The most interesting take away here is that you don’t need a DM to run the entire deal.

In fact, win rates are highest when they play the role of the approver as opposed to the evaluator.

The approver is the person who has the final say when it comes to approving a purchase. They may be more or less invested in the actual project, but if it impacts their department or goals, they’ll probably have a criteria they use to approve or pass on the deal.

The evaluator assesses the purchase from an operational perspective as is much more involved in the deal. Their criteria often includes how the decision will impact the company and themselves personally. They look for what can go wrong and what is needed to make it successful.

What’s interesting is that the lowest win rates happen when a DM is too involved. They get deal fatigue and your deal goes downhill (or completely dark).

Getting a DM involved is crucial for deal success, but don’t over complicate your deal by trying to get them involved in every meeting.

Rather, include them in one or two conversations about what matters most to them.

Because it’s what you cover in those calls that really matters.

‍