We often talk on our blog about ways to close a deal and become a better salesperson or manager. Lessons offered to us by successful entrepreneurs or leaders. But, as Nelson Mandela said: “I never lose, I either win or learn”. A lost pitch feels like a defeat, but it is actually a unique opportunity to learn. Every experienced salesperson has ruined a deal with a clumsy move and has come away wiser for it. We have listed a number of common mistakes that can ruin a deal.

The necessity is missing

From the progress of the sales process you can often see how great the need actually is on the part of your prospect. Are people really looking for a solution and can you offer it? Or is your service package 'nice to have', but there is no need for it? One of the main factors for a deal to fail is the lack of necessity. Make sure that at the beginning of the process you investigate how urgent the need is on the other side of the negotiating table, and especially how you can help your contact person to strengthen their own position within the company. If you as a seller can ensure that your contact person does a good job, the chance of success of the deal increases exponentially.

“We at WC Duck recommend WC Duck”

We often invest a lot of time in a beautiful presentation full of beautiful cases and sales pitches. Most pitches start with a presentation of your company, the services provided and the answer to the question why the customer should choose your company. Only do this if specifically requested. A pitch in which you explain without being asked why people should choose you is a pitch that you can consider a waste.

No (budget) sponsor

Unfortunately, it happens all too often: your contact person at the prospect with whom you want to close a deal has a position in middle management. If you end up in processes where this is indeed the case, it is advisable to find out at an early stage whether there is sufficient support from upper management. In other words: is there a (budget) sponsor for the project that your contact person wants to start up?

One-way traffic

Unfortunately, many companies still see a customer-supplier relationship as a one-way street. Often, whether or not driven by finance/procurement, rates are completely negotiated and strict conditions are imposed on suppliers. Payment behavior is also often a tricky issue. Perhaps you go along with these points because you really want the deal. Understandable, but don't go wrong. You may be able to win the deal, which is great on paper, but the chance of a collaboration that will not go smoothly is very high. Companies that do not see their suppliers as full partners and impose prices and conditions through one-way traffic usually suck all the energy out of your organization. It is better to put that into customers who give you the right energy!

One man army

Your contact person at your prospect is extremely enthusiastic. You have even received approval for a pilot budget to prove the business case together. But it turns out: your contact person forms a one-man army within the organization, and has little to no support. Projects you initiate are not followed up and your contact person is also not adequately sold internally. Always beware of processes in which you only deal with one contact person who appears to make decisions fairly independently. It is estimated at an early stage whether there is broad support.

Postponed price discussion

You really shouldn't argue about price. Quality simply costs money. Yes, of course you can work with a discount to give the customer the final push in the right direction, but we are not fans of it ourselves. In any case, make sure that you do not only have the price discussion at the end of your process. When everyone is full of energy and enthusiasm predominates, it is a huge downer when price turns out to be a barrier. We recommend sharing your pricing policy early in the process, so that no ambiguity can arise.

What do you notice about these points? Many of the points have a direct relationship with your contact person within the sales process. In other words, the person in front of you is crucial to the success of the deal. So make sure your preliminary research is thorough, otherwise you run the risk of a mismatch. Are you sitting around the table with the right person? Does that person have a mandate? Is that person supported by the organization, and is the need great enough? All things to investigate at an early stage.