How I Drive Sales Velocity: Harnessing the Buyer Change Blueprint to Close Deals Faster

By Matt Slonaker, M. Allen

Let me take you back to a moment every salesperson knows all too well. You’re deep into a deal. The conversations are flowing, the buyer seems engaged, and you’re starting to picture that signature on the dotted line. Then, out of nowhere, it happens—radio silence. The buyer goes quiet, the momentum stalls, and what felt like a sure thing slips into a frustrating cycle of follow-ups and uncertainty. Sound familiar?

I’ve been there more times than I’d like to admit. Over the years, I’ve learned that these stalls aren’t just random. They happen because buyers recognize the need for change but don’t feel the urgency to act now. According to research from RAIN Group, 44% of sales leaders say more deals are lost to “no decision” than ever before, and 43% report longer sales cycles. That hesitation can kill a deal faster than any competitor.

So, how do you keep deals moving? How do you create that spark of urgency that turns hesitation into action? For me, the answer lies in a tool I’ve come to rely on: the Buyer Change Blueprint (BCB). It’s transformed the way I approach sales at M. Allen, and I’m excited to share how it can do the same for you.

What Is Sales Velocity, and Why Does It Matter?

Before we dive into the BCB, let’s talk about sales velocity—the heartbeat of any high-performing sales process. Sales velocity measures how quickly opportunities move through your pipeline. The faster deals progress, the less time you waste chasing stalled prospects, and the more revenue you can generate.

Here’s the formula I use to calculate it:

Sales Velocity = (# of Opportunities x Average Deal Size x Win Rate) / Sales Cycle Length

It’s simple but powerful. If your pipeline is full but deals are dragging on for months, your velocity suffers. Slow velocity means missed quotas, frustrated teams, and opportunities that slip away. On the flip side, high velocity keeps buyers engaged, shortens decision timelines, and boosts your close rates.

The challenge? Creating that urgency to keep deals moving. That’s where the Buyer Change Blueprint comes in.

The Buyer Change Blueprint: My Secret to Keeping Deals on Track

Early in my career, I made the mistake of thinking buyers would naturally see the value of my solution and act on it. I’d pitch, send proposals, and wait. More often than not, I’d end up chasing ghosts. What I didn’t realize was that buyers need more than a great pitch—they need a clear, compelling reason to act now.

The Buyer Change Blueprint changed all that. It’s a framework that maps out the buyer’s journey from their current state to their desired future state, with my solution as the bridge between the two. Instead of leaving buyers to connect the dots themselves, I use the BCB to guide them, step by step, toward a decision.

Here’s how it works:

1. Current State: I start by summarizing the buyer’s pain points, challenges, and inefficiencies. This comes straight from our discovery conversations, so it’s specific and grounded in their reality.
2. New Reality: Next, I paint a vivid picture of what their world could look like once those challenges are solved—a future where their goals are met, and their problems are history.
3. My Solution: Finally, I outline how my offering gets them from point A to point B. This isn’t a detailed proposal yet—just a high-level roadmap that shows them the path forward.

What makes the BCB so effective is that it’s not a one-way pitch. It’s a collaborative tool. I present it to buyers early, often right after a discovery call, and invite them to refine it with me. That collaboration creates buy-in and builds momentum, so the deal doesn’t stall.

For example, I might wrap up a discovery call by saying, “Thanks for walking me through your challenges. I’ve got some ideas about how we can help. Let me put together a quick outline of what I’m thinking, and we can tweak it together to make sure it’s spot-on before we move to a full proposal. Sound good?” Nine times out of ten, they’re on board because it feels low-pressure and collaborative.

Why Deals Stall (And How the BCB Fixes It)

Let’s talk about why deals stall in the first place. In my experience, it’s not because buyers don’t see the value—it’s because they don’t feel the urgency. They might know their current system is outdated or their processes are inefficient, but without a clear picture of what’s at stake, they’re happy to kick the can down the road.

