Clear next steps are the single biggest lever within a salesperson’s control that can impact deal progression.

Next steps convert a conversation into a specific action plan. 

A salesperson must not only think of a call as an opportunity to build a relationship and share valuable information, but also must treat every call as an opportunity to co-create and earn a buyer’s agreement on an action that moves the sale forward. A vague sense of continuation is not good enough. That allows deals to stall or get delayed because buyers have day to day priorities.

In order to co-create next steps with your buyer, first, set expectations early. An upfront contract, spoken at the start of the call, gets explicit agreement that you will decide together on either a tangible next step or a clean stop. 

Next, always be sure to anchor next steps in your buyer’s reality. Using a qualification framework like MEDDPICC can help a salesperson remember that understanding the buyer’s decision criteria and paperwork process is paramount to making next steps reflect how decisions actually happen.

Finally, like great goals, good next steps are action plans that are are specific, measurable and time-bound.

How Sales Methodologies Like MEDDPICC Inform Next Steps

Sales methodologies are useful references when thinking about preparing for a call, questions to ask your buyer, and empathizing with your buyer’s reality. The more in tune you can be with your buyer and what matters to them, the more relevant your next steps can be to their day to day reality.

Sometimes, a salesperson might ask a general question like “What should our next steps be?” Instead of this generic question, to take control of the sale, the salesperson can be inspired by the MEDDPICC qualification framework and ask for a meeting with the economic buyer, a timeline for the approval process, or the initiation of legal review. Next steps that align with how the buying committee actually makes decisions and purchases are always best. 

Additionally, instead of asking the buyer what they think the next steps should be, the salesperson should come prepared with specific suggestions for next steps. The next step can be as simple as asking for and scheduling the next meeting or as complex as giving the buyer homework to do in advance of that call.

Agree to Decide on Next Steps at the Beginning of the Call

One mistake many sellers make regarding asking for next steps is saving the conversation for the last 45 seconds of the call. Instead, get permission and agreement that you will make a decision together about next steps at the beginning of the call. For example, at the beginning of the meeting say, if all goes well today the next step will be I prepare a proposal for you, or if you like the proposal you see today the next step will be for you to review it and for us to regroup in two weeks time for any questions.

Handling Uncertainty and Buyer Objections

A lack of commitment from a buyer might sound polite, but it predicts deal slippage. If the buyer does not commit to a meaningful action, you should not advance the deal.

If your call ends with the buyer asking you to send information, try replying with a question to help you get to a specific action, such as “Happy to. What decision will that information support, and what would you like to do after reviewing it?” If your buyer tells you they cannot move forward now, but may be able to next quarter, then clarify, “What changes next quarter? Is there any deadline you are working backward from, like a launch or initiative?”

A mutual action plan aligning to buyer initiatives works best to avoid uncertainty and establish clear follow up items.

Reduce Ghosting with Clear Next Steps and Tracking

The most reliable way to reduce ghosting is to confirm the next steps in multiple formats. First, schedule the next meeting while on the call, with the purpose in the title, for example “Proposal Q&A.” Monitor the percent of your calls that end with a calendar invite accepted for a specific next meeting.

After your meeting, send a written recap. Summarize your responsibilities, the buyer’s responsibilities and needs, due dates, and the buyer’s success criteria. Be empathetic, specific and add-value in this recap email. 

Additionally, track engagement with your recap and follow-ups. You can see the percent of opportunities in your pipeline where a buyer viewed, edited, or otherwise interacted with materials you have sent in the last 14 days. If the buyer is not interacting, it’s time to come up with a re-engagement plan.

Track the time between your deal stages. If a deal is sitting in your CRM and has not progressed, then you may not have set up a specific next step with your buyer. In this case, close the deal and re-open it once a mutual action plan can be agreed to.

Bottom Line

Every strong sales process translates conversations into commitments. When next steps are clear, specific, and mutually agreed upon, a deal gains structure and direction.

When next steps are vague or left unspoken, the opposite happens. Even the most promising opportunities lose energy because there is no shared understanding of what happens next or why it matters.

The most effective sales professionals treat next steps as a mutually agreed to plan that is grounded in the buyer’s priorities and aligned to how the buyer makes decisions. Ultimately, next steps are a signal of alignment and prove that a buyer sees enough value to act.

If there is one habit to build as a sales professional, it is to leave every conversation with a clear, agreed-upon action that moves the deal forward. Do that consistently, and deal progression becomes far more predictable, measurable, and repeatable. Happy selling.