Are you finding it difficult to fill your calendar with high-quality meetings? You’re not alone. Many sales professionals struggle with how to close for a meeting, and it often comes down to one surprising factor—the way we label our sales stages.
Yes, setting clear goals is crucial in sales. We focus heavily on tracking our progress through defined sales stages, which helps keep us accountable. But here’s where the problem begins:
One of the most common early sales stages is simply called “Meeting.” And because we’re trained to hit our goals, we work relentlessly to book meetings—sometimes before the timing is right. This can lead to premature closes, disengaged prospects, and meetings that don’t move the deal forward.
A Simple Fix: Change the First Sales Stage
If you want to close for a meeting more successfully, try renaming your first sales stage to “Positive Response” instead of “Meeting.”
Why? Because the first goal of outreach shouldn’t be to secure a meeting—it should be to spark engagement. If we push for a meeting too early, we risk forcing prospects into conversations they aren’t ready for.
By shifting the goal to simply receiving a positive response, you create a smoother path toward an actual, productive meeting.
How This Change Improves Your Close Rate
- It aligns with natural buyer psychology. People don’t like being forced into commitments too soon. Getting a small “yes” first builds momentum.
- It makes prospecting feel less pushy. Instead of asking for a time slot right away, you’re gauging interest and establishing trust.
- It sets up a stronger, more qualified meeting. Once a prospect has responded positively, it becomes much easier to close for a meeting at the right time.
Try This on Your Next Outreach
Instead of pushing for a meeting right away, shift your mindset. Focus on getting a positive response first—then closing for a meeting will feel like the next natural step rather than a forced ask.
A simple tweak, but one that can transform your sales pipeline.
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