kienbui1995/deal-strategy

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