The ultimate goal as someone working in sales and pre-sales is to win more deals, more quickly, but how can you do that? Read the article below to find out.
With 15 years of experience in the Business Applications space, 12 of those dedicated to Sales and Pres-Sales, James Harmer, Seer 365’s Partner Engagement Director, has had the privilege of working alongside some outstanding Sales Leaders. Along the way, James has picked up several invaluable lessons that have shaped his approach to selling.
Below, James discusses his four top tips for improving your sales approach, to help you win more deals and build lasting customer relationships.
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Tip #1 – Pursue the Right Opportunities: Should I Stay or Should I go?
As a partner selling Microsoft Dynamics 365, winning deals is the ultimate goal, but walking away from some of them, sometimes, is just as crucial. The secret? Effective qualification. Early in the sales process, assess whether a prospect’s needs align with your solution. If they don’t, think twice before you pursue the opportunity. This saves time and resources – not just for you but also for your prospect.
Early qualification involves asking insightful questions that help you determine whether to move forward or step back from an opportunity. By focusing on well-matched prospects, you maximise your chances of success, minimise wasted effort, and ensure the customer experience remains positive – even if the deal isn’t pursued.
This laser focus on the types deals you go after benefits everyone: your team, your potential client, and your bottom line. Prioritise qualifying opportunities quickly and thoroughly to pave the way for better outcomes – determining whether it’s a good project to pursue or if it’s one to walk away from is key.
Tip #2 - Transparency: Be the Trusted Advisor
As the face of your organisation, the initial impression you make with a prospective customer sets the tone for the entire relationship. Customers may like you, but they also need to trust and respect you. That respect is earned through your professionalism, integrity, and transparency – even if it means challenging a customer’s assumptions, no matter how uncomfortable that may be.
Being a trusted advisor means:
- Actively listening to understand a prospect’s business, goals, and concerns.
- Communicating in clear, jargon-free language tailored to their understanding.
- Demonstrating empathy and patience, especially when prospects are unfamiliar with the buying process.
Transparency fosters trust. When you openly share insights, document requirements, and highlight fits and gaps, you’re building a collaborative, honest partnership. This ensures the customer feels confident they’ve made the right choice, not because you sold them on your solution, but because it genuinely aligns with their business needs.
The result? A customer who sees your team as a trusted ally, not just a vendor.
Tip #3 - Respect your Customers Time: Speed Matters
Timeliness and strong organisation skills speak volumes about your professionalism and reliability. Whether it’s delivering proposals on time or arriving fully prepared for meetings, every interaction reinforces (or undermines) trust.
Today’s customers don’t want to wait weeks and weeks for an estimate or proposal. Once they’ve shared their requirements, the clock starts ticking. Responding promptly—without sacrificing on the quality of the proposal—shows you value their time, and you are committed to their success.
Speed isn’t just about efficiency during the sales cycle. It reassures prospects that when it’s time to implement their project, the same discipline and punctuality will carry through to delivery. Fast, professional responses keep prospects engaged and reduce the likelihood of them seeking answers from your competitors.
Tip #4 - Create a successful Pitch: Pitch to Win
Your pitch is where all your hard work converges, so preparation is non-negotiable. Before stepping into the room (or onto a video call), ensure you deeply understand your audience: their roles, challenges, and goals.
A successful pitch doesn’t just showcase features, it addresses pain points and demonstrates tangible benefits. Focus on the following:
- Revisit the challenges identified during discovery to align the room on priorities.
- Present processes and modules that reflect their day-to-day operations.
- Highlight how your solution saves time, enhances efficiency, and improves user experiences.
Every attendee should leave with a clear answer to: “Will this software address our Business Challanges? Will this software help with my day-to-day activities?” Hopefully, a “Yes”. Your job is to make the system feel intuitive, comprehensive, and tailored to the customer, not overwhelming or clunky.
Differentiate yourself by showcasing your deep industry knowledge and the unique value your solution brings. By emphasising benefits over features, you ensure the prospect sees your solution as the best fit for their needs.
How GYDE365 Can Help you Win More Deals
At Seer 365, we’ve developed tools to transform the Dynamics 365 sales process. Our solutions, GYDE365-Qualify and GYDE365-Discover, make it easier than ever to qualify leads, gather requirements, and build compelling proposals.
- GYDE365-Qualify enables partners to quickly assess sales opportunities, providing a ballpark project estimate and high-level Dynamics 365 compatibility to a prospective customer in just minutes.
- GYDE365-Discover streamlines requirements gathering through an online application, auto-generating detailed documentation that includes system requirements, fit/gap analysis of Dynamics 365 out-of-the-box, licensing needs, costs, and timeframes, all in record time. It can completely replace the need for face-to-face discovery sessions, reduce the need for so many sessions, or supplement face-to-face discovery sessions.
With GYDE365, what once could take months can now be completed in as little as a week, empowering partners to deliver quality proposals with speed, transparency, and value.
Discover how GYDE365 can transform your sales process. Book a demo: www.seer365.com/demo
Written by James Harmer
James Harmer has been a Partner Engagement Director at Seer 365 for the last four years, where he helps partners maximise their investment in GYDE365. Prior to that, he forged a successful career in ERP sales, so he understands first-hand the challenges partners face. With experience spanning support, consultancy, sales, and pre-sales, James is passionate about driving success for both Dynamics 365 partners and their customers.