Fast Friday Win #38 – The “Who’s Driving?” Test for Every Deal 🚗

Every deal is being driven.

The question is…

By who? 👀

If it’s not your sales team, it’s the buyer.

And that’s where deals start to drift.

The Real Leadership Problem

Many sales teams think they are in control.

They’re busy.
They’re active.
They’re “following up”.

But when you look closer…

The buyer decides the pace ⏳
The buyer decides the next step 📅
The buyer controls the timeline

That’s not selling.

That’s reacting.

And reactive deals are unpredictable deals.

The Quick Win – The “Who’s Driving?” Test 🚗

In your next pipeline review, ask this:

“Who is currently driving this deal?”

If the answer is:

“They’re reviewing internally”
“We’re waiting for feedback”
“They’ll come back to us”

Then the buyer is in control ❌

If the answer is:

“We’ve scheduled the next meeting”
“We’ve set a decision date”
“We’re guiding them through the process”

Then your rep is in control ✅

Control doesn’t mean pressure.

It means direction.

Practical Example

A deal sits in proposal stage.

The rep says:

“They’re reviewing and will come back to us.”

Sounds normal, right?

It’s a red flag 🚩

You coach:

“Have we booked time to review the proposal together?”

“No.”

There’s the problem.

Now shift it:

“Let’s get 30 minutes in the diary to walk through this.”

Immediately, control moves back to your team.

Mini Checklist

✔ Is your rep setting the next step
✔ Is there a defined decision timeline
✔ Is the buyer being guided, not left
✔ Are meetings booked in advance
✔ Would you say your team leads or follows

Why This Matters

Sales Directors are under pressure right now 📊

Forecasts are being challenged.
Pipelines are being scrutinised.
Predictability matters more than ever.

You don’t get predictability from reactive deals.

You get it from controlled ones.

When your team drives the deal:

Cycles shorten ⏱️
Conversion improves 📈
Forecasts become reliable
Confidence increases 💪

Call to Action

If you want your team to take control of their deals and improve performance, let’s talk.

💬 Book your free 20-minute sales strategy session:
https://calendar.app.google/WFbeR1svGBa2VPwv7