If I only had more opportunities, I would close more business.

Don’t lose sight of the value you find during the process.

It’s a common refrain for many salespeople: “I’m a great closer”—if I can just get in front of a client, I can close. I only need more opportunities. This myth is centered on the concept that business development is simply a numbers game. Don’t sacrifice quality for quantity.

The Reality: Closing more business is about doing the work to answer a prospective client’s questions before the close.

When a business developer focuses all their time on “closing,” they lose sight of the value gained in each step of the process—for example, gleaning a key insight that will ultimately impact their offering. They also add an extra helping of pressure to convert to a conversation that would otherwise be easy: Now the heat is on to make something—possibly the wrong solution—happen to close that deal.

B2B sales are about relationship building, right? What we often miss out on when we rush to the close is the time it takes to build that relationship. That’s what I mean by quality. If you work through a systematic process to get to know one another, often you will discover opportunities to reframe the prospect’s problem, resulting in a more extensive project or higher valuation for your services. This would never happen with a one-two punch of open, then close.

These relationships are two-way streets; each party is vetting the other. Does this prospect meet our ideal? Will this be the type of partner I or my team will want to work for long term? Do they value what we have to offer as an expert, not simply a vendor? If the business development team works through each step, much of the pressure in the close is released. By the time you and a client are seated at the table, you’ve established mutual respect and the potential for a partnership with clearly outlined benefits. The close is simply reserved for a restatement of why you are a great fit.

Stop trying to get in front of EVERY prospect, and instead take a seat next to them and have a conversation.