22 Sales Articles (Our Favorites!) to Help You Close the Deal in 2022

When it comes to advice about closing deals, there’s no lack of sales articles on the topic. In fact, it can be challenging to sift through all the sales articles out there promising to help you close more deals than ever before…

That’s why we pulled together our 22 all-time favorite sales articles that will actually help you close the deal in 2022—based on real data and actual sales research.

If you’re looking to up your sales game this year by implementing tried-and-true sales strategies that really work, look no further than this curated list of top sales articles.

Pick and choose the sales articles most relevant to your selling career for 2022. Or jump in and read them all for a true masterclass on how to close the deal:

1. 6 [CRITICAL] Tips on How to Close the Sale

When sales opportunities just seem to slip away for no particular reason…or they devolve into long sales cycles that drag on forever…it could actually be because you’re too caught up in the close.

Most sales articles teach salespeople to focus completely on closing the deal. But in reality, an exclusive focus on the close can lead to prospects running away—leaving you wondering why your once-promising leads are dead in the water.

In this sales article, you’ll learn:

• How to demonstrate authority up front
• Why you need to drop the PEP right away
• The importance of solving, not presenting
• Plus more strategies for closing the sale

Read this full sales article now →

2. The Art of Selling Anything in 11 Words

Is selling a science or an art? While some sales articles claim it’s an “either-or” scenario, the truth is that it’s somewhere in between. Understanding the balance between the two is imperative for salespeople who want to learn how to close the deal.

The science part includes following a strong sales process based on real data. But the art component is the equally important ability to hold sales together even when things go “off-script” for a while.

In this sales article, you’ll learn:

• Why you must understand your prospects
• How to personalize your outreach
• Who should lead the conversation
• And more techniques for selling anything

Read this full sales article now →

3. 7 Solution Selling Tips for the New World

Solution selling is a ubiquitous buzzword in sales articles today. But when it comes to what the term actually means, solution selling is often just salespeople “putting lipstick on a pig”—they’re using the same old outdated sales techniques but calling them a fancy new name.

However, true solution selling is critical to closing the deal in the modern sales world. And if you’re not implementing real solution selling today, then you’re not doing all you can to consistently close deals.

In this sales article, you’ll learn:

• The key to leading with insight
• How to get them talking ASAP
• Spontaneous questions to ask
• More solution selling tips for closing sales

Read this full sales article now →

4. The Psychology of Selling in Today’s Market

Never before has there been as much sales data available as there is today. There are so many sales articles touting new sales research, some of it groundbreaking insight into the psychology of selling in today’s market.

This sales article lays out some of the key changes that have altered the sales landscape for both salespeople and buyers—and how we can leverage the psychology of selling for better sales results and more closed deals.

In this sales article, you’ll learn:

• Why 2015 is now old-school
• How to earn discovery questions
• Why pressure is a no-no in sales today
• Plus more tips on the psychology of selling

Read this full sales article now →

5. 9 Keys to Abundant Sales Lead Generation

More high-quality appointments lead to more closed deals. You don’t have to read any sales articles to know that. But setting high-quality appointments isn’t easy. In fact, a lack of high-quality appointments on the calendar is one of the most common challenges salespeople face in all industries.

Luckily, there are proven ways to increase the number of high-quality appointments on your calendar that ultimately lead to more deals. It all comes down to implementing a system for abundant sales lead generation.

In this sales article, you’ll learn:

• How to systematize data research
• Why you must use all your channels
• How to map out a prospecting campaign
• And more keys to top sales lead generation

Read this full sales article now →

6. How to Start a Sales Call [5 Easy Steps]

All sales have to start somewhere—and to this day, the phone is one of the best places to begin. There are plenty of sales articles on selling over the phone.

But this sales article is unique because it focuses on what is arguably the most crucial aspect of the sales call: the start. In fact, the first 20 seconds of the sales call are the most important moments in the sales conversation. They can also be the most challenging.

If you want to close more deals, you need to work backwards by starting strong to end strong. That’s why this sales article makes our Top 10.

In this sales article, you’ll learn:

• The importance of opening with distinction
• How to show that you know their world
• The keys to a kickass CTA
• Plus more proven tips for a strong start

Read this full sales article now →

7. Exactly How to Overcome Sales Rejection

Every single salesperson has some fear of rejection. We’re all human. But the most successful salespeople know exactly how to overcome sales rejection in order to close more deals than their competitors.

The most important thing to remember is that fear of rejection in sales is all in our heads. If you want to close the deal, you must overcome it.

