We understand—you have a quota to meet. You have a sales manager breathing down your neck asking when you’re going to close the deal. You have a sales contest to win. There is a lot of pressure in sales. And this pressure could end up making you commit a mortal sin: rushing to sell.

Even though it might seem imperative that you close deals quickly in order to move on and close others, this isn’t the best way to sell. In fact, it’s a terrible sales strategy. Your customers aren’t in a rush to buy, so you shouldn’t be in a rush to sell. It’ll only hurt your results.

If you’re always trying to push people to buy quickly, then you might need to rethink your sales strategy. When you do, you’ll actually close more deals. Here’s why you need to have patience and take it slowly.

It’s not all about You

First off, if you’re in a hurry to sell, then you’re only thinking about yourself, your quota, and your numbers. And this isn’t a good sales strategy. Today, you need to put the customers’ needs first. You need to slow down and actually give thought to the people you’re doing business with. You need to think about their wants, their needs, and their challenges. You need to think about where they are in the buyer journey. And you need to create a custom solution that is unique to their needs. If you just dive right into your sales pitch without trying to get to know your buyers or showing any interest in their needs, you’ll lose the sale.

When you take the time to focus on the customer first, selling will actually be easier.

Pushiness Is a Turn Off, Man

Aggressive sales tactics might have been encouraged in the past, but they’re a big no-no now. If you’re being manipulative, sneaky, and pushy to try to close deals quickly, your buyers will pick up on it and it will make them feel like they’re being had. It’ll be a turn off and these prospective customers will suddenly lose interest in working with you altogether.

You have to learn to sell without being pushy. Give customers the time they need to make their own purchasing decisions. You can be there to guide them, to help them, and to direct them to buy from you, but that’s it.

Building Trust Takes Time

Trust is a critical part of the sales process but it’s also something that’s difficult to gain. Your buyers won’t trust you right off the bat. You have to make them trust you, and this takes time. You have to build relationships with them. You have to share advice and recommendations. You have to prove you’re credible and knowledgeable. You need to show them that you’re honest through your actions and words. You have to provide value and give them a reason to trust you.

Once you do this, you’ll build long-term relationships with your buyers that will lead to tons of sales now and in the future. It will also lead to referrals and positive word-of-mouth marketing. In the long run, taking the time you need to build trust will benefit you. Just be patient and it will come.

Regardless of the pressure you have at your company to sell quickly, remember that there are no shortcuts in life. You can’t be in such a hurry to sell or this sales strategy will hurt you in the end. Take the time required to focus on the customer and his needs. Take the time to build relationships and build trust. When you do, you’ll be rewarded handsomely in the end.