anything' hosted by Trumpet, our CEO Rory was joined by sales expert Sam McKenna, CEO of samsales Consulting, to discuss how to shorten sales cycles with a buyer-centric approach - a conversation full of practical, no-fluff or jargon just great advice for salespeople.

Watch the full video below:

Here are our key takeaways:

Why sales cycles are getting longer

Firstly, let's address why sales cycles are getting longer. The length of sales cycles has become a pressing concern for revenue leaders across industries. Sam McKenna pinpointed the core issue:

“So many of our deals are getting lost in decision, right? So people are making decision, they’re staying status quo. They don’t know what to do, they don’t wanna be the person that’s gonna be on the hook for making the wrong decision.”

Buyers face overwhelming amounts of information from multiple vendors, making it difficult to make confident purchasing decisions.

Focus on buyer challenges

One of the most common mistakes sales professionals make is leading with product features rather than addressing buyer challenges. McKenna emphasised:

“Listen back to your own recordings. Are we telling them what we do, and how we can do all these things for them? Or are we really thinking about their challenges? Are we digging into what their issues are? Business pain, why it matters, why there’s urgency? Who this matters to?”

This shift in approach can dramatically change the conversation and accelerate the buying process.

Consultative selling

Taking a consultative approach positions you as a trusted adviser rather than just another vendor. Sam explains:

“What we find that most of our buyers are struggling with right now is that they have six vendors that are all telling them the exact same thing of what they do. So now they’re slammed with an unbelievable amount of information and they’re having to try to figure out how to resolve it themselves.”

By becoming the consultant who helps buyers navigate their options, you stand out from the competition and shorten the sales cycle.

Proactive objection handling

A key strategy for accelerating deals is anticipating and addressing objections before they arise:

“Consider that you are selling to a human being first and foremost, but you want to make sure that there’s something that compels them to take a meeting with you. Think about what the objection is going to be… I have to get around that and if I can get him to go, you know, kind of that confused, sideways dog face, which is hopefully what I’m getting all of our buyers to do, he is probably gonna reply and say tell me more.”

Always be multi-threading from day one

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Traditional approaches to multi-threading often start too late in the sales process. Don’t wait to loop in stakeholders. The earlier you start multi-threading – that is, building relationships with multiple contacts within an account – the smoother your deal will go. It builds wider buy-in, uncovers useful internal context, and protects you from ghosting if one contact goes quiet.

Sam recommends a different strategy:

“If you can multithread from call one to call two to call three, you’re doing your job… The ultimate goal for that first call should be two things you can say: The challenge the buyer has is this, and this is why it matters. And the second thing is I’ve been able to multithread.”

Engaging multiple stakeholders early creates more pathways to success and reduces the risk of deals stalling.

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The “Show-me-you-know-me” strategy

The ‘show-me-you-know-me’ approach is more than a gimmick. It’s about creating outreach that makes buyers feel seen. Do your research, personalise your message, and be specific. It works particularly well with senior decision-makers, who are used to being hit with copy-paste messages.Perhaps McKenna’s most powerful insight was her “Show-Me-You-Know-Me” approach to outreach:

“Make sure that subject line is compelling enough to open, do your research. Second thing I’d say is in the email, you need to cut to the chase of specifically how you can solve a challenge for that buyer.”

By demonstrating that you’ve done your homework and understand your prospect’s specific situation, you build credibility from the first interaction.

Engaging the C-suite can feel intimidating – but it doesn’t need to be. Sam’s advices - remember, they’re people too. Focus on bringing value to their specific challenges, and don’t be discouraged if it takes a few tries. Personalised value always beats volume.

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Using LinkedIn

LinkedIn came up again and again as a powerful tool for engagement. Sam recommends using it not just to connect, but to observe. Engage with your prospect’s posts, comment thoughtfully, and use their activity as fuel for your messaging. Subtle touches often lead to real-world responses.

Pre-empt objections

One of the smartest things a seller can do? Address objections before they’re raised. If you know what blockers might come up, speak to them early in your communication. This builds trust and gives your buyer confidence that you ‘get it’.

Final thoughts

Just because a deal is in motion doesn’t mean the work is done. Consistent, value-led nurturing keeps the momentum going. Share useful content, relevant updates, or insights that help your buyer internally sell your solution. Stay helpful, not pushy. Continuous nurturing during the sales process - even as deals progress, maintaining momentum is crucial:

“One uncommon thing, that we see that misses is that we don’t continue to nurture and educate during the sales cycle. The person says, we’re gonna present, we’re going to this buying committee… And we say, sounds great. And then we wait and hold our breath and hope for the best.”

Instead, McKenna recommends consistent education without asking for anything in return, which keeps your solution top of mind without applying pressure.

By implementing these buyer-centric strategies, sales professionals can significantly shorten their sales cycles whilst building stronger relationships with prospects. The approach shifts from selling to enabling buyers, making it easier for them to confidently make purchasing decisions.