You’ve been there.
The deal looked solid. You’d uncovered the pain, had alignment on budget, maybe even got a verbal “yes.” Then, out of nowhere, someone you’ve never met shows up, throws a wrench in the process, and suddenly your sure-thing goes cold.
Sound familiar?
Here’s the hard truth: most deals don’t die because of price, product, or timing. They die because we never truly understood the buyer’s decision-making process.
The Hidden Risk in Every Deal
Today’s buying environment is more complicated than ever. According to Gartner, the average B2B buying decision involves 6–10 stakeholders, each with their own priorities, biases, and influence. Miss one, and you’re exposed.
Think about your own pipeline right now:
- How many deals do you feel confident you’ve mapped the full decision-making team?
- How often are you relying on one champion to “take it upstairs” for you?
- What’s the real cost of being surprised late in the cycle by a decision blocker?
If you’re honest, you might admit that too many of your deals are balanced on the shaky foundation of assumptions.
The Six Things You Must Uncover
Every complex sale requires clarity on six components. Skip even one, and the odds of a stalled or lost deal skyrocket.
- Players – Who really matters? Not just titles, but influencers, champions, skeptics, and the ultimate decision-maker.
- Process – How do they actually make decisions? Formal RFP? Informal consensus? A CEO who makes the final call over lunch?
- Criteria – What’s most important to them? Price? ROI? Risk mitigation? Strategic alignment?
- Timeline – When do they need a solution? What could accelerate—or delay—the decision?
- Competition – Who else is in the mix? And just as important, what internal options are they considering besides you?
- Success Blockers – What hidden obstacles could derail the deal? Internal politics? Budget freezes? A vocal skeptic on the team?
Here’s the kicker: buyers rarely lay all this out on the table. You’ve got to investigate, ask better questions, and connect the dots across multiple conversations.
Stop Asking Tired Questions
Here’s where many sellers get it wrong: they ask the same old questions buyers have been hearing for decades.
“Who else will be involved in the decision?”
It’s not a bad question, it’s just tired. Most buyers will give you a vague answer, or worse, dodge it entirely. Instead, try:
- “Whose input will be important as you evaluate options?”
- “Who will you want to keep updated as you explore solutions?”
- “When you’ve made similar decisions in the past, who had the most influence on the outcome?”
See the difference? It feels less transactional and more conversational. It shows you’re thinking about how their world actually works, not just trying to check a box.
Think Like an Investigative Reporter
If you want real clarity, stop acting like a vendor and start acting like an investigative reporter. Reporters don’t just ask one question and move on. They dig deeper, listen for nuance, and connect threads others miss.
In sales, that means:
- Asking layered questions instead of one-and-done queries.
- Listening for what isn’t being said as much as what is.
- Testing for alignment by asking multiple stakeholders the same question in different ways.
The goal isn’t to interrogate your buyer, it’s to engage them in a conversation that builds trust while giving you the full picture.
When to Walk Away
Here’s something most sellers don’t like to admit: sometimes, the right move is to disqualify a deal.
If you can’t gain clarity on the six components, or if you can’t get access to the real decision-makers, you don’t have a qualified opportunity, you have a hope. And hope isn’t a strategy.
Ask yourself:
- Am I chasing this deal because it’s real, or because I’m afraid of an empty pipeline?
- If this deal drags out for another six months and still doesn’t close, what’s the opportunity cost?
Sometimes, the best sales move is to cut bait and focus on the deals where you can win.
Your Next Step
Here’s a challenge for you:
Take one live opportunity in your pipeline today and map out all six components of the buyer’s decision-making process. Be brutally honest about what you know and what you’re assuming.
Then ask yourself:
- Where are the gaps?
- Who haven’t I spoken with yet?
- What smarter questions do I need to ask in my next call?
Clarity beats confidence every time. The sellers and leaders who master this investigative approach won’t just close more deals—they’ll stop wasting time on the wrong ones.
Ultimately: Deals don’t stall because buyers are indecisive. They stall because sellers don’t know how decisions really get made. Learn the process, ask better questions, and you’ll never again be blindsided by the mysterious “someone upstairs” who kills your deal.
What are your thoughts on this topic?
