The "almost signed" contract blues

Lucas* is the CEO of NetGuard*, a promising scaleup offering an innovative cybersecurity solution for industrial IoT.

His tech is solid. In fact, his "Tech Genius" is undeniable.

Six months ago, Lucas landed a meeting with the CIO of a Global 500 manufacturing giant.

The meeting went great. There were smiles, nodding heads, and even a small paid pilot.

Lucas told his board: "We are going to close this. It’s a game-changer."

Fast forward to today.

Lucas is ghosted. The pilot is finished, but the procurement department is asking for documents he didn’t know existed. The champion he relied on has moved to another division.

The deal isn't dead, but it is in a coma.

Lucas is exhausted. He wonders why his obvious value proposition isn't enough to get a signature.

He feels like he is fighting chaos rather than running a sales process.

Does this sound familiar?

Selling to large corporate accounts is rarely straightforward.

However, with the right structure, B2B tech startups and scaleups can shorten these long sales cycles and turn them into clear outcomes.

It is about bringing order to the chaos of corporate sales.

Drawing on my experience and the methodology used by my partners at Match-Maker Ventures, here is how you can master this journey. You can find their original post here.

The 6 steps to master the Corporate Giant

1. Identify & Approach

Stop shooting in the dark. You must define your ideal customer with extreme precision and initiate meaningful outreach.

Ask yourself: Who exactly are you selling to? And more importantly: Why are they buying it now?

2. Validate Opportunity

Once you are in the room, do not just pitch your solution. Dive deep into the prospect’s current setup. You must uncover their status quo and their real pain points.

This is the only way to build the credibility required to move forward in the process.

3. Confirm Value Potential

Now that you know the pain, demonstrate how your solution bridges the gap.

You must be able to quantify this gap. If you cannot measure the improvement you bring, the CFO will not sign the check.

4. Confirm Feasibility

This is where Lucas failed. You must map out the technical integration, budget alignment, and procurement steps before you think you are done.

Understand the buying process and the commercial feasibility early on. Don’t let the "boring" administrative hurdles kill your deal at the finish line.

5. Prove Value

Create excitement around your solution by securing internal alignment.

You need buy-in on three things: that the solution works, that it is feasible, and that the value impact is real.Turn their interest into intent.

6. Negotiate & Close

Finally, finalize a mutually beneficial agreement.

Understand the negotiator’s objectives. They are often different from your technical champion’s objectives. Secure the deal with clear expectations for the long term.

Process over Luck

For tech companies, succeeding in corporate sales isn’t just about having a strong solution; it’s about mastering the process.

This is how you turn an "art" into a "habit."

A reflective question: What is the one step in the list above that is currently holding back your enterprise sales success?

* Names and companies are fictitious for illustrative purposes.

Thank you.

Philippe

P.S.1: You may take the “From Tech To Growth” self-assessment scorecard. It is free, it only takes two minutes. It offers some reflective questions and provides some customized tips based on your score.

P.S.2: Whenever you are ready, you can make a short, complementary appointment with me to discuss your business growth issues at hand. Go to Recognition Call.