In this sales article, you’ll learn:

• How to jump in the mud and get going
• Keys to putting contingencies in place
• Why process helps you overcome rejection
• And powerful ways to eliminate your fear

Read this full sales article now →

8. 5 Keys to a Great Case Study Presentation in Sales

When you finally get a prospect who’s interested in seeing you present your offering, what do you do? Most salespeople launch right into a monologue about features and benefits. But this traditional selling approach no longer works. In fact, it actively drives prospects away.

The following sales article is key to mastering how to close the deal because it introduces the fundamentals of the case study presentation. This type of presentation is, according to the data, the single most effective way to connect with prospects today, enabling them to see exactly how you can get them to where they want to go. And that’s essential for closing the deal.

In this sales article, you’ll learn:

• What the movies teach us about great presentations
• Why you need an arsenal of case studies on hand
• How to focus exclusively on challenges and results
• Plus more ways to crush your next sales presentation

Read this full sales article now →

9. 7 Things to Avoid If You Want to Be a Superstar Salesperson

You can read lots of sales articles with advice about what to do in order to close more deals. But what about the sales activities and behaviors you should avoid? It’s important that you nip certain detrimental sales habits in the bud if you want to close the deal more consistently.

Read on to learn some of the key things you should never do if you want to close the deal—just like those superstar salespeople who outperform everyone else many times over.

In this sales article, you’ll learn:

• Why you need to ditch the BANT approach
• How to stop trying to be their friend
• The one word superstars NEVER say…
• And 4 other deal-killers you must avoid

Read this full sales article now →

10. 11 Must-Know Strategies to Master Sales 101

Whether you consider yourself a sales beginner or not, there are some foundational strategies for successful selling that you absolutely must master in order to close the deal.

If you tackle the techniques in this sales article early on in your selling career, you can even skip right from beginner to expert—and fast.

In this sales article, you’ll learn:

• The best-kept secret about follow-up in sales
• Why you actually want to hear the word “no”
• How messing up can help you sell more
• Plus more ways to build a strong sales foundation

Read this full sales article now →

11. The Absolute Best Sales Process [Ever!]

When you’re trying to close deals day after day, the most frustrating situations are those sales that seem to fall apart for no particular reason.

Should you find yourself frequently in the position where you’re not quite sure why deals are going off the rails, it’s time to go back to basics and read this sales article on establishing a strong, proven sales process—and sticking with it no matter what.

In this sales article, you’ll learn:

• How to use insight to open the door
• Why next steps are paramount
• Keys to building connections of trust
• Step-by-step guide to a process that works

Read this full sales article now →

12. Cold Calling? (Don’t Make Another Dial Until You See This)

When it comes to closing deals, cold calling can be one of the most challenging—yet rewarding—strategies to get there. Most salespeople dread making cold calls, and for good reason. It’s not easy.

But if you follow the advice in this sales article, you can implement a cold-calling approach that’s far more effective than the traditional, freezing-cold calls that give prospecting calls a bad rap.

In this sales article, you’ll learn:

• How to master your IPP for better cold calls
• The importance of scripts and contingencies
• Why you must be firm with prospects
• And 6 more easy-to-follow cold call tips

Read this full sales article now →

13. 5 Steps to Setting an Appointment with ANY Customer

Having a calendar full of appointments is essential for sales success in any industry. But sometimes it can feel like an impossible feat to get appointments on the books with ideal, high-quality prospects.

You can read all the sales articles you can find, but if you’re not taking serious steps to fill your calendar day by day, you’ll never make your sales goals a reality.

The key is to follow a systematic approach for setting appointments.

In this article, you’ll learn:

• How to hyper-personalize your outreach
• Why you should always “make a recommendation”
• The keys to disqualifying during discovery
• 7 bonus tips for superstar appointment-setting

Read this full sales article now →

14. Killer Sales Techniques Backed By Science & Data

We live in a time of incredible access to data and search on sales. So why don’t more salespeople look to that data to guide their approach to closing the deal? Simply put, it’s an enormous untapped resource that has the power to absolutely transform sales results.

Instead of listening to some random guru’s personal ideas about how to sell, check out this sales article chock-full of proven sales strategies that are based in hard data and actual science on how to close deals.

In this sales article, you’ll learn:

• How to craft your very own Whiteboard Pitch
• Roadmap for a quick, two-way presentation
• Why breaking the pattern is sales gold
• Plus more data-backed strategies for closing

Read this full sales article now →

15. Never Ask These 5 Terrible Sales Questions

You probably have your own “go-to questions” that you ask your prospects without even thinking twice. And that’s great. But do you have a list of questions you actively avoid asking prospects?

We love this sales article because it does all the legwork for you, so you can side-step the worst questions to ask during a sale, and improve your chances of closing the deal.