The BCB flips this dynamic on its head. By laying out the cost of inaction (lost revenue, missed opportunities, frustrated teams) alongside the benefits of acting now (streamlined operations, happier customers, bigger wins), it creates a sense of urgency that’s hard to ignore. I’ve found that buyers are 60% more likely to move forward when I present value this way, and the BCB makes it easy to do.

Take a recent deal I worked on at M. Allen. The buyer was interested but hesitant, worried about the upfront cost of switching to our solution. Instead of diving into a full-blown proposal, I shared a BCB that outlined their current state—manual processes eating up hours of their team’s time—and contrasted it with a new reality where automation saved them 20 hours a week. Then, I sketched out how our solution would get them there. As we refined the blueprint together, the buyer started adding their own ideas, like integrating with their existing CRM. By the end, they were so invested that they practically wrote the proposal themselves. That deal closed in half the time I’d expected.

How I Present the BCB for Maximum Impact

Building the BCB is one thing; presenting it effectively is another. Over time, I’ve honed a four-step approach that makes sure it resonates with buyers:

1. Start with Understanding: I kick things off by reviewing their current state to show I’ve been listening. For example, I might say, “From what you’ve shared, it sounds like your team is spending too much time on manual reporting, which is slowing down decision-making. Is that right?”
2. Paint a Vivid Picture: Next, I describe the new reality in terms of outcomes, not just features. Instead of saying, “Our software has XYZ feature,” I’ll say, “Your team will have real-time insights at their fingertips, so you can make decisions faster and stay ahead of the competition.”
3. Contrast Before and After: To drive urgency, I highlight the gap between where they are now and where they could be. For instance, “Right now, you’re losing hours to manual work. With our solution, you could cut that time by 30% and reinvest it in growing your business.”
4. Invite Collaboration: Finally, I encourage the buyer to jump in and refine the blueprint with me. I’ll say, “This is my initial take on how we can help. What do you think? Are there any areas you’d want to tweak or prioritize?” This makes them feel like a partner, not a prospect.

This approach doesn’t just keep deals moving—it builds trust. Buyers appreciate that I’m not trying to force a solution on them. Instead, I’m working with them to solve their problems.

The Results: Faster Deals, Happier Buyers

Since I started using the Buyer Change Blueprint, I’ve seen a real difference in how deals play out at M. Allen. Here’s what I’ve noticed:

• Shorter Sales Cycles: By keeping buyers engaged and collaborative, I’ve cut proposal development time and sped up decisions.
• Higher Close Rates: When buyers feel invested in the process, they’re more likely to say yes. The BCB has helped me turn hesitant prospects into confident customers.
• Stronger Relationships: The collaborative nature of the BCB positions me as a trusted advisor, not just a salesperson. That trust pays dividends long after the deal is done.

One of my favorite examples is a mid-sized client who was stuck in “analysis paralysis.” They knew they needed to upgrade their systems, but they kept delaying. I introduced the BCB during our second meeting, walking them through their current inefficiencies and the potential for a 15% boost in productivity with our solution. As we refined it together, they started to see the cost of waiting—lost revenue, frustrated employees, and missed opportunities. That deal, which could’ve dragged on for months, closed in just six weeks.

Why the BCB Is My Go-To Tool

In a world where buyers are more cautious than ever, the Buyer Change Blueprint has become my secret weapon. It’s not just about closing deals faster (though it does that beautifully). It’s about helping buyers see the value of acting now and giving them the confidence to move forward.

If you’re tired of chasing stalled deals or losing to “no decision,” I can’t recommend the BCB enough. It’s simple, collaborative, and incredibly effective. Try it on your next deal—map out the buyer’s current state, show them a better future, and guide them there with your solution. You’ll be amazed at how quickly things start moving.

Matt Slonaker is a sales leader at M. Allen, where he helps businesses unlock growth through innovative solutions. Connect with him to learn more about driving sales velocity and closing deals faster.