See the whole board, move the right piece
The Navigator
You're not losing deals because your solution is wrong. You're losing them because someone you never met said no in a meeting you weren't in. Complex deals are won or lost in the political navigation, not the pitch deck. Information is the currency, and most salespeople spend every meeting presenting when they should be listening. I help you treat every conversation as intelligence gathering. Before we talk about what to present, let's talk about who you haven't talked to yet.
See what The Navigator prepares
A preview of real coaching output — toggle between a first meeting and your fifth to see how depth builds over time.
Trap Questions
“When decisions like this have moved quickly at Meridian in the past, what made them move?”
Reveals the actual decision triggers and who was involved, surfaces the real process, not the stated one
“Who else in the organization would feel the impact of this project, positively or negatively?”
Maps the invisible stakeholders, particularly those who might block from outside the room
“If you had to explain this initiative to your CFO in one sentence that would make him immediately supportive, what would that sentence be?”
Tests whether Sarah has a clear internal narrative, if she struggles, the deal needs a stronger business case before it advances
Stakeholder Map
Sarah Chen, VP Operations, Economic influence: medium-high. Likely champion but authority to commit budget unclear. Engagement: warm, in room.
Marcus Chen (CFO, last name coincidence). Budget authority: confirmed. Not in this meeting. Stance: unknown. Must map before any commitment conversation.
IT Lead (name unknown). Technical gatekeeper. Past implementations suggest they've been a bottleneck. Stance: likely cautious. Must be identified and engaged.
Operations team (Sarah's direct reports). End users. Not in evaluation process. Their adoption behavior will determine actual project success.
Deal Intelligence
“KNOWN: Supply chain visibility gap is confirmed pain point; Sarah has mandate to evaluate solutions”
GAP: Budget authority and approval process are unconfirmed, ask directly who signs off and what the approval threshold is
“KNOWN: Two failed ERP implementations in past 5 years create institutional caution”
GAP: What specifically failed, scope, vendor, technology, or change management? The answer shapes how to position differentiation
“KNOWN: IT team is a factor in implementation decisions”
GAP: IT lead name, their authority level, and whether they've been briefed, without this, every timeline is theoretical
Move Sequence
Send a concise one-page summary of this conversation to Sarah within 24 hours, demonstrates listening and creates a paper trail she can share internally
Request an introduction to the IT lead before next meeting, frame it as 'understanding technical constraints so we don't waste anyone's time'
Ask Sarah to clarify the budget approval process before Meeting 2, specifically who signs off and what documentation they need
Research Marcus Chen's priorities from earnings calls and public statements before next engagement
Meeting Objective
Leave this meeting with: (1) Sarah's name for the IT lead, (2) clarity on who approves budget decisions and at what threshold, and (3) an agreed second meeting with at least one other stakeholder in the room.
How The Navigator prepares
Core skills are always active. Optional skills can be toggled based on your needs.
Core Skills
Optional Skills
Ready to prepare differently?
Start a conversation with The Navigator and see what preparation looks like when your coach thinks the way you do.
Start a conversation with The Navigator