Always Be Closing: 3 Reasons to Redefine the ABC Sales Mindset

Always Be Closing has been a mantra for sales professionals since it was introduced in the 1992 movie Glengarry Glen Ross. Alec Baldwin’s character, Blake, is tasked with motivating a group of salespeople and strongly emphasizes that they should Always Be Closing (ABC) no matter what.   

The philosophy behind ABC is that sales professionals should focus 100% of their efforts on closing deals. ABC places pressure on sales professionals to use any tactics necessary to close a deal; and prioritizes persistence, determination, and ruthlessness.  

Without a doubt, the ABC mindset has helped sales professionals deliver KPIs and hit sales targets for years. However, sales professionals can’t only rely on ABC in today’s increasingly competitive B2B sales landscape. Here are three reasons why:  

1. B2B Customers are Smarter 

Today’s B2B customers are less susceptible to sales gimmicks and empty promises.  

They want to see real business use cases, data-driven results, and ROI. They would have already done their research about a product rather than asking a sales professional for it. Traditionally, ABC favors the salesperson in the sales process, completely ignoring the customer’s needs. This approach will only spell disaster with well-informed B2B customers.  

In fact, 61% of buyers have a positive sales experience when the sales professional is not pushy or aggressive (HubSpot). This is why building customer trust is paramount. Research by Gartner found that customers are more inclined to make a purchase when they trust a sales professional. The customer holds more power in today’s B2B sales landscape as they are smarter and savvier with the accessibility to information and reviews online.  

Consequently, today’s sales professionals have to spend more time generating leads, strategizing, and following up with customers rather than closing a sale. The focus has been shifted to the needs of the customer, rather than the seller. As Dale Carnegie famously said, “People don’t want to be sold to; they want to feel as if they’re buying.” 

2.  Personalization is Valued   

Instead of ABC, why not give Always Be Helping (ABH) a go? Coined by HubSpot, ABH focuses on understanding the pain points of the customer and finding solutions to their challenges. In contrast, the high-pressure approach of ABC may leave customers feeling like an ATM machine instead of a human. ABC may also hurt your company’s reputation if word gets out that aggressive sales tactics are being used, harming the chance of gaining new customers in the future.  

Today’s B2B customers expect a personalized and engaging purchasing experience, with 72% of them expecting vendors to personalize the sales process to their needs (Salesforce). With the ABH mindset, sales professionals can assist prospects at any stage of the sales funnel and create a customer-centric experience by providing resources and guidance to solve their challenges.  

The availability of tools and technologies today allows sales professionals to efficiently create solution-oriented strategies. CRM software, data analytics, and AI are powerful tools that can help sales professionals create personalized experiences for prospects. Sales professionals can also work with lead generation partners like ME Matchmaking that provides target group insights, a summary of investment areas, and list of pain points to help them tailor a personalized experience for each customer.  

By centralizing customer data, providing insights into customer behavior, and recommending next steps, these technologies can help sales professionals better understand their prospects’ needs and deliver more relevant and engaging outreach. 

3. Networking is the New Selling  

Successful sales professionals understand the value of networking and having a social presence. According to Salesforce, 58% of high-performing sales professionals have strong social network capabilities and know how to harness the power of social media platforms. Data on prospects is widely available on social media platforms – giving sales professionals no excuse not to do their research and connect with prospects directly online.  

Other than networking online, sales professionals can join in-person events with their target audience in attendance. At in-person events, sales professionals can connect with prospects directly and plant the seeds for a long-lasting business relationship. In addition, prospects can also put a face to a company when they interact with sales professionals in real life.  

The ABC practice asks sales professionals to abandon leads once they are cold and move on to finding new ones. Networking online or in-person presents numerous opportunities for sales professionals to reignite a connection with cold leads and nurture them into deals. In fact, the Demand Generation Report noted that events are the most effective lead generation strategy, at 68%. For example, ME Matchmaking clients can attend full-day invitation-only local events where sales professionals can network with hundreds of top decision-makers in the region under one roof. 

A modern B2B sales professional’s role has expanded beyond closing. It’s about connecting with prospects, understanding their needs, and offering solutions that can drive business results. Therefore, sales professionals should combine the ABC approach with modern sales practices to create value, build customer trust, and foster long-term professional relationships.