Every call on this deal went well. It was decided off the call.

Conversation-first reading · deal read 45

Call recorded. Pain, a timeline (live by January) and Léa as champion pulled out.

Good discovery. Clear pain and a timeline.

Do this: Send the recap, and book the demo.

Nudge · buyer state 50

Léa will send the business-case template by Friday.

She owns it and she named the day. A good start.

• they own the next step: yes
• it has a date: yes
• their last promises landed: not applicable
• it opened a door: no
• they can deliver it: yes

Do this: Put Friday in the recap, and ask who reviews the case once it is in.

Conversation-first reading · deal read 50

Email captured: the template is attached, and the tone is positive.

An engaged champion.

Do this: Keep the momentum.

Nudge · buyer state 62

Kept, a day early.

Her first promise landed. Her word now carries weight on this deal.

• they own the next step: yes
• it has a date: yes
• their last promises landed: yes
• it opened a door: no
• they can deliver it: yes

Do this: Ask her for the next dated step: a demo with whoever signs.

Conversation-first reading · deal read 72

Call analysed: fourteen buyer questions and a positive tone. Hugo engaged throughout.

A strong demo. The buying group is engaged.

Do this: Send the recap, and propose a pricing call.

Nudge · buyer state 66

Hugo: “I'll get the CFO on the next call.” No date.

A door opening, offered by someone who can open it. Undated.

• they own the next step: yes
• it has a date: no
• their last promises landed: yes
• it opened a door: yes
• they can deliver it: yes

Do this: Ask Hugo for the day, and send the invite while he is still on the call.

Conversation-first reading · deal read 72

Meeting scheduled, and the recorder will join. No conversation to analyse yet.

Unchanged until the call happens.

Do this: Prepare the pricing deck.

Nudge · buyer state 76

The CFO accepted a dated slot.

Hugo's promise turned into a date in the CFO's calendar. The best reading of the deal.

• they own the next step: yes
• it has a date: yes
• their last promises landed: yes
• it opened a door: yes
• they can deliver it: yes

Do this: Send the CFO the one number he will ask about, before the call.

Conversation-first reading · deal read 72

The meeting was cancelled. There was no call, so there is nothing to analyse.

No change in the reading.

Do this: Reschedule the pricing call.

Nudge · buyer state 55

Hugo moves it to “next week”, without the CFO.

The only person who signs declined, and the new slot does not include him.

• they own the next step: no
• it has a date: no
• their last promises landed: yes
• it opened a door: no
• they can deliver it: yes

Do this: Ask Hugo whether the CFO is still in, before the call goes ahead without him.

Conversation-first reading · deal read 68

Call analysed: pricing discussed. “Q1 budget is being finalised” detected.

A good call. Budget timing mentioned: a mild risk.

Do this: Confirm the budget timeline in the recap.

Nudge · buyer state 45

Hugo: the CFO will decide “once the budget round closes”.

A decision with no date on it and nobody on their side who owns it.

• they own the next step: no
• it has a date: no
• their last promises landed: yes
• it opened a door: no
• they can deliver it: yes

Do this: Ask when the budget round closes, and who takes our case into it.

Conversation-first reading · deal read 68

A CRM field changed. Not a conversation.

No change.

Do this: Keep the cadence.

Nudge · buyer state 40

Ours. We moved our own date.

Nothing on the buyer's side happened behind this move.

• they own the next step: no
• it has a date: no
• their last promises landed: yes
• it opened a door: no
• they can deliver it: yes

Do this: Move a close date only against a date the buyer gives you.

What it is testing. A close date the seller moves is a forecast. A close date the buyer names is a commitment. Only one of them is evidence.

Conversation-first reading · deal read 68

A job change on a public profile. Not a conversation.

No change.

Do this: Keep working with Léa.

Nudge · buyer state 20

Every promise kept on this deal was Léa's.

The only person who ever kept a date is leaving, and nobody else owns a step. This is the day it slipped.

• they own the next step: no
• it has a date: no
• their last promises landed: no
• it opened a door: no
• they can deliver it: no

Do this: Ask Hugo who takes over from Léa, and ask for a date with the CFO in the same message.

Conversation-first reading · deal read 70

Email captured: positive sentiment, interest confirmed.

The buyer is still interested.

Do this: Follow up after the budget round.

Nudge · buyer state 16

Interest, with no date and nothing owed.

Warm words, and not one step on their side.

• they own the next step: no
• it has a date: no
• their last promises landed: no
• it opened a door: no
• they can deliver it: no

Do this: Ask what would have to be true for this to close this year. If there is no answer, it does not.

What it is testing. Enthusiasm costs the buyer nothing. A date costs them something in front of their own people.

Conversation-first reading · deal read 60

Call analysed: “we'll decide in January” detected, and the next step set for January.

Timing risk: the decision moved out of the quarter.

Do this: Move the deal to next quarter, and follow up in January.

Nudge · buyer state 10

A decision in January, with nobody named to make it.

The quarter was lost on day 24, when Léa left. This call only says it out loud.

• they own the next step: no
• it has a date: no
• their last promises landed: no
• it opened a door: no
• they can deliver it: no

Do this: Take it out of the quarter, and ask for a January date with the CFO.

Conversation-first reading · deal read 40

Close date passed without a signature.

Slipped.

Do this: Push to January.

Nudge · buyer state 8

Nothing left to test this quarter.

It slipped on day 24. Everything after that was polite.

• they own the next step: no
• it has a date: no
• their last promises landed: no
• it opened a door: no
• they can deliver it: no

Do this: Run the review from day 24, and look for open deals where one person has kept every date.