Latest / Closing the Deal with Fexingo: Sales, Negotiation, and Revenue Conversations for Operators / The One Question That Resurrected a Dead Pipeline Deal
Transcript
- Lucas: You know that moment when a deal is just... gone. No reply to your last three emails. The contact you had stopped returning calls. The buying committee went dark. And you're certain the deal is dead. Luna: Yeah, we've all been there. And the instinct is usually to move on, or to send one last desperate 'just checking in' email that goes nowhere. Lucas: Right. But I want to talk about a question that can actually revive those dead pipeline deals. It's deceptively simple, but it works because it changes the psychology of the conversation. Luna: What's the question? Lucas: It's: 'What would it take for this to move forward?' Not 'why did you stop?' Not 'did you choose a competitor?' Just a direct, open-ended invitation to solve the problem together. Luna: I've heard versions of that. But what's the specific case you're thinking of? Lucas: So there's a SaaS company I've been following — they sell marketing analytics software to mid-market firms, deals in the six-figure range. One of their reps had a deal that went completely silent after three months of active discussion. The prospect had a buying committee of five people, and the champion — the VP of Marketing — went radio silent. Luna: Classic dead deal. Did the rep send another product demo? Or try to lower the price? Lucas: Neither. The rep sent a very short email with just that question: 'Hey, I know things got quiet. We're still here if you need us. What would it take for this to move forward?' And the VP replied within 24 hours. Luna: Wow. What did they say? Lucas: The VP said the deal had stalled because the CFO had flagged a budget freeze — but it was a soft freeze, not a hard one. The committee needed a payment schedule that spread the cost over four quarters instead of an upfront annual payment. No one had asked. Luna: So the rep wasn't even in the conversation when that objection came up. The champion probably felt awkward bringing it up because it sounded like they couldn't afford it. Lucas: Exactly. And the 'what would it take' question gave the VP a low-pressure way to re-engage and state the real blocker. The rep came back with a quarterly payment plan, and the deal closed within two weeks. Luna: I love that. But I wonder — why does this question work when other re-engagement tactics fail? Lucas: I think it's because it reframes the relationship. Most follow-up emails are about the seller — 'I haven't heard from you,' 'I want to check in,' 'I have new features to share.' That's all seller-centric. The 'what would it take' question is buyer-centric. It says: I'm here to help you solve your problem, not to push my product. Luna: It also invites the buyer to be the expert on their own situation. You're not assuming you know why they stalled. You're asking them to tell you. Lucas: Right. And there's some research backing this up. A study in the Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management looked at how framing re-engagement messages affects buyer response. They found that open-ended, problem-solving questions increased reply rates by about 40 percent compared to standard 'checking in' messages. Luna: Forty percent. That's not trivial. And I bet it works even better when the buyer had a positive experience earlier in the process. Lucas: Exactly. If the relationship was good before the silence, the question feels like a natural continuation. But what if the deal went dark because the buyer actually chose a competitor? Luna: Then you might get a different answer — like 'we went with someone else.' And that's useful too, because now you can ask a follow-up: 'What did they offer that we didn't?' That's basically free market research. Lucas: Yeah. But let's talk about the structure of the question itself, because the phrasing matters a lot. If you say 'what do we need to do to move forward?' — that's subtly different. It puts the focus on you, the seller, as the one who needs to act. The better version keeps the focus on the buyer's criteria: 'what would it take?' Implies that the ball is in their court, but you're ready to respond. Luna: I've also seen reps add a gentle time constraint: 'What would it take for us to get this done by the end of the quarter?' That can create a little urgency without being pushy. Lucas: That's a good variant. But let's be careful — if the deal is truly dead because of a hard no, no amount of questioning will bring it back. The question works best when the silence is ambiguous. When you don't know why it stalled. Luna: Right. So let's talk about when exactly to deploy this. How long do you wait before sending the question? Lucas: I think the sweet spot is somewhere between two and four weeks of radio silence. If you send it too soon — say, after three days — it feels like you're just impatient. If you wait too long — two months — the buyer may have already moved on mentally. Luna: And what about the channel? Email? Phone? LinkedIn? Lucas: Email is probably the safest because it's low pressure. The buyer can reply when they're ready. But if you have a relationship where phone calls were normal, a voicemail with the same question can be powerful. Just keep it short. Luna: One thing I want to highlight — this question doesn't just work for stalled deals. It can also work during active negotiations when you hit a wall. Like if the buyer says 'your price is too high,' you can ask 'what would it take for the price to work for you?' That shifts the conversation from objection to collaboration. Lucas: That's a great point. It's really a universal de-escalation tool. I've used it myself when a buyer said they needed a 30 percent discount to move forward — I asked 'what would it take for us to find a middle ground?' and they came back with a 15 percent target that we could actually meet. Luna: So the question forces the buyer to be specific. And specificity is the enemy of ambiguity, which is where deals go to die. Lucas: Exactly. Now, let's talk about one more nuance — what if the buyer doesn't reply to the question at all? Luna: Then you probably have your answer. It's a no. But at least you know, and you can move on without wondering 'what if.' Lucas: Right. And you can always send one final email a week later that says something like 'I'll take your silence as a sign that now isn't the right time. I'll check back in a few months.' That closes the loop gracefully and leaves the door open. Luna: That's a good way to preserve the relationship for future deals. You never know when the same buyer might be at a different company with a bigger budget. Lucas: Absolutely. So the core takeaway today: when a deal goes dark, resist the urge to chase with more features or discounts. Instead, send a simple, buyer-centric question: 'What would it take for this to move forward?' It invites honesty, uncovers hidden blockers, and often revives deals you thought were dead. Luna: I think a lot of listeners could use that right now. And honestly, conversations like this one are why I love doing this show. It's practical, it's real, and it helps salespeople actually sell better. Lucas: If you're finding value in these episodes, one small way to keep them coming is to support the show. We keep it ad-free, and listener support is what makes that possible. If you'd like to chip in, you can do that at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. No pressure, but every bit helps us keep the conversations going. Luna: Yeah, it really does. And it means a lot to us. So thanks for considering that. Lucas: Alright, back to the topic. I want to give listeners a specific script they can use this week. Here's a template: 'Hi, I know things went quiet on. I'm still here if you need anything. Quick question — what would it take for this to move forward? Thanks,.' Keep it that short. Luna: Short and direct. No fluff. I like it. Lucas: And if you get a reply, your only job is to listen. Don't jump to a solution immediately. Let them tell you the full story. Then you can collaborate on a path forward. Luna: Patience is underrated in sales. The question gives you the information; patience lets you use it wisely. Lucas: Well said. So next time you're staring at a dead pipeline deal, try this one question. It might just bring it back to life. Luna: And if it doesn't, at least you'll know why — and you can move on with clarity. Lucas: Exactly. Thanks for listening, everyone. We'll be back next time with another tactic you can use tomorrow.