Missed Quota Series: You Won Your Champion and Still Lost the Deal Here's Why | Donald C. Kelly - 1994

Apr 17, 2026

They explain why deals stall even after great discovery and demos because hidden decision-makers slow things down. The growth of buying committees to 11–13 people and buyers limiting vendor contact are explored. Practical tactics include building a toolkit to empower internal champions, mapping the buying committee early, and multi-threading into the deal through targeted introductions.

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INSIGHT

Buying Committees Grew To 11 To 13 People

Enterprise B2B deals now typically involve 11 to 13 decision makers, dramatically expanding the buying committee.
Donald C. Kelly highlights this shift as a core reason deals stall because responsibility is diffused and risk is shared.

INSIGHT

Committee Size Reflects Risk Aversion

Decision makers multiply because no single person wants sole blame for a large enterprise purchase.
Donald C. Kelly explains this political risk drives committees: individuals avoid reputational harm and spread accountability across stakeholders.

INSIGHT

Buyers Are Less Dependent On Sales Meetings

Buyers spend only 17% of their purchase journey meeting suppliers, and 57% of sellers say buyers are less dependent on contacting sales.
Donald C. Kelly uses these stats to explain why sellers must prepare champions and multi-thread earlier or risk being sidelined.

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Today, most deals involve 11 to 13 decision-makers. Nobody wants to be the one held responsible if things go wrong. So instead of one decision-maker, you’re dealing with a full committee. That’s one of the biggest reasons deals stall, and that’s what we’re getting into in this Missed Quota episode.

Why Deals Stall Even When You Do Everything Right

You’ve done your research. You ran a solid discovery. The demo went well. And then the deal just sits there.
A lot of times, it’s because you didn’t know who was really involved in the decision.
On top of that, buyers are spending less time talking to sellers. They’re doing their own research and only bringing you in for a small part of the process.
That means if you’re not connected to the right people, you can lose the deal without even realizing it.

Build a Champion Toolkit

If you have a champion inside the company, you need to set them up to win when you’re not in the room.
That means giving them the right information to speak to different stakeholders. Think about what the CFO cares about. Think about legal, procurement, and leadership.
Give your champion the tools to answer those questions so they can confidently represent your solution.

Map Out the Buying Committee Early

Don’t wait until the deal slows down to figure out who’s involved. Work with your champion early to identify everyone who has a say in the decision.
Then figure out what matters to each person. When you understand their priorities, you can tailor your approach instead of guessing.

Multi-thread Your Way Into the Deal

Your champion can’t carry the entire deal on their own. Ask for introductions to other stakeholders. Get in front of people like the CFO or anyone else influencing the decision.
Speaking directly to their concerns, makes it easier for the deal to move forward and take pressure off your champion.

“The first thing you need to recognize is that there are a lot more people involved in deals today than there used to be.” - Donald C. Kelly

Resources

Keep track of your sales activity and boost your results with the Prospect Pro sales tool.
Step up your sales game with Sales Mastermind. Get accountability, stay motivated, and tackle the blockers keeping you from hitting your goals.
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Credits

As one of our podcast listeners, we value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey . We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or Spotify. Audio provided by Free SFX, Soundstripe, and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and produced by Brightseed and Hill.