By revisiting open proposals and refining your strategy, you can turn a sluggish project pipeline into meaningful growth.
As last year’s stalled opportunities begin to gain traction, integrators are starting to see more business coming in. Many clients that delayed projects in 2024 are now issuing purchase orders to turn proposals into live opportunities.
But the latest Commercial Integrator + Security Sales & Integration and NSCA State of the Industry Report reveals that backlogs are lagging. While they once exceeded 50% of annual revenue for many integrators, they’ve dropped to 30% to 40% today.
This, combined with labor shortages and rising costs, makes it harder to close deals.
Yet, these shifts bring new opportunities. By revisiting open proposals and refining your strategy, you can turn a sluggish pipeline into meaningful growth. Here’s how to sober up and re-engage those hungover proposals from last year.
1. Kick the Year Off with Customer Business Reviews
Revenueifyemphasizes the importance of three strategic account meetings to build customer lifetime value. The first in this sequence, which is typically conducted around this time of year, is the evaluation meeting. It offers a strategic opportunity to gather valuable feedback from your accounts while gaining clear insights into the status of outstanding proposals in a low-pressure environment.
A customer business review (CBR) is a strategic and customer-focused strategy for re-engaging with existing customers. It is designed as a way to re-evaluate the current needs of your customer, reassess the partnership, and establish goals for the year. By aligning with your customers’ updated priorities, you reinforce your strategic value while closing hungover deals.
2. Leverage Subscription Tools to Remove Barriers
Clients that are parting with large amounts of capital create challenges, but subscription tools can make all the difference. Collaborating with financing partners can offer ways to package your solutions as subscriptions or with traditional financing.
This gives you a reason to meet with customers again, and it positions sales team members as consultants who solve problems. Discussing a subscription option using an ROI tool similar to what we cover in our RECUR Sales Certification could be an excellent opportunity to get your hungover opportunities back on track.
3. Refocus on the Impact and Implications of Your Projects
Any time opportunities are stuck, we recommend asking: “What business objective are you solving with this opportunity?” When discussing the outcomes your solution will achieve, as well and the implications of not moving forward with these solutions (what will occur if there is a delay in decision-making), it’s important to highlight specific, measurable business objectives. Whether you sell security systems, IT solutions, or AV technology, focus on tangible objectives like cost savings, operational efficiency, and increased productivity.
Refocus the conversation by using:
- Impact-focused examples: “By implementing this solution, you could improve workflow efficiency by 35%.”
- Implication-focused examples: “For every month this upgrade is delayed, you’re losing up to 20% in potential ROI.”
Sales professionals who can speak to the impact and implications of their proposals can maximize their pipelines at higher rates than others who focus on products.
Sober Up Your Project Pipeline Today
Integrators that position themselves as essential partners by focusing on delivering measurable client outcomes will thrive, even in challenging market conditions. By conducting CBRs, offering flexible financing, and focusing on the impact and implications of your solutions, you can build great customer experiences and sober up your hungover pipeline!
Want to fast-track your pipeline in 2025? Check out the upcoming REVUP Achiever Outcome-Based Selling Certification sessions, designed for NSCA members only.
This certification equips your team with the skills to guide clients through a consultative process and unlocks your pipeline’s full potential. Don’t let opportunity hangovers hold you back. Take the next step and turn your opportunities into measurable growth today.
Tyler Ebnet is the president and principal consultant at Revenueify, an NSCA Member Advisory Councilmember.
