I was 90% sure the deal was mine.
Three months of back-and-forth. Multiple stakeholders engaged. Budget confirmed. Timeline agreed upon. The prospect was saying all the right things in our weekly check-ins. "Looks good." "We're moving forward." "Just need to finalize a few things internally."
Then... silence.

What I didn't realize until it was too late was that I'd been so focused on closing that I'd completely missed the micro signals screaming at me for weeks. The slightly shorter responses. The delayed replies. The way they'd nod and say "sure" instead of asking follow-up questions. Their energy had shifted from engaged to compliant, but I was too busy checking boxes to notice.

They weren't being dishonest. They were being human. It was easier to give me fake acceptance than to admit they were confused, overwhelmed, or starting to check out. And my laser focus on the finish line made it safe for them to disengage without confronting the real issues.

Maybe you’ve been there?

Deal velocity slows to a crawl, and we're left wondering what happened to that "sure thing" that suddenly isn't so sure anymore.Changing our probability to closed lost doesn’t feel good, when we realize we could have done more.

‍1. Reframe our ViewWe need to change our lens to pick up the signals we're missing. That prospect who's suddenly taking longer to respond? That's not necessarily a scheduling issue—it might be a signal they're losing confidence. The stakeholder who used to ask detailed questions but now just says "sounds good"? Not feeling heard or treated as a priority.Invites them to mentally check out.Start listening to the silence between the words. Energy shifts before words do. When someone goes from asking thoughtful questions to giving polite responses, we need to catch that transition and address it head-on.Can we start with being upfront and honest “John if at any point, you no longer feel this is a good fit or your priorities shift, are you comfortable telling me?Call it out before you have to call it out.

‍2. Reveal the RiskDrop the mask. Name what's really happening.Instead of pretending everything's fine when you sense hesitation, try: "I'm sensing some hesitation in your voice. What concerns do you have that we haven't talked about yet?"Or when momentum slows: "It feels like something's shifted since our last conversation. What's changed on your end that we should address?"This kind of transparency doesn't kill deals—it saves them. When we create space for honest conversation, we stop forcing our prospects to choose between fake agreement and uncomfortable confrontation. We give them a third option: real dialogue. We also model the behaviour for them to follow suit, drop their guards and lead with transparency, watch the velocity pick up after this. The closet opens and the skeletons start to come out one by one.

‍3. Reaccelerate by Mapping Every StakeholderWhen velocity drops, it's often because there's someone we haven't accounted for or understood properly. Map every stakeholder again. Who influences the decision that you haven't spoken to? Who has the power to slow things down or speed them up?Surface the real blockages. That "internal review" that's been going on for three weeks? Dig deeper. What specifically are they reviewing? Who's involved? What's their biggest concern?Don't accept vague responses. The more specific the information, the more targeted your response can be. “What will Janice object to? Rojer has another project in Q4, why would he not push this one off? Play devil’s advocate, brainstorm with the team, what might happen if these objections, roadblocks play out? Arm yourself with the info you may need from the people who are the closest to the buying committee.

Stuck deals are rarely about price or features.

They're about human dynamics we missed, concerns we didn't surface, or stakeholders we didn't understand.So often, watching my daughter’s soccer game, I shout, “who are you marking” an unmarked player weaves through the players and gets the shot, no difference in sales, who are the unmarked players?

Looking back at that deal I lost, the signs were all there. The prospect had started feeling like I cared more about my quota than solving their problem. They were right. And rather than risk an uncomfortable conversation about their doubts, they chose the path of least resistance: slow ghosting.

Here's your Challenge

Think about your last meaningful prospect conversation. Not the quick check-in or status update, but the last time you really connected.What micro signal might you have missed? Was there a moment where their energy shifted, where they became more polite and less engaged? A question they didn't ask that they normally would have? Silence filled where dialogue would have taken place?Pick one micro change you'll make in your next conversation to prevent your deal from getting stuck. Maybe it's asking about their concerns instead of just their timeline. Maybe it's naming the tension you're sensing instead of pretending it's not there.

The best salespeople aren't the ones who never have deals stall—they're the ones who catch the stall before it becomes a stop.

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‍What's your one micro change going to be?

Need help getting unstuck? Reach out.

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