VP Re-engagement Sales Sequence

Grant Hanson
STRETCH VP
Published in
2 min readMar 8, 2023

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Use my VP Re-engagement Sales Sequence to help get those gone-dark deals out from the shadows

Photo by Franco Cornejo on Unsplash

Gone dark?

We’ve all seen it. You’re in a deal review and what once was a promising opportunity with momentum has stalled, or worse yet, come to a screeching halt.

There’s no shortage of tips and tactics to try, but as a leader, I wanted to share something that has worked for me.

I’m batting close to .800 with this one. I’ve used it at my last two companies and now my current one with similar results. I’m not saying it's a surefire way to turn a stalled deal into ACV, but a quick no is always better than a long, drawn-out maybe or the unknown.

And that is the intent here with my VP Re-engagement Sequence — to get an indication of where the deal stands and how, if possible, to move forward.

Now, I don’t know the psychology behind why this works. But a few guesses:

  • Perhaps prospects feel they can be more transparent with me than directly with the rep. I don’t love it, but also don’t really blame the sellers themselves.
  • Customers then feel like they should defend the rep’s hard work and good standing with their manager
  • Contact has had enough emails, calls, and voice messages and finally sees the chance to set the record straight without fear of damaging a relationship

But hopefully, when all is said and done, there’s some real clarity that will propel movement forward toward deal progression.

So here it is. Steal it, clone it, modify it, and use it yourself and let me know how it goes.

Email #1:

Hi (Prospect name),

My name is (name) and I lead sales here at (company).

I know you’ve been talking with (rep name) regarding (main problem in the market your solution is solving).

From the sound of it, there was some good momentum and mutual interest between (Prospect Company) and (Company), but things seem to have stalled.

Would you mind providing some feedback on where things are at?

Best,

(name)

Email #2:

Hey (name),

Just checking in to make sure you received the above note. I’d love to hear your perspective on things.

Would you be open to chat for 15 min? My calendar link is (HERE)

Thanks,

(name)

Email #3:

Hi (name),

Curious if there is still any interest here and/or what recommendations you have if any…

-(name)

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Grant Hanson
STRETCH VP

VP Sales. Writing about sales leadership, SaaS and technology. Productivity chaser. Subscribe to my newsletter at: stretchvp.substack.com