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How You Open a Deal is More Important Than How You Close It

How You Open a Deal is More Important Than How You Close It

How You Open a Deal is More Important Than How You Close It! I've seen too many sales leaders focus on improving how their team closes. If sales are not where they should be its because of closing technique. Or lack of.

They focus on new objection handling techniques. Better demo decks. Closing workshops.

But the reality is: if the front of your funnel is broken, the close doesn’t matter.

Opening is the new closing - from the start of your lead generation or deal discovery process the way you open will dictate on how you close.

I’ve worked with clients who were losing deals before they even began — because qualification was weak, discovery was surface-level, and the buyer’s problem wasn’t fully understood.

The result? Wasted time. Bloated pipelines. Frustrated teams.

A strong sales strategy starts at the top:

• Qualify relentlessly.

• Deal in facts and not feelings

• Map out what is needed and what you have yet to get

• Focus on real problems.

• Disqualify fast.

Fix the start, and the close takes care of itself.

And the data backs it up:

82% of buyers say a seller’s ability to frame the buying journey and educate them early on is a key factor in their decision to buy.

(Source: RAIN Group, “What Sales Winners Do Differently”)

That means your early discovery and problem framing doesn’t just influence the sale — it can make or break it.

Is Opening is the New Closing?

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