DEAL PLAYBOOK: Why 53% Of Deals Fail

53% of "committed deals" are lost last minute.

These findings are based on the analysis of 3.768 deals & AE performance reviews.

But we didn't stop there.... for the past year, we've been talking to 3-5 CROs of successful companies every week. (Almost 200 per year)

During these conversations, we discuss the brutal truth...

specifically, why 53% of deals fail.

We often mistakenly think of these reasons:

Sounds like: "Not the AE's fault"

But these are just SYMPTOMS.

The customer's "deal-killer" arguments?

Are just the result of our own failures.

Here are the real reasons... (we didn't come up with these... they are based on our analysis of 3.768 deals and discussions with CROs)

The Hidden Multiplier of Deal-Killers: TIME

Here's what most AEs don't realize:

Each of these mistakes doesn't just hurt your deal... They kill it slowly by adding TIME.

Let's break it down in one example

Late Team Involvement:

1. Product review adds: +3 weeks

2. Legal review adds: +2 weeks

3. Security review adds: +4 weeks = 9 weeks of death by delay

The Top 1% know:

You're not just fighting objections. You're racing against TIME.

We'll show you how the top 1% systematically avoid these mistakes...

The Unfair Advantage - What Do 1% of AEs Do Differently?

Most lost deals fail because if INACTION.

Don't play the WAIT GAME!...

Top sales reps do this instead 👇

Make the cost of WAITING HIGHER

than the COST OF BUYING!

Here's how to do it:

#1 Create urgency:

"Miss this quarter's budget, miss your hiring plan"

#2 Multiple champions:

"Lost the CRO? No problem, the CFO needs cost savings" - activated 3 different stakeholders.

#3 Early risk handling:

"Security review starts now, not at signature"

#4 Escalate quickly: Bring in other teams fast. Top performers know that deals die because critical insights disappear into the void between departments.

#5 Control timeline:

"Next Tuesday 10am works best for your team"

- avoid asking when they want to meet.

Here's are some examples of that:

1. Early Product Team Integration

   
   

   Let's be honest: How often do you hear "Great product, BUT..."?

   The best AEs? They don't wait. They LEAD. As soon as a feature request comes in:

   1. Schedule product meeting immediately

   2. Share context

   3. Align on roadmap
      

📌 Example: A top AE at a $2.3B SaaS company recently told us: "Since we bring the product team into EVERY major discovery call, we close 3x more enterprise deals."

2. Use Marketing as a Weapon

   
   

   Average AEs? Fight alone.
   

   The best? Involve Marketing IMMEDIATELY when:

   1. A customer is excited

   2. ROI numbers are mentioned

   3. Use cases are discussed

   
   

They know: Marketing needs these insights like air to breathe. And the payback? "Our case studies sell for us today," told us a VP of Sales.

3. See Legal as a Partner

   Classic mistake: Involving legal only at contract review.

   
   

   Result? Deal-stoppers at the last minute. The top 1%?

   1. Share critical contract points EARLY

   2. Have weekly legal syncs

   3. Use legal as advisors
      

An Enterprise AE told us: "Since we involve legal in the discovery phase, we've reduced our contract cycle time by 68%."

4. Use Leadership Strategically

   Weak AEs? Run to the VP when things burn. Strong AEs?

   1. Identify exec sponsorship early

   2. Create clear escalation paths

   3. Use leadership as relationship builders
      

"My best AE exceeded their quota by 312% because they systematically involve leadership," a CRO told us.

The TRUTH is: Selling today is a team sport.

Those who go it alone lose.