How a Rep Won by Asking the Buyer to Fund the Pilot

Closing the Deal with Fexingo: Sales, Negotiation, and Revenue Conversations for Operators · Aug 2, 2026 · 7m · transcript

In episode 145 of Closing the Deal, Lucas and Luna unpack a counterintuitive negotiation move: asking the buyer to fund the pilot. They trace a mid-market SaaS deal where the rep, facing a skeptical procurement lead, proposed a paid proof-of-concept at a fraction of the full contract value. The twist: the buyer agreed, the pilot became the rollout, and the rep's commission actually grew. They break down the psychology of shared risk, the math behind 'skin in the game,' and how to frame the ask so it feels like a partnership, not a budget grab. Plus, a quick note on why this…