What Happens After the First “Yes” in Sales (Most Teams Ignore This Phase)

For sales teams who celebrate a verbal "yes" only to see the deal fall apart, this article is a critical guide. The phase between the verbal agreement and the signed contract is a minefield of procurement, legal, and internal politics. We provide a "Closing Execution" playbook to help you navigate this perilous stage, arm your champion for internal battles, and turn commitments into predictable revenue.

From "Selling to the Buyer" to "Selling Through the Buyer"

Up to this point, your job was to convince your champion. Now, your job is to equip your champion to convince their own company. You are no longer the primary seller; you are a coach. Your champion has to navigate a gauntlet of internal stakeholders who have the power to delay, derail, or kill your deal. This is a continuation of the process we describe in what happens after the demo.

• The Legal Team: They will redline your contract and question every clause.
• The Procurement Team: Their job is to get a discount, and they will use every tactic to do so.
• The Security/IT Team: They have a 100-item security questionnaire that needs to be filled out.
• The CFO: They will question the business case and ROI one last time.

Your champion is likely not an expert in any of these areas. Leaving them to fight these battles alone is a recipe for disaster.

The "Commit" stage is not a waiting game. It is an active sales process.

The "Closing Execution" Playbook

To navigate this final, perilous stage, you need a formal "Closing Execution" playbook. This is not a series of "just checking in" emails. It is a proactive project plan to get the contract signed.

1. Create a Mutual Close Plan

As soon as you get the verbal yes, the next sentence out of your mouth should be: "That's fantastic. To make this process as smooth as possible, can we spend 10 minutes mapping out the exact steps and people involved on your end to get this signed?" This conversation becomes a formal Mutual Close Plan, a shared document that outlines every step, owner, and deadline.

2. Arm Your Champion for Internal Battle

Do not assume your champion knows how to sell this internally. Provide them with a "Champion's Kit": a one-page executive summary, a pre-filled ROI calculator, an email template for their boss, and a pre-completed security FAQ. This is a key part of improving your meeting-to-close ratio.

3. Get on the Phone with Other Departments

Do not rely on your champion to be a go-between. Ask for direct introductions. "To speed up the legal review, would it make sense for our counsel to have a quick call with yours?" This allows you to address concerns directly and build consensus across the organization.

The Takeaway: The Deal Isn't Done Until It's Signed

A verbal "yes" is a strong buying signal, but it is not a commitment. By recognizing the post-yes phase as a unique and critical stage of the sales process, and by implementing a structured playbook to manage it, you can dramatically reduce your slip rates, shorten your closing cycles, and turn verbal commitments into predictable revenue.