Discovery
Time kills all deals
07/07/25, 00:00
Who is it for?
Founders, CEOs, CROs, and sales leaders at B2B SaaS companies running discovery and qualification calls.
When to use?
When discovery calls feel productive but deals don’t progress, and qualification signals are unclear.
It’s well-known and it's true. The longer a deal drifts, the more the chance the prospect will focus elsewhere, find an alternative, reorganise or change personnel, …
Time kills all deals, but it does not have to:
It’s well-known and it's true. The longer a deal drifts, the more the chance the prospect will focus elsewhere, find an alternative, reorganise or change personnel, …
Deals drift for three reasons
1️⃣ We assumed we knew the timing, without strong evidence.
↳ Even if the client gives a date, we need to confirm the the substance behind it.
2️⃣ We have failed to drive urgency.
↳ When there is no “compelling event”, we need to show the value of moving fast.
3️⃣ Poor qualification.
↳ There was never really a deal. Interesting conversations but no actual business need.
If the Close date gets deferred, it’s a sign that the Seller doesn’t have clear visibility.
😞 If the AE cannot get this, with a good level of detail, then Close Lost, move to nurture and reopen when it’s real.
Backing up a little, great AEs will always do the following.
⭐ Multithread so they understand where the power lies and who cares about this deal.
⭐ Ensure all key players understand the value to their business of moving forwards quickly.
⭐ Agree a timeline that everyone is working towards.
⭐ Hold the prospect to account for making practical, real progress towards closure.
⭐ Be brutally honest with Discovery, using their manager or peers to see through the rose tinted glasses and help identify the reality.
And great managers will hold AEs to account for doing all of the above!
As ever, please comment here.