Deal slippage—what's it all about?
Picture this: You’ve got a promising deal in your pipeline — all signs point to go. The buyer seems engaged, internal champions are nodding along, and you’re feeling confident about hitting that closing date. But as the deadline approaches… it slips. Suddenly, what felt like a sure thing is now pushed to “next month” or “next quarter.”
Welcome to the frustrating world of deal slippage — when an opportunity doesn’t close when expected and quietly drifts into the future. It’s not necessarily a lost deal, but it can wreak havoc on forecasting, stall momentum, and drain your team’s energy.
The truth? Deal slippage happens more often than we’d like to admit. And while sometimes it’s due to factors beyond your control — like shifting budgets or internal delays on the buyer’s side — it’s just as often a result of misreading where the buyer really is in their decision process.
Maybe the prospect was interested but not urgent. Maybe we skipped some key discovery questions and assumed too much. Or maybe we fell into “happy ears” mode and let optimism override real qualification.
The good news: with the right sales process and coaching, you can spot the early warning signs of slippage before it derails your quarter. And when you learn to stay aligned with the buyer’s true timeline — not just the one you’re hoping for — you can keep deals moving forward with more clarity and less frustration.
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So, the real question is: How can you avoid these never-ending deals that keep slipping through the cracks and into the future?
Contact us to uncover strategies to help you get a grip on deal slippage and ensure that opportunities don't fade into oblivion.
Chris Kelly - Chris assists evolutionary minded business owners, corporations, and passionate individuals to realize superior levels of performance in the areas of sales, sales management, and business development.
