Hey Niepodam,

A founder called me yesterday: “Alan, our SMB deals are dragging. We get verbal yeses… then they stall for weeks.”

I wasn’t surprised. SMB buyers are different animals, short attention spans, fast-moving priorities, and way too many fires to put out.

If you leave an SMB deal open, it will die. Every day that passes, your champion’s excitement fades and their focus shifts.

The answer? You’ve got to create urgency and control the timeline before the deal leaves the runway.

The SMB Fast-Close Framework

1. Anchor to a near-term event

Tie the start date to something they care about.

“If you want this live before the holiday rush to make sure you hit that X increase in X KPI, we’ll need to lock it this week, so onboarding finishes by Oct 15. If not, we'll miss the mark.” 

Why it works → Makes the deadline about them, not you.

2. Pre-negotiate the decision process

While sharing a proposal live (never send it via email), ask:

“Now that we answered all the questions, what’s the approval path and timeline?” 

Why it works → No surprises, no chasing signatures you didn’t know you needed.

3. Use the “If–Then” close

Before doing extra work, lock the next step:

“If we can get this approved and meet your launch date, are you good to move forward this week?”

Why it works → Creates conditional commitment before pricing hits their inbox.

4. Limit the open loop

SMB deals die when you give them “time to think.”

Instead: 

“I can hold this onboarding slot for 48 hours, after that, it’s likely our next availability is mid-November.”

Why it works → Scarcity forces a decision without feeling pushy.

5. Stack the cost of waiting

Show them what “waiting” actually costs.

“Every week you delay, your team spends 10 extra hours on manual work, that’s $3,200 a month in lost productivity.”

Why it works → Makes inaction more expensive than action.

BAD vs. GOOD in SMB Negotiations

❌ Bad:

• Sends proposal without locking decision process
• Lets them “circle back next month” without pushback
• Discounts early without securing commitment

✅ Good:

• Anchor to a date they care about
• Get commitment before sending pricing
• Keep timelines short
• Use scarcity tied to real constraints
• Quantify the cost of delay

When this works best:

1. SMB buyer is already sold on value
2. The gap is timing & contract, not interest
3. There’s a clear external reason to move fast (seasonal, hiring wave, product launch)

In SMB, speed is your biggest weapon. If you let them slow down, you’re not negotiating, you’re waiting to lose the deal.

Want my help building a high-converting sales system without impossible-to-learn tactics?