Nowadays, closing a deal isn’t just the goal; it’s also the ultimate validation of your strategy, approach, and business development skills. Yet even the most promising deals can suddenly stall, evaporate, or be lost to competitors. This often leads to frustration, finger-pointing, or self-doubt. But before you blame the economy or the product, it’s worth examining the core competencies that influence whether a deal gets done—or not.
This article looks at the reasons why deals fall apart and which business development skills are necessary to master if you want to close, grow, and retain your client base consistently.
What Is Business Development?
Business development focuses on identifying, creating, and nurturing growth opportunities for an organization. While often associated with sales, it extends beyond closing deals—it covers building relationships, entering new markets, forming strategic partnerships, and aligning internal resources to support long-term expansion.
At its core, business development is about creating value. This value can manifest in increased revenue, new client acquisition, improved customer retention, or market penetration. It involves understanding both your organization’s offerings and the external needs of potential clients, then bridging that gap through thoughtful, well-executed strategies.
The Hidden Causes Behind Unclosed Deals
Understanding why deals don’t close is usually the first step towards building a stronger development strategy. It’s rarely just a matter of bad luck or tough timing. More often than not, it’s a series of missteps or oversights that compound over time.
1. You’re Not Qualifying Leads Properly
Chasing every opportunity might feel productive, but it often leads to time wasted on unqualified prospects. If you’re not rigorously applying qualification criteria, such as BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline) or MEDDIC, you could be filling your pipeline with leads that were never a fit to begin with. This leads to inflated metrics and misplaced effort.
Solution: Invest time up front to ask qualifying questions and segment leads accordingly. A smaller, highly-qualified pipeline is far more valuable than a bloated list of maybes.
2. You’re Pitching Too Early
Jumping into pitch mode before conducting a thorough discovery conversation is a classic mistake. Your pitch will likely miss the mark without understanding the prospect’s true pain points. Worse, it can come across as tone-deaf or generic.
Solution: Prioritize discovery. Ask probing questions that uncover emotional and business drivers. Then—and only then—tailor your solution accordingly.
3. You’re Not Creating Enough Urgency
Even if a prospect has shown interest, but you lack the urgency to follow through, they may postpone the decision indefinitely. Many sales professionals fail to help clients visualize the cost of inaction. As a result, deals linger in limbo.
Solution: Use impact-based storytelling to show how delays can increase costs, risk, or lost revenue. Frame the decision in terms of what’s at stake, not just what’s offered.
4. You’re Not Aligning With the Buyer’s Journey
Too many sellers use a one-size-fits-all process without considering where the buyer actually is in their journey. Are they just exploring? Do they have executive buy-in? Have they set a budget? Misalignment can cause confusion or disengagement.
Solution: Map out buyer personas and typical buying cycles. Match your messaging, content, and calls to action to their current stage, not where you wish they were.
5. You’re Failing to Build Trust
A lack of trust kills deals, especially in B2B environments where the stakes are high. Inconsistent follow-ups, vague promises, or even the most subtle cues like tone or body language can erode confidence and trust.
Solution: Be transparent, consistent, and genuinely helpful. Establish credibility through case studies, referrals, or data. Never overpromise; instead, underpromise and overdeliver.
The Skills That Separate Closers From Chasers
If closing has become a challenge, don’t assume it’s just situational. The most consistent performers in business development don’t rely on hope—they refine critical skills that empower them to drive deals forward with confidence and clarity.
Here are several business development skills you should be working on now:
1. Precision Prospecting and Lead Research
Gone are the days when volume-based outreach could reliably fill the funnel. Smart business developers now rely on data, context, and targeted insights to prioritize quality over quantity.
What to Learn:
- How to define and refine your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)
- How to use tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Apollo.io, and ZoomInfo
- How to personalize outreach based on company initiatives, news, or behavior
Pro Tip: Create trigger-based campaigns that react to changes like new funding, leadership changes, or company expansion.
2. Effective Cold Outreach and Social Selling
Your first impression can make or break the entire conversation. Whether it’s via email, LinkedIn, or voicemail, your message must feel tailored, relevant, and worth the recipient’s time.
What to Learn:
- Writing compelling subject lines and opening hooks
- Creating value-driven, curiosity-sparking messages
- Engaging on social platforms with authentic comments and insights
Pro Tip: Use the “three-by-three” rule—spend three minutes finding three relevant facts about the contact before you reach out.
