Recently, three executives called me with the same opening line:

“Venkat, are you seeing a slowdown in the market?”

Here’s the thing – I’m not seeing one slowdown. I’m seeing four different types. And chances are, you’re experiencing at least one of them right now.

Let me walk you through what I’m observing in the field, and more importantly, what you can do about it.

The Four Types of Slowdowns

First, there’s the Ghost.

Your customer goes completely dark. Radio silence. You’re left staring at your inbox, wondering if you said something wrong in that last meeting.

Then there’s the Swirl.

This one’s tricky because it looks like progress. Meetings are happening, proposals are flying back and forth, everyone’s engaged – but nothing’s actually moving forward. It’s like running on a treadmill. Lots of sweat, zero distance covered.

Third is the Restructuring Delay.

Your customer is in the middle of internal changes. Decision-making gets pushed out. It’s frustrating, yes, but here’s what most people miss – it’s also an opportunity if you know how to navigate it.

And finally, the Wallowing at 30,000 Feet scenario.

The need is crystal clear. Everyone agrees there’s a problem. But nobody’s defining the path forward. No structure. No boundaries. No action. Just endless discussions that stay at altitude and never land.

Sound familiar?

The 4-Step Checklist to Get Things Moving Again

Over the years, I’ve coached sales teams through hundreds of stalled deals. Here’s what actually works:

1. Run a Joint Risk Assessment with Your Customer

Most salespeople focus only on the business risks – financial, operational, technology, people.

But here’s what moves deals: the personal lens.

• Is fear holding someone back?
• Is there a career risk they’re worried about?
• Are they afraid of making the wrong call?

When you do a joint risk assessment that includes these personal dimensions, you’ll uncover what’s truly stopping the deal. And remember, your customer’s risk is your opportunity in disguise.

2. Address the Lack of Consensus

Think about your deal right now. Who are the decision makers who haven’t said yes yet?

There’s a gap between individual alignment and collective alignment, and that gap will stall your deal every single time.

The key is identifying which stakeholders aren’t aligned and why. Then work on building consensus among them. This isn’t about convincing everyone separately, it’s about orchestrating a collective “yes.”

3. Elevate Your Engagement Altitude

Can you get your leaders to go upstairs?

I mean really upstairs – to the CXOs, the CEO, maybe even the board.

When you have conversations at that layer, your project becomes an organizational priority.

The higher-level engagement often breaks through roadblocks that exist at lower levels.

4. Conduct Scenario Planning Exercises

Here’s the reality: you can’t control everything.

If the industry is slowing down, if there’s a cyclical downturn, if the market shifts – you need other avenues.

What’s your Plan B? What’s your Plan C?

These scenario planning exercises help you foresee potential slowdowns and prepare contingency plans. No rude surprises. You’re always ready to adapt to changing circumstances.

These four levers will give you both direction and momentum. They’ll help you swing deals back in your favor, even when everything around you seems to be slowing down.

The question is: which slowdown are you facing right now? And which lever will you pull first?

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