Momentum, Not Time, Kills Deals: How to Keep Your B2B Sales Moving Forward

It's often said that "time kills deals," but in reality, it's not time itself that's the enemy. A lack of momentum is what causes deals to stall and ultimately fall apart. For leaders in sales, especially in complex B2B environments, keeping the buying process moving forward is critical to success.

Buying enterprise-level software is no small feat. It involves substantial investment, cross-functional decision-making, and often, months of deliberation. Without clear urgency and consistent engagement throughout the process, deals lose steam. This blog will analyze why maintaining momentum in sales is essential and explore actionable strategies for CROs, VPs of Sales, and Sales Directors to ensure deals close faster and with higher win rates.

Why Losing Momentum Kills Deals

Complex B2B transactions, such as purchasing software for an enterprise, often have lengthy sales cycles. But the challenge isn't the length of the cycle itself; it's the dead time between buyer and seller interactions that kills deals.

When momentum slows, so does buyer excitement, internal alignment among the buying committee weakens, and other priorities overshadow your product. According to research, 60% of stalled deals are caused by no decision being made rather than choosing a competitor. This is why forward progress must remain a top priority.

If 90% of your buyer's decision-making happens only on sales calls, you're not engaging enough. With no ongoing urgency and minimal touchpoints, the purchase becomes a secondary concern, and your deal risks going dark.

Momentum is more than just having regular meetings. It's about maintaining a consistent pace of valuable action throughout the buying process to keep all stakeholders engaged and aligned. Without momentum, even the most promising opportunities can fade into obscurity.

The Challenges of Buying B2B Software

Enterprise buyers face numerous hurdles when evaluating and committing to complex solutions. It's not as simple as clicking "add to cart" and checking out.

Here are some of the major challenges they deal with:

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Decisions often involve multiple stakeholders with diverse priorities, including the CEO, CRO, VP of Sales, and sometimes IT and Legal.

• Financial Impact: Large investments require clear business justification, ROI analysis, and often board approval.

• Risk Management: Buyers need confidence that your product won't disrupt existing processes or fail to deliver the expected impact.

• Time Constraints: Decision-makers, especially executives, are juggling numerous other priorities. If you're not maintaining their attention, someone else will.

Given these challenges, stagnation in the sales process is detrimental. It reinforces buyer hesitancy and creates more opportunities for objections or competition to creep in.

The Key to Closing Deals Faster? Keep Up the Pace.

Momentum is built and maintained when every stage of the buyer's journey feels intentional, engaging, and time-sensitive. Here's the secret to driving momentum effectively in a complex B2B environment:

1. Engage Your Champion Regularly

Your internal champion is your strongest ally within the buyer's organization. They're the advocate who pushes for your solution, helps you understand internal dynamics, and builds consensus across stakeholders.

To maintain momentum, aim for 2-3 touchpoints per week with your champion. These touchpoints can include:

• Quick follow-up calls to discuss specific next steps.

• Shared collateral, such as case studies or ROI calculators, to support internal discussions.

• Email check-ins highlighting progress and next actions.

Regular communication keeps your champion informed and motivated to drive the deal forward.

2. Don't Neglect the Buying Committee

Most enterprise purchases involve a committee of decision-makers, including executives, IT, finance, and sometimes end-users. Waiting for a final meeting with all stakeholders can delay the process indefinitely.

Instead, ensure at least one touchpoint per week with key members of the committee. For example:

• Host individual calls tailored to their specific concerns (e.g., a technical deep-dive for the CTO or budget implications for the CFO).

• Share updates that demonstrate progress (e.g., a roadmap or timeline for implementation).

• Provide personalized resources that speak to their objections or priorities.

By multi-threading your approach, you ensure no stakeholder feels disconnected or disengaged.

3. Create Urgency with Actionable Next Steps

Momentum doesn't happen on its own. Each meeting or email should end with clear, actionable next steps. Vague "check-ins" do little to move the deal forward. Instead:

• Propose deadlines for specific actions, such as scheduling demos or calls with other team members.

• Use time-sensitive offers, like discounts or added benefits, to create urgency.

• Align on key milestones, such as delivering business cases or gathering final approvals.

Actionable steps create a structure for your deal and reinforce a sense of progress within the buying process.

4. Provide Ongoing Value Throughout

Momentum isn't about being pushy. It's about delivering consistent value that reinforces why your solution is the best fit. Keep your buyer engaged by:

• Sending personalized insights, such as data specific to their industry or pain points.

• Sharing success stories or testimonials from companies like theirs.

• Offering tools like ROI calculators, implementation guides, and comparison reports to assist their decision-making.

When buyers feel they're receiving value at every step, they're more likely to stay focused on the opportunity.

5. Track and Measure Momentum

To ensure deals don't lose momentum, leverage sales tools like CRM platforms and AI sales solutions to track buyer engagement. For example:

• Use email tracking tools to monitor how frequently resources are opened or reviewed.

• Track call frequency and stakeholder activity to identify potential drop-offs.

• Take advantage of sales intelligence platforms to assess deal health and predict whether your deal is trending toward closure or slipping into the dark.

Data-driven insights not only help you identify risks but also create opportunities to course correct in real time.

Why Momentum Improves Win Rates and Shortens Sales Cycles

Maintaining momentum isn't just about keeping deals alive; it directly impacts key sales metrics, including win rates and sales cycles.

• Improved Win Rates: Deals that maintain steady engagement are far more likely to close. When buyers are consistently reminded of the value you provide and have clear, actionable next steps, it's easier for them to make decisions.

• Shortened Sales Cycles: Momentum minimizes downtime between touchpoints, accelerating the path to decision-making. By streamlining processes and reducing bottlenecks, you can shorten your sales cycle significantly.

For sales leaders, this means more revenue in less time and greater scalability across the entire sales team.