Sales cycles are lengthening because decisions now involve large committees (7-8 people) where no single individual wants to take the risk of making a bad choice. Sellers must navigate this group dynamic by building consensus and multi-threading effectively.
Sales slowness isn't a problem to be solved with better "urgency" tactics. It's a symptom of a fundamental shift: buyers are more thoughtful, decision-making is more distributed, and capital has more competing uses. Acknowledge this new reality instead of fighting it with outdated techniques.
After a group discovery call, don't just set one follow-up. Schedule brief, individual breakout sessions with every stakeholder. This creates multiple parallel threads, uncovers honest feedback people won't share in a group, and builds momentum across the entire buying committee, dramatically increasing deal velocity.
Unlike SaaS sales with a single buyer, transformational AI products are bought by a committee. The sale requires convincing a C-level executive responsible for AI transformation and a technical expert who evaluates the infrastructure, in addition to the functional business leader.
Two clear red flags indicate a deal is at risk: relying on a single contact and having a close date not tied to a specific buyer deadline. To de-risk a deal, sales reps must engage multiple stakeholders (multi-threading) and anchor the timeline to the buyer's critical business needs.
Multi-threading isn't just a seller's tactic; it empowers the buyer. An internal champion feels more confident and strengthened when they can approach their CFO with the backing of two or three peers who also see the value. This shared internal momentum makes it easier for them to secure budget and push the deal forward.
Enterprise deals often stall because the large buying committee isn't aligned. A mutual action plan (MAP), ideally in a shared digital sales room, gets everyone on the same page by outlining the necessary steps for the deal to close, preventing delays and confusion.
In complex enterprise sales, don't rely solely on your champion. Proactively connect with every member of the buying committee using personal touches like video messages. This builds a network of allies who can provide crucial information and help salvage a deal if it stalls.
A single internal advocate can be easily dismissed by others as just "the person who likes that vendor." However, cultivating three or more champions from different parts of the business fundamentally changes the dynamic. This transforms individual preference into organizational consensus, making your solution the clear and accepted choice.
Effective multi-threading isn't just about engaging multiple customer stakeholders. It also means strategically deploying your own team members—like founders, product experts, or engineers—at key moments. This "team sport" approach builds buyer confidence and de-risks complex enterprise deals.
Sales cycles often lengthen not because of lost interest, but because your internal champion feels embarrassed to repeatedly ask you for information needed for other stakeholders. Proactive multi-threading and enablement prevents this friction and keeps the deal moving.