Jeb Blount Advises Sales Professionals to Avoid ‘Babysitting’ Slow Deals

In a recent LinkedIn post, Jeb Blount discusses the common pitfall of sales professionals getting stuck with deals that move too slowly, urging them to recognize and avoid the trap of “babysitting” these opportunities. Blount emphasizes that if a prospect is unwilling to allow engagement with other relevant stakeholders, it’s a clear sign the deal is unlikely to close.

Blount highlights the importance of taking control of the sales process, stating:

“Slow buyers will waste your time if you let them.”

He further elaborates on the critical juncture where a salesperson must make a decision about the deal’s viability. According to Blount, the unwillingness of a prospect to broaden the engagement to include other decision-makers or influencers is a definitive signal that the deal is stalled and potentially lost.

The Peril of ‘Babysitting’ Deals

Blount’s core argument revolves around the concept that allowing a deal to languish without clear progress or engagement from all necessary parties is a detrimental practice. He frames this inaction not as patient nurturing, but as “babysitting,” a term that underscores the unproductive nature of such efforts. This perspective challenges the traditional sales wisdom that often encourages persistence above all else, suggesting instead a more strategic approach to resource allocation.

“If they refuse to let you engage other stakeholders, walk away,” Blount advises. “You are not closing that deal. You are babysitting it.”

Regaining Control of the Sales Process

The sales expert advocates for proactive deal management. In his view, a salesperson must actively steer the sales process, ensuring that momentum is maintained and that all key players are involved. When a salesperson loses control, Blount contends, the deal is almost certainly destined to fail. This active control involves testing for genuine commitment and engagement from the buyer’s side.

In the related episode of his podcast, “Ask Jeb,” Blount delves deeper into strategies for identifying these stalled deals and implementing methods to re-engage prospects or, if necessary, to disengage gracefully. His advice is geared towards helping sales professionals focus their energy on opportunities with a higher probability of closing, thereby improving overall sales efficiency and effectiveness.

Blount’s insights serve as a crucial reminder for sales teams to critically evaluate the health of their pipeline and to distinguish between genuine buying interest and mere customer inertia. By adopting a more assertive approach to managing the sales cycle, professionals can better protect their time and resources, focusing on deals that are truly moving towards a close.