Sales
5 Common Sales Closing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Avoid common sales mistakes that stall deals. Learn how to close more effectively with these practical tips.
Avoid common sales mistakes that stall deals. Learn how to close more effectively with these practical tips.
You’ve done all the work—built trust, presented your solution, and had great conversations. But when it comes time to close the deal, something goes wrong. The prospect hesitates, stalls, or disappears altogether. What happened?
Sales closing mistakes are sneaky. Even experienced salespeople can fall into traps that quietly kill a deal. Miscommunication, bad timing, and a weak follow-up can make a solid prospect slip away.
The good news is that these mistakes can be avoided. Spotting them early allows you to stay ahead, build stronger connections, and confidently close more deals.
Most people focus on sales techniques—how to pitch, present, and persuade. But knowing what not to do is just as important.
Here’s why: Small mistakes add up. A slight misalignment in communication or timing can cause a deal to fall through.
Even great salespeople slip up. Common mistakes are easy to overlook, even when you know better. And fixing mistakes means more wins. If you spot these problems early, you’ll close more deals and waste less time.
Think of it as playing defense. If you block these mistakes before they happen, you’ll have a smoother, more successful closing process.
Everyone knows the obvious sales mistakes—like forgetting to follow up or failing to research the prospect. But some mistakes are trickier. They're the kind that sneak in, even when you think you've nailed the process.
The five mistakes below are particularly slippery. Even experienced salespeople fall into them. But once you know how to spot these pitfalls, you can avoid them and close deals more confidently.
The discovery call is the moment that sets the stage for the entire sales process. It will affect your rapport until close. Rushing through it or asking surface-level questions means missing critical information about your prospect’s needs and challenges.
Without that insight, it’s tough to position your solution in a way that truly connects.
Top performers' discovery calls are 76% longer, and they speak for about 45% of the call. Why does this work? Because prospects feel heard, understood, and trust that you're offering the right solution.
How to Avoid It
Treat every discovery call like it’s the close itself. Go beyond the basics. Ask about their current struggles, what success looks like for them, and what roadblocks they’re facing.
Also, address potential objections upfront by asking questions like, “When do you need this problem solved?” This creates urgency and moves the deal forward early.
After hearing their concerns, summarize them to the prospect: “It sounds like your biggest challenge is reducing operational costs within the next quarter—is that correct?” This shows you’re listening and sets the foundation for positioning your solution.
You should leave every discovery call with a clear understanding of the prospect’s pain points and how your solution fits their timeline.
It sounds simple, but it’s easy to overlook: if you don’t ask directly for the next step, you probably won’t get it.
Some sales reps soften their language out of fear of rejection, using vague or passive phrases like, “Maybe we can reconnect next week?” But vague language leads to vague outcomes.
Then, deals get stuck in limbo. 94% of salespeople give up after four calls, even though 80% of prospects say no four times before saying yes. That’s a lot of lost opportunities just from not being direct.
How to Avoid It
Instead of dancing around your ask, be clear and straightforward. Say, “Will you be signing and sending the proposal today?”
Then, embrace the "no." If they decline, ask why: “I understand if now isn’t the right time. Can I ask what’s holding you back?” This gives you a chance to address concerns instead of guessing.
It’s confident and straightforward and gives the prospect a clear path forward. If they say no, at least you know where you stand—and you can move on to the next step faster.
Identifying a problem isn’t enough to close a deal. If the prospect doesn’t feel an immediate need to solve it, they’ll push the decision to “someday”—which often turns into “never.” Without urgency, deals stall. Timing matters.
How to Avoid It
To avoid this mistake, tie the solution to a timeline. Ask direct questions like, “When do you need to see results?” or “What happens if this problem isn’t solved in the next quarter?”
This frames the conversation around action and timing, helping the prospect understand why moving now is better than later.
For example, instead of saying, “This will help improve efficiency,” explain, “Every month this issue isn’t addressed, you’re losing about $10,000 in potential revenue.”
To emphasize urgency, you can also share examples of companies that delayed decisions and faced more significant problems later. This adds weight to the need for urgency.
You’re not trying to pressure but to help prospects understand the risks of waiting—and the benefits of acting now.
You might think you're ready to close, but you're shooting in the dark if you don’t know how the prospect makes decisions. Some companies have complex approval processes. Others must meet specific criteria—like legal reviews or budget sign-offs—before moving forward.
Decision-making processes seem longer and more complex nowadays. Without understanding this process, you risk stalling the deal at the final hurdle.
How to Avoid It
Ask early and often about decision criteria. Be direct, and try to understand as much of the decision-making process as possible by clarifying questions. For example:
This helps you avoid delays and positions you as a proactive partner who respects their process. It also shows that you’re thinking ahead and respecting their process.
NINA is the person who seems engaged and enthusiastic but has no real influence over the decision. It’s easy to mistake their excitement for authority and spend time building rapport with someone who can't move the deal forward.
This is a common pitfall, especially since sales reps say identifying important decision-makers is more challenging now. But spending too long with a NINA wastes valuable time and energy.
How to Avoid It
You should identify a NINA early and use them strategically. Instead of trying to close them, use them to gather information.
Ask questions like, “What’s most important in your team’s decision-making process?” Then, use that insight to craft more personalized outreach to actual stakeholders.
If they mention that cost is a significant concern for leadership, your email to the decision-maker could say:
You could also ask them for introductions to the decision-maker. This way, you’re not dismissing the NINA but also making sure your efforts are focused on moving the deal forward.
Closing a deal isn’t just about saying the right thing at the right time. It’s about avoiding the small but dangerous mistakes that can quietly sabotage your progress.
Missteps like rushing through discovery calls, failing to ask directly for what you want, or misjudging who holds decision-making power can all stall or even end a deal.
But these mistakes are preventable. You should slow down, stay curious, and always focus on understanding the prospect’s needs and process. When you approach every deal with awareness and intention, closing becomes less about chance and more about strategy.
Want more insights to sharpen your sales and marketing skills? Check out Lunas' latest resources for actionable tips and strategies to help you close deals faster and build stronger connections with prospects.
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