In this sales article, you’ll learn:

• The absolute worst sale question EVER
• Surprising questions to avoid at all costs
• Why “How are you?” is a deal-killer
• And what questions to ask instead

Read this full sales article now →

16. Are They Going to Buy? 7 Sales Buying Signals to Look for

Your ability to accurately “read” prospects has a massive impact on your ability to close deals. All too often in sales, prospects are already tuned out and on their way out the door, but the salesperson has no idea. That’s why this sales article is key to learning how to close the deal more frequently.

If you can learn to identify common buying signals, you’re more likely to keep your finger on the pulse of each sale. Don’t get tricked up by signs that seem positive—but are actually a red flag that your prospect is disengaged.

In this sales article, you’ll learn:

• What it means when a prospect has “done their homework”
• The importance of talking budget with your prospects
• What you can tell from the questions they ask
• Plus more specific buying signals to look out for

Read this full sales article now →

17. 5 Steps to Closing the Sale Faster [Don’t Let It Slip Through the Cracks!]

One of the most common challenges I hear from salespeople is that sales cycles drag on with no end in sight. When your sales cycle is too long, even promising deals can slip through the cracks and eventually disappear.

We’re huge proponents of the strategies in this sales article, which can help speed up sales cycles without sacrificing a strong, thorough sales process that disqualifies non-fits.

In this sales article, you’ll learn:

• Why you must live by your pipeline to close faster
• How to present without slowing things down
• Keys to disqualifying prospects—fast
• And top strategies for keeping sales momentum

Read this full sales article now →

18. 7 [Critical] Sales Follow Up Email Ideas You Must Use

You’re not alone if your sales emails often go unanswered. The virtual silence can be deafening when you’re sending out follow-up emails, day after day, only to be left wondering why they’re being ignored.

But luckily, there are some real data-backed strategies for increasing the open rates of sales follow-up emails.

Take a look at the tips in this sales article to improve your strategy so you can actually engage with prospects via email—which remains one of the strongest sales tools out there, when leveraged correctly.

In this sales article, you’ll learn:

• How to personalize emails for maximum impact
• Exactly how long your sales emails should be
• What KATCA means—and why you must have it
• More ideas for emails follow-up that gets a reply

Read this full sales article now →

19. How to Deal with Difficult Customers in Sales

It’s all well and good to hone your sales process and implement advice from good sales articles. But let’s say you end up in front of a really difficult customer, plain and simple. What then?

There are still some strategies you can employ to more consistently close the deal—even when the prospect on the other end of the phone, on the Zoom, or in the face-to-face meeting is doing everything in their power to make things difficult for you.

In this sales article, you’ll learn:

• Why you should slow things down…
• The importance of staying unemotional
• How your voice and tone should change
• Real-world advice for handling difficult prospects

Read this full sales article now →

20. 6 Time Management Tips [for Sales] to Close More Deals

Time is the single more important resource you have as a salesperson. In fact, it’s the most important resource anyone has. Unfortunately, salespeople are always complaining that they simply don’t have enough time to close deals. And this is a self-inflicted wound.

In order to close deals more consistently, time management must be a core components of your sales strategy. In the following sales article, this key pillar of every successful sales process is finally given the attention it deserves.

In this sales article, you’l learn:

• How to jealously guard your time
• Why you shouldn’t do anything if it doesn’t make you money
• Why you shouldn’t just “give out” proposals
• Plus more tips for better managing your time

Read this full sales article now →

21. 5 [Must-Know] LinkedIn Navigator Tips for Sales to Help You Close More Deals

LinkedIn Navigator is, simply put, an exceptional selling tool. (And no, LinkedIn is NOT paying us to say that.) If you’re not already leveraging LinkedIn’s premium service as part of your prospecting outreach strategy, it’s time to start now.

In this sales article, you’ll learn:

• How to use advanced filters to build a better list
• Why you should do “deep dives” on ideal prospects
• What to personalize in LinkedIn Navigator outreach
• Tips and tricks to leveraging this powerful tool

Read this full sales article now →

22. Are They Going to Buy? 7 Sales Buying Signals to Look for…

When it comes to closing more deals, paying attention to what your prospect is telling you—both explicitly and implicitly—can make all the difference. Do you know what common buying signals to look out for when you’re in the middle of a sales interaction? If not, you could be missing out on some clear signs that your prospect is going to buy. Or, conversely, you could be misinterpreting what they do, overlooking obvious signs that they’ve already checked out…

In this sales article, you’ll learn:

• Why you should look for “real challenges” first
• What it means when a prospect does homework on you
• The importance of the budget talk
• What to do when you hear them ask good questions

Read this full sales article now →