7 steps to advance the deal in every conversation

Research shows that purchase likelihood drops drastically once a buying team has two or more people. In this Apollo article, Jen Allen-Knuth, founder of DemandJen, shares seven steps to move key deals forward.

What is B2B sales strategy?

A B2B sales strategy is a structured, repeatable framework that guides sales teams through complex, multibuyer purchasing journeys from initial contact to a closed-won deal. Rather than a static set of tactics, it serves as an operational roadmap that aligns your entire sales motion to solve your ideal customer's high-priority problems.

Why deal advancement strategy matters for B2B success

So, why obsess over a deal advancement strategy? Because without one, you're just reacting. You're waiting for the prospect to dictate the next steps, letting deals stall in the pipeline for weeks, or worse, losing to "no decision." A clear strategy puts you back in the driver's seat.

When you have a plan for every conversation, you build momentum. You transform from a vendor pitching a product into a strategic partner guiding a solution. This approach not only shortens sales cycles but also builds the kind of trust that turns skeptical stakeholders into your biggest advocates. It's how you create predictable revenue, not just a pipeline of maybes.

How to move every prospect deal forward

1. Help your champion calculate the cost of inaction

You've probably been taught to sell the value adds of your solution - more leads, more pipeline, more revenue!

While ROI (return on investment) is important, it's usually not enough to drive a purchase decision. Sometimes, it can be far more beneficial to discuss COI (cost of inaction).

When you've identified a champion at your target company, work with them to write a statement quantifying the cost of maintaining the status quo. This statement should identify the business problem, the impact of the problem, and the pain the problem is causing in terms of time, money, and resources.

Remember, this statement is not about your product features or functionality.

You are only focused on helping them identify if a painful problem exists today.

2. Enable your champion to set up a group meeting

With your beautifully crafted summary statement in hand, it's time to enable your champion to set up a meeting with all the relevant stakeholders.

Share a prewritten email template with your champion, so they can quickly kick off the meeting scheduling process.

This not only takes one less thing off their to-do list, but it also allows you to control the message.

Here's an example of the email template Allen-Knuth usually sends her champion.

" Team:

As we consider {{problem}}, I've asked Sally Smith at ACME to spend 30 mins with our team.

I met with Sally this week to provide context on our plans for {{objective}}, as well as the roadblocks we've encountered.

She had some unique perspective on {{problem}}, based on XYZ.

Any concerns spending 30 mins on this together?"

This message works for a few reasons:

• It's coming from the champion. Key decision makers trust that their internal colleague's interests align with theirs and it's likely worth their time.
• It shows they've already had a meaningful conversation with you.
• It ends with a strong question. One that makes it easier to agree than to disagree.

3. Ask your champions the right questions before a larger meeting

Productive conversations start with an understanding of each member of the buying committee.

Allen-Knuth suggests asking your champion these four questions so you can avoid any surprises during the meeting:

• Who is most likely to be pro-status quo and why? Uncover who in the group is fine keeping things as is. For example, the director of training and enablement who just implemented a homegrown solution likely isn't going to want to buy and implement a new tool.
• Who is the "Mr. Rogers" of the group? Learn who will nod along and smile during the meeting but may express disinterest behind the scenes.
• Who is most likely to be skeptical of prioritizing this business problem and why? Identify who will have pushback and how you can better be prepared to address their concerns.
• What was the most recent disagreement between this group? There may be tension from past conversations or simply interpersonal relationships at play. Understanding these dynamics helps you separate previous disagreements from current disinterest.

4. Co-draft a group meeting plan

The next step in the process is to draft a well-oiled presentation so the meeting goes off without a hitch.

Don't bombard your buying committee with thousands of slides. Instead, come prepared with a few anchor slides so people have something to respond to. And make sure to share your slides with your champion ahead of time, so they can provide feedback.

"We want the champion to feel like they're on the same side as we are," says Allen-Knuth.

Another way to make the meeting run smoothly and avoid the awkward crickets when no one speaks up? Ask your champion if they're comfortable prompting the group with a few questions during the session.

