How much time it takes you to close a deal? From the time you approach a lead to having them signed the agreement? Sales cycle differs whether you sell B2B, B2C, etc., the industry, the ticket size, the type of service, and some other factors.
One thing however is true regardless of the different factors that affect it. It takes time. It is just crazy how many people out there just believe that miraculously the deal will be secured and finished in a short time. Believe me, it can take a good year or even two in some cases to have a deal signed.
Even in the small ticket business or in B2C many believe it can be a matter of weeks rather than months. This is not true! The actual sales cycle may be much smaller but we forget that sales might have started even before one reaches the customer. Marketing and brand awareness play a significant role here to nurture the lead even before you approach them.
There are ways to reduce the sales cycle but this requires that you understand the buying process of the client and know how you can advance the sales opportunity by dealing with the right people in the right time. There are also the usual sales tricks you can use to make the client understand it is for their benefit to start using your product sooner. You can also sweeten the deal for early closures. These are nice tricks. However, sometimes it is inevitable that you need to stay patient and follow the process.
Being successful is not about closing this one deal that troubles you. Success is when you have built a nice pipeline of deals that allows you to have the luxury of having some opportunities falling behind in time.
Happy selling!