Let’s be honest about your pipeline right now. How many deals have been stalled since September?
They aren’t dead. The customer is still “interested.”
They still take your calls. But nothing is moving.
You haven’t lost to a competitor; you are losing to the silent killer of enterprise revenue: “No Decision.”
Recent research, including that outlined by Matt Dixon and Ted McKenna in The JOLT Effect, tells us that buyers aren’t clinging to the status quo because they love it.
Buyers are paralyzed by the fear of messing up. In a world of budget cuts and scrutiny, the personal risk of buying the wrong software is higher than the pain of staying the same.
To break this paralysis, the traditional “feature pitch” fails. We need a fundamental shift in our engagement. We need to move from being vendors to being Choreographers.
Here are the key recommendations and immediate action items from our new Value Selling Playbook to help your team get “in the boat” with the customer and de-risk the decision.
1. The Mindset: Be Authoritative yet HumbleThe Choreographer doesn’t just sell; they coordinate a complex dance involving internal experts, executive sponsors, and customer stakeholders.
Action: Stop asking “What keeps you up at night?” Start leading with a Point of View (POV).
The Shift: Move your posture from “across the table” (negotiating) to “in the boat” (collaborating). Your message must be: “I’m not just selling this to you; I’m here to ensure you don’t fail.”
2. The Research: The “Internal Clean Sweep”
Nothing destroys trust faster than pitching a “strategic partnership” to a client who has three unresolved SEV1 support tickets.
Action: Before any major meeting, require the Account Intelligence Worksheet.
The Rule: If a rep cannot list the customer’s Top 3 Strategic Issues (from their 10-K or Annual Report) and their current internal support status, they aren’t ready to present.
3. The Logic: Answer the “Three Whys”
If you can’t answer these three questions from the customer’s perspective, you don’t have a deal. You have a chat.
Why This? (What specific metric is bleeding?)
Why Now? (What is the specific Cost of Inaction if they wait 90 days?)
Why Us? (Why are we the only safe choice?)
Action: Use the Value Hypothesis Template to co-create these answers with your champion, rather than pitching at them.
4. The Politics: Map the Trend, Not Just the Role
Standard org charts are useless because they don’t show momentum or strength.
Action: Implement the Influence & Relationship Map.
The Critical Metric: Don’t just track who likes us. Track the Relationship Trend. Is your champion’s support Improving (⬆️), Static (➡️), or Deteriorating (⬇️)?
Red Flag: A “Strong” champion with a “Negative Trend” is a deal on the brink of death. Intervene immediately.
5. The Close: De-Risk the Future
To overcome the fear of failure, you must show the buyer exactly what happens after they sign.
Action: Replace the generic “Close Plan” with a Mutual Success Plan.
The Detail: Work backward from their “Go Live” date. Map out the technical reviews, the team onboarding, and the first value delivered. This visualizes success and makes the decision feel safe.
For Sales Leaders: The “Up or Out” Discipline
Pipeline bloat is a morale killer.
Adopt an “Up or Out” philosophy. If a deal hasn’t moved in 30 days, and we can’t validate the hypothesis or access power, qualify it out. Focus your energy on the deals where you can truly choreograph a win.
Value selling isn’t a methodology; it’s a mindset and a discipline. It’s about doing the work your competitors won’t do.
Let’s get to work!
To get started...to build a fabulous foundation for 2026, download the Acelera Group Value Selling Framework, playbook and related tools here.
...and, to discuss further, or to get help moving forward, please reach out!
