Why Your Deals Are Stalled - And How to Fix Them

Welcome back to C-Suite Sidekick hosted by Summer Poletti. Today we're diving into a topic that hits close to home for many B2B sales professionals, especially in financial services and SaaS - why deals get stalled and, more crucially, how to fix them. Whether you’re anxious about hitting your quota or frustrated with deals that endlessly linger in your pipeline, this episode is for you. Drawing from personal experiences and industry insights, I'll explore common roadblocks that hinder deal progression, from improper qualification and lack of budget to engaging with the wrong people and misunderstanding timelines. Plus, I’ll share actionable strategies to revive stalled deals and keep your pipeline healthy and moving. If you're ready to close more deals before the year's end and avoid falling into the same traps, stay tuned!

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• Repurposed content, such as this description created using CastMagic
• Visit Rise of Us for more information about Summer's services
• Connect with Summer on LinkedIn

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro to mini pod
• 0:17 Why It's Important
• 1:21 Today's Topic
• 2:16 Problem #1
• 3:01 Problem #2
• 3:22 Problem #3
• 3:39 Problem #4
• 4:02 Problem #5
• 4:17 How To Diagnose
• 5:53 Solution #1
• 6:33 Solution #2
• 7:16 Solution #3
• 8:01 Solution #4
• 8:35 Solution #5
• 9:08 Solution #6
• 9:37 Wrap It Up

