Why Do Your Sales Leads Disappear? The Truth About Buyer Motivation

Why do most promising sales leads suddenly vanish? You generate a lead, identify a potential client, and even conduct a first discovery call where the client appears to have a clear need or problem—and then they disappear. Here’s why this happens and how to fix it.

Is this not frustrating?

There are multiple reasons this happens, but one of the biggest is a lack of understanding of buyer motivation. In this blog post, we’ll explore the three key buyer motivations, how to leverage them to close deals, and how to avoid losing clients.

What Is High-Ticket Sales vs. Low-Ticket Sales?

Before diving in, let’s first clarify the difference between high-ticket and low-ticket sales:

Low-Ticket Sales: These involve inexpensive products or services where the decision-making process is simple and fast.
High-Ticket Sales: These involve expensive products or services, often requiring a longer decision-making process, sometimes spanning months. Most IT services fall into this category, with average deal sizes often exceeding $5,000.

NOTE: With lower-priced SaaS solutions, clients may still conduct thorough research because they’re committing to long-term subscriptions.

The Most Important Sales Skill: Empathy

When asked about the most important sales skill, my answer is always empathy.

Think you know what your client wants? Most salespeople get this wrong. Empathy means understanding what your client thinks, feels, and truly needs. It’s the ability to put yourself in their shoes and adjust how you communicate to make your message clear and persuasive. If you lack empathy, you can’t effectively identify or address the buyer’s motivations.

Now that we’ve set the stage, let’s discuss the three key factors that drive buyer decisions.

The Three Key Buyer Motivations

What if I told you every buyer can be simply mapped on just two simple axes? Visualize a matrix with two axes:

Vertical Axis: Price (low price at the top) vs. Risk (low risk at the bottom)
Horizontal Axis: Time (how quickly the product or service is delivered)

Buyers typically prioritize one of these three motivations:

Low Price
Low Risk
Quick Delivery (Time)

Let’s break down each motivation and how it applies to different buyer profiles:

1. Low Price

Some clients prioritize cost above all else, often at the expense of quality or risk. For example:

Bootstrap Startups: They need solutions quickly and cheaply to launch their product and stay afloat. They accept the risk of lower quality to save on costs and delivery time.

2. Low Risk

Other clients prioritize minimizing risk and ensuring high quality. These buyers are willing to pay a premium for peace of mind. For example:

Large Corporations: They conduct extensive due diligence, checking financial stability, case studies, and references. They want reliable long-term partnerships with minimal disruptions.

3. Quick Delivery (Time)

Some buyers prioritize speed above all else, valuing how fast you can deliver a solution. This is often critical for:

Startups: They need rapid product development to beat competitors to market.
Urgent Projects: Clients with critical deadlines who can’t afford delays.

How to Use Buyer Motivation to Close Deals

To effectively close deals and prevent clients from disappearing, follow these two steps:

1. Map Out Your Ideal Client Profiles (ICP)

Analyze your existing clients and prospects. Place them on the motivation matrix:

Are they focused on low price, low risk, or quick delivery?
What stage of business are they in (startup, SME, or corporation)?

For example, if 90% of your clients are bootstrap startups, you already know they care about low price and fast delivery. This understanding allows you to tailor your message.

2. Adjust Your Sales Communication

Once you know your buyer’s primary motivation, align your communication accordingly:

For Price-Sensitive Buyers: Emphasize affordability, cost savings, and ROI.
For Risk-Averse Buyers: Highlight quality, case studies, and reliability.
For Time-Sensitive Buyers: Focus on speed, delivery timelines, and rapid execution.

Real-World Example: Bootstrap Startups vs. Corporations

Imagine you’re talking to two clients:

Bootstrap Startup: They need a product developed quickly and cheaply. Your pitch should emphasize your ability to deliver at a competitive price and meet tight deadlines.
Large Corporation: They care about reducing risk and ensuring quality. Your pitch should focus on your track record, detailed case studies, and long-term reliability.

By understanding where these clients fall on the matrix, you can empathize with their priorities and communicate in a way that resonates.

Key Takeaways

Empathy is the cornerstone of every sales. Understand your client’s motivations.
Buyers prioritize one of three factors: low price, low risk, or quick delivery.
Map your clients on the motivation matrix and adjust your messaging accordingly.

When you identify and address the key motivations driving your buyer’s decisions, you not only increase your chances of winning the deal but also build stronger, longer-lasting client relationships.

If you found this helpful, share it with your sales team or peers. Let’s continue to improve how we sell IT services in competitive markets!