Deal Strategy

3. Competitive Positioning

When you know there's a competitor in the deal:

• Find out: who introduced them? What stage are they at?
• Never badmouth — "they're great at X, we're purpose-built for Y"
• Understand your champion's preference — if they prefer competitor, find out why
• Create competitive traps: demonstrations or proof points that expose the competitor's weakness

4. Navigate Negotiation

Tactics:

• Anchor high on value, not on price
• Never make concessions without asking for something in return
• Know your walk-away point before entering negotiation
• Concession sequence: discount on one tier, add implementation support, adjust payment terms — never just cut price

Key Outputs

• Stakeholder map (influence diagram)
• Multi-thread engagement plan
• Competitive positioning brief
• Negotiation strategy document

Anti-Patterns

• Single-threading a deal (one contact, one point of failure)
• Leading with price instead of value
• Making concessions without asking for anything in return
• No champion — no one selling for you when you're not there