Client Conference get a bit awkward - how weird has it gotten for you?

Stop me if you've heard this one before...You land a big client (so big they have customers of their own and each transaction they do equals money in your pocket). Now say this client is out in Vegas and is having a conference with muscle cars, golf, machine guns, and of course, gambling. On the date of the conference, make sure you're having a baby so you can't attend, but find a way for your favorite fellow savage to go. You bring him up to speed, he's excited to golf, the client is happy your org is putting some money and people into the event. THEN the day before the event, one of the main decision makers AKA the reason all of these customers are coming to be a part of the client's new project/company just up and..DIES. That's right, you heard me, DIES, D - E - A - fucking - D, dead....yeah fucking awkward, nope don't know the story, just know he didn't show up to an early meeting day of conference and was found dead in his hotel room. Low 60s in age and no known terminal issues.


Fast forward to today, I had my baby, coworker went and played golf and drank but basically described the weirdest strangest conference ever b/c Mr. Dead was the only person in the organization that really knew any of the people. I just got the obituary sent to me today the whole thing feels like a strange always sunny episode kicker and I'm waiting for the intro music and script episode name to appear. Wanted to share and ask you brutes for your strangest random occurrence involving sales (and or dead prospects/customers). Let hear em - knock me dead! (bad taste?)


As always, a poll for listening and getting a pulse of the movers and shakers.

Has a death ever affected (for good, bad or ugly) your sale?

Attached poll
*Voting in this poll no longer yields commission.
๐Ÿ˜‚ Sales Humor
๐Ÿฐ War Stories
๐Ÿซ Conferences
13
HVACexpert
Politicker
4
sales engineer
Was working on a job with a customer we were going to replace some equipment at a. health facility in 2020. The facility manager got COVID and passed away and the job sat for 2 years and we didnโ€™t know what was going on. Did get the order eventually. But navigating stuff like that was always super weird and awkward during COVID, our industry was essential so most of us were working and around other people which was an interesting dynamic to maneuver around.
Filth
Politicker
3
Live Filthy or Die Clean
Jesus, 2 years it waited? that's crazy and what I'm afraid of LOL. Did the price get adjusted and rescoped or you honored the OG deal?
HVACexpert
Politicker
3
sales engineer
No way it could be honored. Scoped changed and during those two years all the stuff you ready about inflation, logistics, manufacturing delays, etc. very much affected my industry so that old price was basically worthless. All that stuff we still deal with to this day
Filth
Politicker
1
Live Filthy or Die Clean
Figured as much, was wondering if they may have pulled the sympathy discount lol
oldcloser
Arsonist
4
๐Ÿ’€
Best part of this post was the โ€œstop me if youโ€™ve heard this beforeโ€ ๐Ÿ˜‚. Never heard this one. Not bad taste at all. Vegas hookers will cause a bro to drop in his tracks.
Filth
Politicker
1
Live Filthy or Die Clean
I did know they moved him out of the vegas HQ for some of those reasons...lol I figured an old closer like yourself would like a little sass in the write up :D
oldcloser
Arsonist
1
๐Ÿ’€
Always ๐Ÿ˜
Maximas
Tycoon
2
Senior Sales Executive
It really depends, in your case definitely it has impacted the sale massively.
But, generally any senior at any company should have their own delegates and subordinates on their tail to represent the company in their absence for whichever reason!
sh** happens, at least you got your lovely girl so maybe you could consider it as your comp on this one for now, till you crush it at the next one!
FinanceEngineer
Politicker
2
Sr Director, sales and partnerships
That is an insane story. Iโ€™ve heard of people getting fired that kill or push a sale forward, but never death.
Sunbunny31
Politicker
2
Sr Sales Executive ๐Ÿฐ
Did not happen to me, but an epic and sad post I found in a Salesforce note: He jumped out of the window and DIED!


That must have made for an interesting account summary for that rep when the opportunity was closed.
CuriousFox
WR Officer
4
๐ŸฆŠ
Holy cow ๐Ÿ˜ฒ
Filth
Politicker
3
Live Filthy or Die Clean
Yeah where are the follow up meeting notes? goddamn just some crazy shit to find out when calling to see how the prospect feels about the discovery...I don't think they liked it or something b/c they took the express way down to the ground level last week.
Justatitle
Big Shot
1
Account Executive
Damn, talk about taking the air out of the room huh. I haven't had it effect me however, when I caddied at a golf course one of the regulars that was well-liked overdosed in his hotel room the night of his 40th birthday party and was found the following day.
Filth
Politicker
1
Live Filthy or Die Clean
Oh snap - that's an awkward club newsletter to send out. Yeah the remaining client's idea was just to booze everyone up at the event. I mean that would work for me, turn the whole thing into an Irish wake I guess.
SoccerandSales
Big Shot
1
Account Executive
I have had deaths, but my best story is I get a call 10 min before a meeting that the owner my champion was bringing had a freak accident when edging the lawn where a piece broke off and impaled his eye. Long story short they were able to save the eye in emergency surgery but the opp never recovered
Filth
Politicker
1
Live Filthy or Die Clean
Holy crap - did you get to reengage with the prospect after their surgery? And did losing the deal have to do with the eye loss or was it just a standard reason that happen to have a 1 eyed prospect involved?
SoccerandSales
Big Shot
1
Account Executive
Prospect was owning doctor so there was also concern it could affect surgical ability and they shutdown all conversations from there. Never actually did get a final update now that I think about it. Wear your eye protection folks
Filth
Politicker
2
Live Filthy or Die Clean
damn, good story thanks for sharing and yes I will be wearing some shades next mowing day based on this.
LightingLeader
Politicker
1
Specification Sales
I tried to vote no and it literally wouldnโ€™t let me vote no haha. That is a wild fuckin story and I canโ€™t imagine.
SalesPharaoh
Big Shot
0
Senior Account Executive
Well my grandpa's passing did make me chill out when it came to one of the biggedt deal. Dunno when you see someone pass right infront of you, you just start thinking that the world is bigger and worry about life after death. It just helped me be more chill.
4

On a demo as I'm typing this with my SE's, and one of the 7 prospects on the call says "what an awkward Zoom call". ๐Ÿคฆ๐Ÿปโ€โ™‚๏ธ Gd bless engineers

Discussion
4
5

Are handshakes at F2F meetings a thing of the past now due to COVID? Or will it just be awkward AF for a while and then get back to normal?

Question
13
Are handshakes a thing of the past?
20% Yes
69% No
12% Other
51 people voted