Strategic Deal Breakdown
Why Your Deal Isn't Moving
A 15-minute breakdown to help you understand what's actually happening in one deal — and what's missing.
Start with one deal you're working on right now. Prefer to use it offline? Download it at the end.
Most deals don't stall because of price or competition.
They stall because the decision process is unclear.
How to use this
- →Take 10–15 minutes and go through this on one real deal.
- →Use this on one deal, not your whole pipeline.
What is actually happening in this deal?
What stage is this deal in (really)?
How long has it been there?
What has actually changed in the last 2–3 weeks?
Most deals feel active even when they're not moving.
What they say vs what's real
What they say
What's likely true
Who actually decides?
Who owns the final decision?
Who carries the risk if this goes wrong?
Who can block this without being visible?
Are you focused on the right people?
Who are you spending the most time with?
Are they driving the decision or just participating?
What is the ONE move that advances this deal?
Not follow-ups. Not updates. What is the next action that forces a decision?
This is usually where most deals get stuck.
Most people struggle to define this clearly without external input.
Define the next decision
What decision needs to happen next?
Who needs to make it?
By when?
If you found gaps while going through this, that's the point.
Most deals don't stall because of effort.
They stall because the decision structure is unclear.
If you're unsure about any of your answers, that's usually where the deal is stuck.
If this looks familiar
Most deals don't get lost.
They drift because no one owns the decision.
If you're working on a deal like this and want a second set of eyes, this is exactly what we do in the session.