Transcript

0:00

Hello, and welcome back. This is C-suite sidekick and I'm your host summer poletti. And today we're diving into a crucial topic for B2B sales professionals. Especially those in financial services and SaaS. Why deals get stalled and more importantly, how to fix them. But first let's talk about why this is so important. Have you ever felt even a little anxious about whether or not quota would be hit? Maybe new sales are behind your target. And as the end of the year gets closer, you're starting to get more nervous, but you're told not to worry because the deals in the pipeline will close. Here's the problem. Some of those deals have been in the pipeline for a long time. Maybe even since 2023. And with a note saying, call back in two weeks on a lot of them. Does any of this sound familiar? I have been there too. Back when I was working in operations one year, our sales team missed their target by so much that I had to cut a few jobs. Let me tell you if you've never been there, it was gut wrenching. And that experience made me vow to do better. When I moved over to sales. I knew I needed to ensure that our projections were as accurate as possible. And that deals didn't just sit in the pipeline quarter after quarter, they needed to move forward, close and contribute to the business. And that's why I'm here today. To share some of the most common reasons deals get stuck and how you can revive them before the year's over. Because if your deals don't close by December 31st, you're looking at a delay into first quarter or worse. The end of 2025. I mean, some of those SaaS deals, it start January 1st, or you're not in the budget for this year and you get bumped out a whole year. And let's face it. December is a tough time to sell. Between the holidays and fiscal year end. It's hard to get people's attention. So the time to act is now. Last year, an estimated 56% of B2B companies missed their revenue targets. And I do not want you to be part of that statistic this year. Let's start by exploring some of the most common reasons deals, stall in the first place. This is something I see all the time. And it often comes down to wishful thinking in your pipeline. There's no shame in that sales folks tend to be optimistic. And sometimes see the potential in deals that just aren't likely to close. This comes from a place of tough love here. I don't want to beat up your pipeline, but I also don't want you wasting your precious time. Here are a few key issues that I see. In a lot of companies. Number one surface level qualification deals often get stuck because they weren't properly qualified from the start. Maybe you've identified a challenge, but it's not urgent enough for the prospect to act. Or the problem might be there, but the prospect simply doesn't care enough. To move forward with a new solution. Number two. Lack of budget or resources. This is a big one in SaaS and financial services. The prospect might love your solution, but doesn't have the budget or resources to implement it. Yet. Without understanding their financial timeline or their resources on hand you risk. Having these deals drag out. Number three, talking to the wrong people. If you're talking to the gatekeeper or the mid-level manager, you know, someone who says their decision maker, Your deal's probably gonna stay in that stage. You need to be talking to decision makers or influencers with the power to move the needle. Number four passing curiosity versus real interest. Some prospects may have only been casually exploring their options to see what's out there. Or worse, they were shopping around to get a better deal from their current supplier. These deals are often the hardest to revive because the urgency isn't there or the opportunity may not have even been there in the first place. Five not understanding the prospect's timeline. This is critical. You need to know when the prospect plans to implement your solution. If their timeline doesn't align with your end of year goals, you're going to run into some challenges. Now that we've identified some common reasons why deal stall. Let's talk about how to diagnose whether a deal should say in your pipeline. Or be deprioritized. One revisit your discovery process. Go back to your initial discovery calls. Did you uncover deep business challenges? Or were you only searching at the surface? Did you do one of those things where you heard. A common problem that you solve and you got excited because, you know, you can help this person and you forgot that you need to dig down to impact so that they understand how truly important it is. And maybe did you forget that you need to look for additional challenges? Believe it or not, I've done that all the time. It's okay. You may need to go back and do a deeper discovery though. Two check for internal champions. Who were you talking to? If there isn't an internal champion who's personally invested in solving the problem. That's why your deal might be stuck. You need someone who's ready to fight for the solution. Number three, assess timing and resources. Is the client ready to move now or are they waiting until Q1 or later? If their budget or team isn't lined up, you're spinning your wheels. Focus on deals that are ready to close right now. Number four. Watch for signs of interest level, has the prospect gone dark? Sometimes this means they were only looking to compare pricing or weren't serious to begin with. If they stopped responding, it's time to remove them from the pipeline or send them back to marketing for nurturing. All right. Now here's the fun part, how to fix these stall deals and get them moving again. I've used these strategies with multiple clients and they work wonders. Number one. Re-engage with new insights. Sometimes all it takes to get a prospect moving again is to bring something new to the table. For example, with one client. I reviewed our previous conversations and sent over valuable content they could use in their planning process. It was just what they needed and they re-engaged. You can do the same by following up with new insights that tie back to their challenges. To use AI to help you get unstuck. If you're really unstuck. AI can be an incredible tool to help you brainstorm new ways to follow up. Think of chat GBT, like using Google home or Alexa, but for work challenges. Upload your last message. Anonymized of course, and ask for five recommended follow-up tactics. You can give AI a goal, like help me. Re-engage this prospect it'll provide suggestions and I recommend reviewing them to make sure they fit your style. AI won't replace what makes a sales person special your relationship building, but it will save you some time and help you be more productive. Number three requalify the deal. If you're unsure why the deal is stuck, don't be afraid to go back and re qualify the prospect. Sometimes business priorities shift and they just haven't communicated that to you yet. One approach I've used successfully is simply asking. Did I do something wrong? Fall on the sword and you would be surprised how often the prospect apologizes and explains that they've been busy with a client crisis or someone in the office has been sick. And this may often lead to rescheduling a follow-up call. Or worst case scenario, they tell you that they did something else and they moved on and at least you can stop following up with them and wasting your time. Number four address the decision maker issue. If you're not talking to the right person now is the time. You don't want to insult or belittle the person that you have been talking to. So you can ask something like, who else should we involve? Or who else would have an opinion about this? And that who else frames, but maybe there's someone else in the company who cares, but it doesn't insult the person who has been leading the project. Number five, use a timeline to build urgency. prospects often stall because they don't understand the timeline needed to hit their goals. Collaborate with your marketing partner to create a timeline that backs into. their desired live date. And that also looks nice and professional. It's not pushy. It's helpful. This shows them the steps needed to meet their objectives. And it shows that you're there with them every step along the way, creating urgency without putting pressure. And number six disqualify if necessary. Finally, if the deal isn't going anywhere, it's okay to disqualify it. Sending one last outreach. A hail Mary email, like guessing this isn't a priority anymore. So I'll stop bugging you and delete the project. Put it in your own words, but be sure to use delete you would be surprised how often that gets a response. No one wants to be deleted. To wrap up stalled deals are incredibly common, but they don't have to stay stuck. By diagnosing the issues and taking action to re-engage or disqualify prospects. You free up space in your pipeline for deals that have a higher chance of closing this quarter. And you're also being more transparent and more realistic with your operations partners. And don't forget. AI can be your ally here. If you're struggling with follow-ups or stalled conversations. AI can give you new ideas and can help you break through roadblocks. If you need help analyzing your pipeline. Tips on how to requalify prospects or advice on how to integrate AI into your sales process without alienating your buyers and your clients. I am here for you. These are common problems and chances are someone in your network is dealing with them too. So if you found this helpful, I would very much appreciate it. If you share this episode. You never know who might need to hear it. And if these challenges sound familiar and you'd like to talk more, feel free to reach out. You can find me on LinkedIn I'm summer Paoletti rhymes with spaghetti, or you can visit the rise of us.com for more information. Thanks for listening and let's keep those deals moving.