The silent DM curveball - how to handle??

Working a deal with a manager level person and their CFO. Coming down to the wire as the proposal with our incentive pricing expires next week. After the exec leadership demo, safety manager tells us our solution has met their criteria, everyone's onboard, we are just waiting for final CFO approval. I then talk to the CFO, who apologizes for not getting back to me, she needs to talk to Manager. I call manager, who says, just waiting on CFO. 

today I get an email from the IT director, who I met on the first demo. He says that they are still researching solutions and he has some questions. Queue my frustration for trusting that CFO and manager could get this done and not pushing for more info on their process. Do I call out that I thought we were the vendor of choice? 


🧠 Advice
📈 Closing
👑 Sales Strategy
10
Sunbunny31
Politicker
5
Sr Sales Executive 🐰
I would connect with  CFO and manager and let them know that the IT director has reached out, even while I'm responding to the IT director to answer the questions.  IT director may not understand where you are in the process, but he definitely will need answers, and if you don't get IT on board with the required information or infosec docs, the deal does not get done.  Meantime find out from your initial contacts what is going on and if you're still tracking for October close.

I mean, all hope is not yet lost, as you still have a week, but you do need to get to the bottom of where things stand, and also if any other surprises (hello, procurement, I see you) are coming.
InQ5WeTrust
Arsonist
5
No marketing, mayo isn't an MQL
Lotta time for this. All too common that someone hasn't been looped in fully. 
1nbatopshotfan
Politicker
5
Sales
Some people just don’t know their buying process. They commit to a sales guy and then find out they have 32 hoops to jump through. 
InQ5WeTrust
Arsonist
4
No marketing, mayo isn't an MQL
Preach - learned that the hard way previously, always great to ask your champion of they've brought in software previously. 

If they can't lay out a roadmap, then you have some investigating to-do. Even if they can, test it! 
jefe
Arsonist
1
🍁
Solid answer from @Sunbunny31 
mitts2
Politicker
4
Account Executive
Who is your champion? Do you have someone who can go to bat for you internally? Best bet is to try and get everyone on a call together and see what the miscommunication is and lean on your champion to help handle any remaining concerns from IT. 
friendlyginge
Politicker
0
Account Executive
Manager is the champ but they can’t seem to get things done. I’ll try to get everyone on a call!
braintank
Politicker
1
Enterprise Account Executive
Not champ if they can't get things done.
Diablo
Politicker
2
Sr. AE
Is this a fairly big deal? Seems like the link is broken somewhere, I would try to get everyone on the call together to have a clear communication and see what's holding them back so I can propose ways to overcome those issues?

Whatever has happend has happened - try to get them what they want now, it's never late.
friendlyginge
Politicker
0
Account Executive
Absolutely never too late. Just surprised that the timeline we set together was not communicated to the whole team, sounds like CFO and manager (and me!) weren’t communicating with the team that mattered most the whole time - IT
friendlyginge
Politicker
0
Account Executive
And none of our deals are very big by nature! So not the end of the world
Mr.Reddington
Executive
2
Account Executive
I agree that getting them all together on a call would do you a lot of good. This way no one can hide from the others and play he said she said. And at the end of the day if the IT director has no more questions and the manager is waiting for the CFO I think you’ve earned the right to straight up ask for the sale.
Upper_Class_SaaS
Politicker
1
Account Executive
this legit happened to me the other day
Blackwargreymon
Politicker
1
MDR
I would connect with  CFO and manager and let them know that the IT director has reached out, even while I'm responding to the IT director to answer the questions.
sugardaddy
Politicker
0
Head of Sales
I’m going with the other guys in here. It seems like someone is not in the loop. Connect them all on a call, Zoom, G-meet. Do that and the deal will land! 🤝
Error32
Politicker
0
ISR
I find taking a few mindful moments/meditating before entering the call can REALLY help. Headspace is great for quick guided ones, including work/meeting/interview related ones.
Clashingsoulsspell
Politicker
0
ISR
This is a great question, and the issue you're having is definitely not uncommon. I can get some nerves but they're usually overcome by being FIRED UP to make some shit happen.
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