ABC "Always Be Closing": MOU is a not a sale so go for the purchase order (PO).
[Edit] Adding to the great pieces of advice given by edw519 that the answer are with your prospect and all got to do is ask question and listen.

* Present them a copy of the Purchase Order they should sign. Give them a pen and wait don't say anything.
If that's too fast here are from start some steps I follow:

* Detect a prospect "with a pain" that your offer can solve.
Be like a hunter: do not waste energy after rabits (no meat for too much hastle). http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2009/09/16/most-startups-...
This can be any type of pain: they have a budget to spend before now and the end of the year. You can help the decision maker look good in front of his bosses. Students have threaten to strike if the pb is not solved by a solution like yours (often pains are human/status related).

* that means detect the non shopping signals (they don't really know their budget? no time frame; they just want info etc... they shop but will not buy). As soon as you feel they are not serious go to the next one.

* Reformulate the framework for PO: "so Mr Prospect if we do this, and that and this, in this time frame you will sign me a Purchase Order?"

* Answer objections one after the other. Be exhaustive so that there can be no objection left and he is forced to sign PO as he accepted he will do.

* Detect Redherring/false objections: the prospect does not want to tell you he will not buy (sometimes the prospect knows this from the start, he just want to justify that he has looked for several offers etc even if he already know the one he wants to buy).

* Often they don't want to tell you the whole thing (and the "real" thing). and you have to know EVERYTHING (because either your competitor will, or the prospect will play with you). So spend time at the water cooler with people around the project and ask "open questions" = they type they can not answer with yes or no but where they have to elaborate. They will tell you for instance that "you loose your time the guy knows that he leaves to another co end of the year, he is just justifying his salary in the meantime". You can also have call with excuses to get into side (but very informative conversations) eg. "Hey I wanted to check if you well receive my email? btw how does Xor Y work at your organization, just curious"... "I see", "really" "what do you mean by XMN process?"

* Make sure that when you give sthg they give you sthg back: a feedback email, a meeting with their boss/decision maker, contact to their contract adminstrator. (bad sign is when you give and give and do not receive nuggets of value back that shows you are in the process of closing.)

* do not put too many intermediary steps (sometimes people are scared to ask for the order while the prospect is already ready to buy that is why from day one you should have a PO in your bag in case the guy says ok. Rare but happens somtimes)

* the key to this is listen more than speak and sometimes play the game "the 1st who speaks has lost".

* Ask the hard questions and wait (=shut up) until the other one is a little bit uncomfortable with the silence and can not help but speak. eg. "Who is the person who will sign the PO", "how much budget do you have?", "why is it so important to you to buy a solution?", "Why would you buy from us and not our competitor?". Hard question are a little bit at the limit of rudeness but at least you are clear and you tried, and by experience many times people answer. You are a busy professional, and that is why you ask clear question to save everybody's time but(!) you respect their procedures and that is fine that if A then they will give you the answer to your question B.

* It is a partnership: "you have appreciated the effort we have put in answering all your questions, in return we ask for a date where, if all conditions (listed) are fulfilled, you think we could come to sign the contract/PO together. Do we agree?" - then send an email telling what prospect agree to do., and regularly check if we can expect that PO will be signed by then? any possibilities it can get postponed? what could be the risk? "ah I see, so should I talk to this person to make sure they will read the contract before (y date)?"

Always be Closing.

Once you have your PO (1 page), you need your legal contract, and then you have 3 other steps:

* reassure the client that he did well to buy form you (don't leave him alone while you celebrate). "Hey, fyi the other institution X bought from us" "see our article in this important publication". They chose the right horse.

* Deliver (and make as many people in their org happy as you can, they will be future sales people for you outside or inside the org).

* Finally go back to the client and say "ok you were happy with our service/produc" "yes", "did you appreciate the reactivity of our team", etc..." yes" "You understand that in order to serve you even better with more ressource I need to grow my business "yes" . "So now do you think we deserved the right to ask you the contact details of people in charge like you at 3 other similar institutions which will benefit from our solution like you did?" write 3 bullet points on your notebook, do not speak wait for the 3 names even 2 is great value.