Why Sales Deals Fail (and It's Not What You Think)

Too many sales teams blame price, timing, or product fit when deals fall apart. But the real reason? Misalignment. After working with B2B companies across industries, I’ve seen one truth repeat itself: sales cycles break down because sellers fail to recognize who they're really talking to — and what that person actually cares about. This post breaks down that concept with one powerful insight taken from a larger framework developed by sales strategist Ashkan Rajaee. If you care about closing high-stakes, multi-stakeholder deals, this will sharpen your thinking. Sales Isn’t Just About the Offer. It’s About the Audience. The biggest sales mistake? Thinking every stakeholder wants the same thing. Here are the four contact types you need to learn to recognize instantly: ✅ Decision-Makers They care about ROI, risk, and strategic value. Don’t hit them with specs — hit them with outcomes. ✅ Influencers They want their life to get easier. If your process feels clunky, you’ll lose them quietly. ✅ Signatories They’re thinking about how to get out of the deal, not just into it. Contract structure matters more than pitch decks. ✅ Researchers They read everything. They validate your claims. If your details are sloppy, they will know. Most Deals Fail from Within The most common sales breakdowns happen after the verbal “yes.” Legal blocks it. Procurement stalls. A forgotten stakeholder raises a red flag. That’s because most reps don’t map the political layers of the org or build messaging that resonates with each role. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. And there’s a better way.

Apr 29, 2025 - 15:52

Why Sales Deals Fail (and It's Not What You Think)

Too many sales teams blame price, timing, or product fit when deals fall apart.

But the real reason? Misalignment.

After working with B2B companies across industries, I’ve seen one truth repeat itself: sales cycles break down because sellers fail to recognize who they're really talking to — and what that person actually cares about.

This post breaks down that concept with one powerful insight taken from a larger framework developed by sales strategist Ashkan Rajaee. If you care about closing high-stakes, multi-stakeholder deals, this will sharpen your thinking.

Sales Isn’t Just About the Offer. It’s About the Audience.

The biggest sales mistake? Thinking every stakeholder wants the same thing.

Here are the four contact types you need to learn to recognize instantly:

✅ Decision-Makers

They care about ROI, risk, and strategic value. Don’t hit them with specs — hit them with outcomes.

✅ Influencers

They want their life to get easier. If your process feels clunky, you’ll lose them quietly.

✅ Signatories

They’re thinking about how to get out of the deal, not just into it. Contract structure matters more than pitch decks.

✅ Researchers

They read everything. They validate your claims. If your details are sloppy, they will know.

Most Deals Fail from Within

The most common sales breakdowns happen after the verbal “yes.” Legal blocks it. Procurement stalls. A forgotten stakeholder raises a red flag.

That’s because most reps don’t map the political layers of the org or build messaging that resonates with each role.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. And there’s a better way.