3. Discovery and Needs Analysis
The discovery phase is your moment to uncover the “why” behind a potential purchase. Done right, it builds rapport, surfaces pain points, and shapes how you’ll position your solution later.
What to Learn:
- Open-ended questioning frameworks (e.g., SPIN, Challenger Sale)
- Active listening techniques and note-taking strategies
- How to identify hidden objections and buying influences
Pro Tip: Mirror the prospect’s language and tone to build subconscious alignment.
4. Proposal Writing and Deal Structuring
A strong proposal does more than list features or pricing. It demonstrates that you understand the client’s needs and can deliver measurable outcomes.
What to Learn:
- Structuring proposals around ROI and business impact
- Offering flexible pricing models or tiered options
- Handling redlines and contract negotiations professionally
Pro Tip: Include a summary page that outlines key objectives, desired outcomes, and why your solution is uniquely suited.
5. Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
Objections aren’t signs of rejection; they’re a natural part of the process. Knowing how to navigate them confidently without becoming defensive is a major differentiator.
What to Learn:
- Common objection patterns and how to defuse them
- Anchoring techniques, framing, and concession strategy
- Conflict de-escalation and collaborative compromise
Pro Tip: Reframe objections as opportunities for clarification: “That’s a great point—can you tell me more about what’s behind that concern?”
6. Closing and Follow-Through
Closing should feel like the natural next step, not a high-pressure moment. By aligning with the buyer throughout the journey, closing becomes collaborative, not coercive.
What to Learn:
- Closing strategies (e.g., assumptive, alternative choice, soft close)
- Post-decision support to avoid buyer’s remorse
- Triggering next steps with urgency and clarity
Pro Tip: Always leave a meeting with a calendar hold, not just a vague “we’ll follow up.”
How to Actively Develop These Skills Over Time
Professional growth in business development is an ongoing process. Fortunately, there are multiple ways to strengthen your capabilities without requiring a huge investment.
Enroll in Sales or Business Development Training Programs
Online courses, certifications, and coaching platforms focus on modern sales techniques. Consider Coursera, Sales Impact Academy, Sandler Training, or HubSpot Academy.
Attend Industry Events and Webinars
Live events—whether virtual or in-person—give you access to insights from sales veterans, opportunities to role-play scenarios, and exposure to emerging tools.
Read, Listen, and Learn From Experts
Books like The Challenger Sale, Sell with a Story, and Never Split the Difference offer timeless wisdom. Podcasts such as The Sales Evangelist, Make It Happen Mondays, and Sales Gravy provide real-world scenarios and strategies.
Record and Review Your Sales Calls
Listening to yourself can be uncomfortable, but it’s one of the fastest ways to identify areas for improvement. Use Gong or Chorus to analyze talk time, keyword usage, and drop-off points.
The Payoff of Building Strong Business Development Skills
Mastering business development skills won’t just help you close more deals. It will elevate your professional brand, unlock leadership opportunities, and make you indispensable to any team.
As your skills improve, you will start to notice the following:
- Increased Referral Business: Happy, satisfied clients refer others, which reduces reliance on cold outreach.
- Faster Sales Cycles: You will quickly identify qualified buyers and accelerate decision-making.
- Stronger Negotiation Power: Clients see you as a partner, not a vendor, so they’re more open and flexible.
- Higher Retention and Upsell Rates: Deep relationships lead to long-term partnerships and cross-selling potential.
- Greater Career Opportunities: These skills serve as your foundation, whether you aim for sales leadership or a strategic role.
Main Takeaway
If you’re not closing as many deals as you’d like, the answer likely lies in the nuances of your approach, not in the prospects themselves. With intention, practice, and continuous refinement, you can turn uncertainty into consistency and close deals with clarity and confidence.
In the end, deals don’t close themselves—people close deals. The best closers are lifelong learners who constantly level up their skill set for the challenges ahead.
Close More Deals
Liberty Consulting and Management helps professionals and organizations in New York develop the business development skills to close more deals and drive lasting growth. Whether you’re struggling with lead qualification, pitch customization, objection handling, or negotiation tactics, our coaching and training programs provide the tools and frameworks you need to succeed.
Get started now by booking an appointment with a business development consultant!
