3 Reasons Why You Aren’t Closing The SaaS Clients You Could Be

You’re not closing the deals or clients you want. You have a list of potentially outstanding clients, but they just aren’t listening. You may even have good lead flow, but a substantial percentage of them are not converting into clients.

I come to you telling you that you are not alone. Not by a long shot. There are so many great products out there, great entrepreneurs with big hearts, wanting to provide immeasurable value to a group of clients that need what they have…yet…something seems to fall short and the momentum never occurs.

Does this sound like you and your “situation?” Well, don’t freak out because there are only a few possible things that could be getting in your way and all are fixable. It’s also pretty easy to figure out which challenge is the one that you are experiencing and how you can change directions.

There is a great Tony Robbins quote that I incorporate into my life daily when I am at an impasse. “The quality of your questions determine the quality of your life.”

Along with challenges you may be experiencing, I am going to give you some questions you can ask yourself to help you solve your problem. You can build off of these questions. Take it as far as you need to, to get to the heart of the problem.

Reason #1: You are not generating or talking to leads that REALLY need what you have NOW

The fact is only 3% of all your potential buyers need and want what you have now. That leaves 97% split up between those that may have interest, those that think they don’t have interest, and those that definitely aren’t interested.

For any software product, there has to be a genuine need, and it has to eliminate some kind of pain that the target client is currently experiencing. To connect the dots with interested and qualified potential clients, you must know exactly what that pain point is and how to voice that your product helps them eliminate it and makes their lives better, more comfortable, etc.

The way to know that this is your challenge is that you are having a hard time getting people to show up for calls, getting a hard time having them sign up for free, or having a hard time getting them excited or interested on the phone.

If there is no excitement or intrigue, you haven’t really communicated that you can help them with their immediate pains, so they put you off for something that is more pressing.

Another way to determine if this is the challenge you are having is that you have a few power users that LOVE what you have but you decided to move away from those power users types because the market isn’t big enough or exciting enough for you. You inadvertently started marketing and selling to the customers that aren’t raising their hands.

The market will judge the direction that you go and the type of client that needs what you have. You cannot always have the client you want.

It’s often a matter of asking the right questions that can get you out of the rut you are experiencing and set you straight. If you feel like you aren’t talking about the right leads that need what you have now, try answering this questions to get you back on track.

*Do we have a truly defined target persona and know exactly how we help them now?

*Do we have anyone that loves our product, is using it often, and has stuck around for awhile? Who are they? Do they match our persona?

* Are there unanticipated users that are using our product and like it? Why?

Reason #2: You are making it hard for your clients to buy from you

You are creating unneeded friction that is getting in the way of you closing more clients. You are asking the client to take on more risk than you are. Let me explain.

You are new; you are unproven, you have very few customers if any. You may think that you are trustworthy, but your potential clients don’t think so. As far as they are concerned, you could be a liability.

Overly confident entrepreneurs assume they can charge full prices, have upfront fees, have complicated integrations, and steep learning curves, for an unproven software. This is short-term thinking, and it’s a good way to scare away clients that could make your company.

They are entirely missing the fact that more clients using their software builds trust, no matter what it takes. More early adopters getting special incentives leads to long LTVs (lifetime values) and new testimonials from those first few companies that decided to give you a try.

If potential clients actually need what you have and haven’t been closing, it’s most likely that you are making it way too hard for them to become clients. You are putting up too many roadblocks to getting them to come work with you.

In the early stages of a company, it’s your job to get great clients to work with you and do whatever it takes to make it happen. This may mean a few clients being unprofitable for the first 6 to 12 months. DO WHATEVER IT TAKES!

If you feel like you are putting up too many barriers, try answering these questions to remove some of those walls in between you and your dream clients.

*Do you have any upfront fees, difficult integrations, a steep learning curve that is potentially getting in the way of your clients buy from you?

*List all the ways you can go above and beyond and offer potential clients incentives, free installations, additional training, etc.

*What are some ways you can get your potential clients to trust you more?

Reason #3: You aren’t saying the right thing to your target clients

The last reason is a matter of improper communication. You simply aren’t saying the right thing to get your target clients interested and excited. You are not connecting with them and actually communicating that you can solve the challenge they currently have.

You are most likely leaning on your technology, and you are probably confusing the heck out of them. What qualifies you to help them? What experiences have you had that are similar the ones they are going through? What is the main result you deliver to them?

Do you actually understand how their business works? Do you know the challenges that they have in their lives and their job? Can you take some stress off of their shoulders?

I cannot tell you how many companies I come in contact with that have great products, that can help solves challenges, yet they don’t understand the needs of the client and how their product solves a real problem.

Additionally, they have no idea how to communicate it to the target client. There is a big chasm between what you are telling them and what they are interested in and need.

If you feel like you are miscommunicating and confusing, your target clients and you feel like your message is off, attempt to answer these questions to help you connect more with them, and communicate that you can give them what they want.

*What is the main result your product delivers to your client? (this is not technology, but they get out of using your technology)

*What is the primary and secondary challenge that they are experiencing?

*What promise are you making to them and how will you solve their challenge?

Chose which of the three challenges you are going through above and answer those questions with great detail. If you are still stuck, come up with new questions along the same lines that will expand your answers and give you more opportunities to find a solution.

If you are still stuck and frustrated with figuring out how to drive more leads and close more SaaS customers, we can help point you in the right direction. Feel free to set up a quick 20 min chat with us here.

We also do an 8 week group coaching course that we launch each month, focused on helping early stage SaaS companies defeat these above challenges and help them learn the best ways to generate more leads and close more sales for their particular type of SaaS.

Good Luck!