Missed Quota Series: Your Deal Didn't Die, Tariffs Put It on Ice | Donald C. Kelly - 1995

Missed Quota Series: Your Deal Didn't Die, Tariffs Put It on Ice | Donald C. Kelly - 1995

From The Sales Evangelist by Donald C. Kelly

April 20, 2026 · 8 min · Episode 1995

About this episode

Donald C. Kelly discusses how to navigate sales deals impacted by tariffs and offers strategies to keep deals moving forward.

You’re feeling the impact of the tariffs, aren’t you? They keep your deals from moving forward. Luckily, I came up with three ways to move those tariff blocks out of the way and make everything move in your favor. 1. Show Them What It’s Costing to Wait When deals stall, it’s easy for companies to pause spending and focus on what feels urgent right now. But waiting comes with a cost. Instead of pushing harder, help them see what happens if nothing changes. What does it cost the business to delay? What risks are they taking on by doing nothing? When you lay that out clearly, the conversation shifts. It is no longer just about spending money. It becomes about avoiding a bigger loss. 2. Ask What Needs to Change, Not “When” Most sellers follow up with one question: “When can we move forward?” That question does not move the deal. A better approach is to ask, “What needs to happen for this to become a priority again?” Now you open up a real conversation. You start to understand what is actually blocking the deal, whether it is budget, timing, or internal pressure. Once you know that, you can position yourself to help move things forward. 3. Stay Present So You’re First When It Opens…

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