How to prevent deals from slipping
Deal slippage, where deals push to the next period again and again, wrecks forecasts and demoralizes teams. It is almost always a symptom of a few fixable causes.
The close date is only as real as the compelling event behind it and the plan that supports it.
Short answer
Prevent deals from slipping by qualifying a real compelling event rather than an arbitrary close date, running a mutual action plan so both sides own the timeline, scoping the paper process early so procurement and legal do not add surprise weeks, and inspecting deals weekly to catch slippage before the date moves. Slippage is usually predictable and preventable.
Step by step
Qualify a real compelling event
A close date without a compelling event behind it is a guess. Anchor the timeline to a real deadline in the buyer's world so the date has teeth.
Run a mutual action plan
Agree a shared, dated plan to signature with the buyer, so both sides own the steps and dates. Ambiguity about who does what is where slippage lives.
Scope the paper process early
Surface procurement, legal, and security timelines during discovery. Discovering a six-week security review after the verbal yes is a classic slip.
Inspect weekly
Review deals with a close date in the period every week, focusing on any that have not advanced. Catching a stall early is the only way to prevent the date from moving.
Common causes of slippage
No compelling event, so the close date was arbitrary from the start.
A late-discovered paper process that adds weeks after the deal was effectively won.
Single-threading, so the deal freezes when one contact goes quiet.
How Ardovo runs this
Ardovo turns this from a slide no one opens into how the work actually happens. The stages, exit criteria, and plays live in the deal object, and Rook flags any deal that skips a step, drafts the next artifact, and keeps the data honest, so slippage is caught before the close date moves gets followed instead of forgotten.
Frequently asked questions
What causes deals to slip?
Usually an arbitrary close date with no compelling event behind it, a paper process discovered late, single-threading that freezes the deal when one contact goes quiet, or no mutual action plan. Slippage is typically predictable and traces to a few fixable causes rather than bad luck.
How do I keep deals on their close date?
Qualify a real compelling event so the date has teeth, run a mutual action plan so both sides own the timeline, scope the procurement and legal process early so it adds no surprise weeks, and inspect deals weekly to catch stalls before the date moves. Prevention beats chasing a slipped date.
What is a compelling event?
A real deadline in the buyer's world, like a contract expiry, a product launch, or a compliance date, that forces a decision by a specific time. Without one, a close date is just a guess, which is why deals with no compelling event are the ones that slip repeatedly.