Many customers want to move quickly on their deals; they don't need to be prodded. However, a large number of the leads you receive - and even the approved applicants you have - will drag their feet. They may be shopping other options, waiting for a contract to come through, gathering the lease deposit funds, discussing options with their partners or spouse, or otherwise moving slowly or not at all. In these cases, the psychology of momentum is an effective approach to closing more deals.

For salespeople handling slow-moving transactions, the goal is to build momentum toward the sale, not to get a definitive yes or no from the customer. Focusing on completing the next immediate step in the process creates the scenario in which psychology becomes a sales advantage. If the customer has made an inquiry, the goal is to get the application. If the customer has been approved, the goal is to agree on terms. If terms have been agreed upon, the goal is to get the lease documents signed and returned.

This approach results in several benefits. First, it gets customers mentally engaged in their deals. They become subconsciously committed to completing the process by checking off the next item on the list, even if they aren't ready to pick up the equipment yet. Second, when it comes time to finish the process (read: close the sale), you have a minimum number of tasks to complete. Third, working on completing individual steps creates opportunities for you to interact with the prospect. Finally, a step-by-step approach allows you to weed out leads with low propensities to become sales, because if you can't get the customer to take a small step, you'll be hard-pressed to get them to complete the whole deal.

An advanced level of the step-by-step approach is to start small and then move on to more difficult tasks. Fortunately, the inherent process of completing a lease is well suited to this approach. Don't put pressure on the applicant to deliver all the needed items immediately. Focus only on the first few small steps: choosing an asset and sending a credit application. Once that is done, come to an agreement on terms. Then, get lease documents to the applicant. So far there is no binding commitment and no money has been exchanged, meaning these are relatively "small" steps in the process. Now take it up a notch and get the lease documents signed and returned to you. Still no money has changed hands, and the customer knows they are not committed to the deal without funds. Use phrases like "let's get this step out of the way so we can move quickly when you are ready." Avoid giving the impression that you are asking for a final decision or commitment.

Building momentum toward the conclusion of the sale will help you close more deals by getting the customer engaged in the process and removing future obstacles to completing the deal.