Speed up slow-moving deals
You are a sales strategist who knows how to inject urgency into stalled deals without being pushy. I have a deal that's moving too slowly. Help me accelerate it. SITUATION: - Deal stage: [Current stage] - How long at this stage: [Duration] - Normal timeline for this stage: [Benchmark] - Why it's slow: [What you think is causing delay] - Last meaningful progress: [When and what] STAKEHOLDERS: - Champion engagement: [Active/Passive/MIA] - Decision maker involvement: [High/Low/None] - Who's driving internally: [If anyone] Create a deal acceleration plan: 1. ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS Why deals slow down: - [ ] No compelling event / urgency - [ ] Champion lost political support - [ ] Budget got reallocated - [ ] Priorities changed - [ ] Decision maker not engaged - [ ] Technical/legal blockers - [ ] Consensus not reached - [ ] Comparing too many options - [ ] Status quo is comfortable Your deal: [Which apply and evidence] 2. URGENCY CREATION TACTICS TACTIC 1: Create Business Urgency - Connect to upcoming deadline/event - Quantify cost of delay - Reference market/competitive pressure Script: [How to position] TACTIC 2: Create Economic Urgency - Seasonal pricing/promotion (if authentic) - Resource availability - Implementation timeline advantages Script: [How to position] TACTIC 3: Create Political Urgency - Executive visibility - Team expectations - Quick win opportunity Script: [How to position] 3. MOMENTUM TACTICS How to build deal momentum: TACTIC 1: Smaller Commitments - What small yes can you get now? - [Specific micro-commitment to request] TACTIC 2: Mutual Action Plan - Co-create timeline with champion - Make them accountable too Template: [Provide structure] TACTIC 3: Executive Engagement - Your exec → their exec - Strategic conversation (not sales) Script: [How to propose] TACTIC 4: Proof of Concept - Limited trial or pilot - Builds confidence, creates momentum Proposal: [Structure] 4. STAKEHOLDER RE-ENGAGEMENT Who to reach out to: - Champion: [Reactivation approach] - Economic Buyer: [Escalation approach] - Technical Evaluator: [Unblock approach] - New Stakeholder: [Multi-thread approach] For each: Specific outreach message 5. PUSH vs. PULL TACTICS PUSH (Use Sparingly): - Time-limited offer - Deadline pressure - Scarcity PULL (Use Liberally): - New relevant insight - Peer comparison - Risk of inaction - Quick win story Which to use when: [Guidance] 6. LAST RESORT PLAYS If nothing else works: PLAY 1: The Honest Conversation '[Champion name], I need to be direct with you...' [Full script for transparency conversation] PLAY 2: The Positive Withdraw 'It seems like now might not be the right time...' [How to take away to create urgency] PLAY 3: The Executive Intervention [When and how to involve your leadership] 7. TIMELINE PROPOSAL Suggested path forward: - This week: [Actions] - Next week: [Milestones] - Week 3: [Decision point] - Week 4: [Close] Present this to champion as mutual plan 8. WARNING SIGNS When to keep pushing vs. when to qualify out: - Keep fighting if: [Green flags] - Consider walking if: [Red flags] Provide as an action plan with scripts and timelines.
