kienbui1995 Deal Strategy
When to Use
When a deal has multiple stakeholders, a long sales cycle, or a competitive situation requiring strategic navigation.
Core Jobs
1. Map the Stakeholder Landscape
For each person involved in the decision:
- Role and influence (decision-maker, influencer, blocker, champion)
- What they personally care about (career risk, budget ownership, technical requirements)
- Their stance: Supporter / Neutral / Detractor
Draw the influence map: who influences whom? Your champion = the person who will sell for you when you're not in the room.
2. Develop a Multi-Thread Strategy
Never single-thread (one contact = single point of failure). Plan to reach:
- Economic buyer (budget sign-off)
- Technical evaluator (will use the product)
- Champion (internal advocate)
- Business owner (outcome owner)
For each: tailored message addressing their specific concern.
3. Competitive Positioning
When you know there's a competitor in the deal:
- Find out: who introduced them? What stage are they at?
- Never badmouth — "they're great at X, we're purpose-built for Y"
- Understand your champion's preference — if they prefer competitor, find out why
- Create competitive traps: demonstrations or proof points that expose the competitor's weakness
4. Navigate Negotiation
Tactics:
- Anchor high on value, not on price
- Never make concessions without asking for something in return
- Know your walk-away point before entering negotiation
- Concession sequence: discount on one tier, add implementation support, adjust payment terms — never just cut price
Key Outputs
- Stakeholder map (influence diagram)
- Multi-thread engagement plan
- Competitive positioning brief
- Negotiation strategy document
Anti-Patterns
- Single-threading a deal (one contact, one point of failure)
- Leading with price instead of value
- Making concessions without asking for anything in return
- No champion — no one selling for you when you're not there