How to Spot Deal Roadblocks Before They Stall the Deal.

Here is a hard truth about deal roadblocks. The deal you lose this month was probably already broken last month. Something could stop it, and nobody said so out loud. By the time it shows up, the proposal is out and the buyer has gone quiet. The fix is simple, but it takes a little nerve. You go looking for the roadblock early, on purpose, before it finds you.

The mistake most people make

Most people skip the hard questions. The call is going well. The buyer likes you. So you don't want to spoil the mood by asking what could go wrong. You tell yourself you'll sort it out later. Then "later" never comes. The legal team appears out of nowhere. The budget was never real. A second decision-maker says no. The roadblock was there the whole time. You just didn't ask, so it showed up too late to fix.

What good looks like

Good sellers do the brave thing. They raise the risks early, before they send the proposal. They ask "what could stop this?" while there is still time to deal with it. It feels a bit scary to ask, but it works. You either clear the roadblock or you learn the deal was never real. Both of those are wins. You stop wasting weeks on deals that were never going to close.

How to do it

Ask what could stop this from happening.

Before you send anything, ask the buyer straight out. Most people never ask, so the answer is often the real blocker hiding in plain sight.

"Before I send this over, what's the one thing that could stop this from happening?"

Deal with the biggest risk first.

You'll usually get a few answers. Pick the one that could kill the deal and tackle it now. Don't save the hard one for last, because last is when it's too late.

"You mentioned legal hasn't seen this yet. Let's get them in the room this week, before I send the numbers."

See the difference

Same deal. Same buyer. One version walks into the wall. The other one finds the wall first and gets a door put in it. That is the whole skill.

How you'll know it's working

You've got this when you raise the risks early, before the proposal goes out. Look back at your last few deals. Did you know what could stop each one before you sent the numbers? Or did the blocker surprise you weeks later? When the surprises stop, you're there. Spotting roadblocks early won't feel comfortable at first. But it turns dead deals into honest ones, and that saves you more time than any other habit in selling.

Questions people ask