Is Your SaaS Sales Team Only Focused on Closing?

Yeah, That’s Why You’re Struggling.

I get it—closing deals is exciting. No one likes to close deals more than I do.

You hit your quota, ring the bell, everyone claps.

But here’s the thing: It's a marathon, not a sprint. If all you care about is closing, you’re setting yourself up for long term failure.

💼 Being successful in SaaS sales (any sales for that matter) is about how well you solve problems. If you’re pushing for a close before understanding what your customer really needs, you’re basically just throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping it sticks.

I've been working with client looking to figure out why their churn rate is skyrocketing.

Not to be a spoiler, but it turns out that they are much more interested in closing a deal than they are in helping their clients solve a real problem.

Churn = slow, painful death.

Here’s what I had to tell them—and what I tell every sales rep who thinks closing deals is the end-all-be-all:

1. Listen More Than You Talk - You've got 2-ears and 1-mouth for a reason -

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen salespeople talk themselves out of a deal.

Just shut up and listen. They’ll give you the answers to the test. Your job isn’t to rattle off features or recite your product demo—it’s to identify the pain points and offer a solution.

For my client, this was a game changer. Once they started actually listening to their customers, they could tailor their approach and make the sale a lot more smoothly. This also makes customer retention easier too.

2. Qualify Hard, Disqualify Harder

Alex Cramer is the best at this.

Not everyone is a fit for your product. The reality is, if you’re pushing deals through just to hit your numbers, you’re going to end up with customers who churn faster than you can onboard them.

Churn = slow, painful death. (I should put it on a t-shirt)

I worked with this client to focus on the ones who are a great fit. Let's get the "ideal" back in ICP.

It’s always better to lose a deal upfront than deal with a churn nightmare down the road.

3. Deliver Value at Every Stage, Not Just at the Proposal

So many sales teams act like the only point of the sales process that matters is the proposal stage. This couldn't be more off base.

If you’re not delivering value at every touchpoint, you’re basically just throwing in the towel early.

The sales team at this client raced to get proposals out the door, but were like robots during the overall sales process.

We changed that.

We focused on delivering value at every conversation. To be curious and empathetic.

Not surprisingly, the deals started closing faster, and the churn rate? Down. Win.

Bottom line: If you’re laser-focused on closing without solving, you’re setting yourself up for short-term wins but long-term headaches. SaaS success isn’t about closing—it’s about solving real problems and building lasting relationships.

So what’s your secret to shifting from “salesperson” to “problem-solver”? Drop your best tips below! 🛠️👇