Four Ways to Accelerate Sales Momentum Part 3: Aligning with the Right Executive Sponsor

Four Ways to Accelerate Sales Momentum

Part 3: Aligning with the Right Executive Sponsor

One of the most common—and costly—mistakes in complex sales is mistaking activity for progress. Meetings are happening. Stakeholders are engaged. Information is flowing. Yet momentum stalls.

Why?
Because the deal isn’t aligned with the right executive sponsor, or key decision maker.

In nearly every meaningful sales opportunity, there is one person who truly matters most. This is the executive sponsor—the individual who owns the business problem, has access to funds, holds authority to approve or sign, and carries veto power to move the deal forward or shut it down entirely.

Without alignment to this person, sales momentum slows—or disappears.

One of the toughest parts of this contact is that when you are calling on larger companies, or organizations, they are not easy to access. They have assistants, some call 'gatekeepers,' and they may already have a bad rap about sales people, because someone before you wasted their time! The gatekeeper is your friend, treat them well, and they will grant you access, lying, being arrogant, or rude is a surefire way to get yourself blocked from the VITO (very important top officer).

Top Tips for Engaging the Right Executive Sponsor

1. Identify who owns the problem—not just who feels it.
   Pain alone doesn’t equal authority. Find the person accountable for results. Help them see the cost of inaction, or doing nothing,

2. Ask direct, respectful questions early.
   Who ultimately approves this decision? What outcomes matter most to them? What risks are they trying to avoid? Who else will they involve in the decision making process?

3. Speak in business outcomes, not features.
   Executive sponsors care about impact, ROI, timing, and risk—not technical details. Do not waste their time by vending (talking prematurely about your products, solutions, or services) - if you do, it will be hard to get another appointment with them.

4. Help them win internally.
   Equip your sponsor with a clear business case they can defend to others. "Prepare your witness" and ask them "what will you say when others in your company/organization question your desire to purchase this product/service/solution?" If they fumble, help prepare them by keeping it short, sweet, simple, and include costs ($#%) of staying with the status quo or doing nothing. Remember, your biggest sales opportunity killer is not the competition - it is 'inaction, or doing nothing'

5. Bring insight, not pressure.
   Earn the right to challenge thinking by offering perspective, not persuasion. White papers, industry journals, articles, statistics, and commercial insights not only sell: they position you as a problem solver and a trusted advisor.

The Biggest Mistakes That Kill Momentum

• Getting blocked by blockers—those who resist change or protect the status quo. Dont fight these individuals, neutralize them with showing ROI and cost savings.

• Spending too much time with “talkers”—helpful, informative, but powerless stakeholders. I also call these people "friends" because they will always make time for you - but they rarely move the needle on sales opportunities.

• Avoiding executive conversations out of fear or discomfort. Remember, executive decision makers are just like us, they put their shoes on one foot at a time, and some have also been in sales in the past. They are looking for consultants who can help them solve problems.

• Assuming consensus equals commitment and thinking that because they like your product or solution, you have won. In complex sales, with long sales cycles, and multiple stakeholders, a measurable ROI is more important than someone 'liking' your product or solution, Remember to identify a 'why now' that helps the customer save money, make money, or mitigate risk.

• Building proposals without sponsor alignment can lead to inaction. Find out what the sponsors top pain point and priorities are early - not later - in the sales process through discovery.

Momentum doesn’t come from consensus—it comes from leadership. When you align with the right sponsor, clarity replaces confusion, decisions accelerate, and deals move forward with confidence.