Templates
Deal review questions
A deal review tests one deal against what the buyer has said and done, then agrees the next step. These questions cover six things: who is buying, why they would act now, what steps are left, what else they could do, what evidence there is, and the single next step with a date the buyer has agreed.
The buyer
- Who signs, and have we met them?
- Who is our champion, and what do they gain if this goes ahead?
- Who else has a say, and which of them have we not spoken to?
The reason to act now
- Why would the buyer do this now rather than next quarter?
- What does it cost them to do nothing?
- Is there a date on the buyer's side, such as a contract ending, a budget deadline or a launch, that the close date depends on?
The buying process
- What steps are left on the buyer's side: legal, security review, procurement, board approval?
- Who owns each step, and has the buyer confirmed the dates?
- Has the buyer seen the final price, and who on their side has approved it?
The alternatives
- What else is the buyer considering, including doing nothing or building it themselves?
- If we lose this deal, what will the most likely reason be?
The evidence
- What has the buyer done that supports the stage and the close date?
- Where do the CRM record, the call notes and the emails disagree?
- What would we expect to see by now if this deal were on track, and is it there?
The next step
- What is the one next step, with a date, that the buyer has agreed to?
- What will the seller find out before the next review?
Close the review with three decisions
- The stage and forecast category the evidence supports today.
- The single next step, with an owner and a date.
- One thing the seller will do differently on their other deals because of this one.
Run this on your own pipeline.
Management OS tells the revenue leader where to act to hit the number: which deals are real, who needs coaching and how, and where your own involvement moves it.