Here's the template Allen-Knuth uses to prep her champion ahead of the meeting.

" Jane,

Here is my availability for the meeting {{insert meeting link}}.

We won't march through slides. But, I attached a plan for the meeting so you can react and share your ideas.

Are you comfortable asking the Qs in speaker notes on pages 3 and 5?"

Jen."

5. Lay the groundwork for a productive meeting

It's meeting time! The first few minutes of the meeting set the tone for the entire conversation.

"How you open the meeting matters more than anything else you'll do on this call," shares Allen-Knuth.

Here are three ways to kick off a productive meeting:

1. Clearly communicate the group's objective. Agree on a business problem.
2. Lower the buying committee's defenses by acting more like a consultant than a vendor. Make it clear that this conversation is not about your solution, but about agreeing on if this is the right problem to solve.
3. Clarify your position as a facilitator, not a keynote speaker. You are there to provide an external perspective.

Once you've laid the groundwork, it's time to get to the meat of the conversation.

6. Encourage disagreement and open thought

Open with the summary statement you prepared in step one.

As the discussion starts flowing, encourage disagreement by asking questions.

Who here has a different opinion on this?

How should the group weigh these two problems?

What are your reservations about moving forward?

Make sure to ask questions to better understand each committee member's priorities, beliefs, and assumptions.

Different opinions help you gather more insights. Head nodding and silence are sure signs of an unsuccessful meeting.

And, as much as you may be itching to flex your objection-handling muscles during the discussion, maintain your stance as a neutral party. By doing this, you build a massive amount of trust between you and your potential buyers.

7. Set clear next steps

End the meeting by asking two direct questions.

• Is this a problem worth solving?
• Is this a problem worth solving, now?

By asking these questions, you'll have insights into how urgent the problem is, how to best proceed, and be equipped to forecast your deals more accurately.

At the end of the call, you'll be left with two possible outcomes - consensus or no consensus.

If you've reached a group consensus, that's great, but you're not done yet. Update the summary statement and ask if there's anyone else at the company who should weigh in.

If you don't reach a consensus, don't stress. This is very common in the first meeting. Suggest clear next steps like a follow-up meeting, case studies or data to review, or an introduction to other key decision-makers within the organization.

Turn conversations into closed deals

In every sales conversation, the real secret is this: always get your buyers to agree on the problem before you ever discuss your solution. By shifting your focus from pitching to problem-solving, you build the trust and consensus needed to get deals done.

Frequently asked questions about B2B sales strategy

What are the seven steps of the B2B selling process?

While every company's process varies, a typical B2B sales process includes: 1. Prospecting and lead generation, 2. Qualifying leads, 3. Research and preparation, 4. Presenting your solution, 5. Handling objections, 6. Closing the deal, and 7. Nurturing and retention. This article focuses on mastering the critical steps in the middle of that process.

What is the rule of seven in B2B sales?

The "rule of seven" is a classic marketing principle suggesting a prospect needs to have about seven interactions or "touches" with your brand before they're ready to buy. In today's complex B2B world, it's often more, but the principle remains: consistent, valuable engagement is key to building trust and staying top of mind.

How long does the average B2B sales cycle take?

There's no single answer, as it depends heavily on deal size, industry, and complexity. It can range from a few weeks for simple transactional sales to over a year for large enterprise deals. A strong deal advancement strategy is your best tool for shortening that timeline by creating urgency and clearing roadblocks.

What's the difference between a champion and a decision maker?

A champion is your internal advocate, the person who is personally invested in solving the problem and will sell on your behalf when you're not in the room. A decision maker is the person with the authority and budget to give the final "yes." Your champion is your key to influencing the decision maker and the rest of the buying committee.

How do you handle objections during B2B sales conversations?

Instead of "handling" them, learn to "encourage" them. As outlined in step six, creating a space for disagreement helps you uncover the real concerns and priorities of the buying committee. By understanding their reservations early, you can address them directly and build a stronger business case, rather than being surprised by them at the final stage.

This story was produced by Apollo and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

Copyright 2026 Stacker Media, LLC

This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 10:00 AM.