A verbal yes is not a signed deal. Between "we're in" and the dotted line sits a stretch where deals stall and quietly die — legal sits on the contract, the champion goes quiet, the paperwork drags, and momentum leaks out. A stall isn't a no, but it's where a disproportionate number of "closed" deals are lost. The skill is keeping the deal moving from agreement to signature.
Prevent the stall at the moment of yes
The best way to handle a stall is to make it unlikely. When the buyer says yes, lock the plan on the spot: who owns the contract, what still needs legal or procurement sign-off, and when it will sign. A dated, agreed timeline is hard to stall; an open-ended "we'll get it over to you" is where deals go to die.
Chase with purpose, not nagging
If it does stall, find out what's actually holding it up before you chase. Is it legal, an internal budget freeze, or a champion who's gone quiet? Then follow up with a reason to talk — a question answered, a term clarified, a kickoff date proposed — not another "just checking in." Each touch should move the deal one step closer to the date you set.
Bring the champion back in
When the buyer goes quiet, your champion is the person who can restart the engine. Ask them what's stalling it internally and whether anything's changed. If your champion has gone cold, that's the real problem — a deal with no active internal advocate rarely signs on its own. Re-energize the advocate before you re-open anything else.
Don't reopen what's done
The moment a deal stalls, the instinct can be to re-negotiate to win them back. Resist it. Re-opening the price or the terms you already agreed creates new reasons to delay and signals weakness. The deal is agreed — your job is to drive the signature, not to re-litigate the sale.
Start here
The contract is signed — the win is real, but it's not the end of your responsibility. The next lesson is what to do after you close the deal, so the win counts and sets up the next one.