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Constraint Identification: Uncover the Hidden Deal-Killers Early
Clear communicators aren't lucky. They have a system.
Here's an uncomfortable truth: your readers give you about 26 seconds.
Smart Brevity is the methodology born in the Axios newsroom — rooted in deep respect for people's time and attention. It works just as well for internal comms, executive updates, and change management as it does for news.
We've bundled six free resources — checklists, workbooks, and more — so you can start applying it immediately.
The goal isn't shorter. It's clearer. And clearer gets results.
You've built the perfect solution. The prospect loves it. Then suddenly—dead silence.
What happened? A constraint you never saw coming.
Your Framework:
Don't wait for obstacles to ambush you. Surface them early through systematic questioning:
"What factors will influence this decision beyond solving the problem?"
"What concerns might others in your organization raise?"
"What's killed deals like this before in your company?"
"What budgetary realities are we working within?"
"Who else needs to approve this, and what matters to them?"
"What's your timeline, and what's driving it?"
"What level of risk is acceptable here?"
Map the entire constraint landscape before you propose anything.
Why This Works:
Late-stage surprises kill deals. Budget freezes. Unexpected stakeholders. Competing priorities. Risk-averse executives. These constraints exist whether you ask about them or not.
By surfacing them early, you can design around them, address them proactively, or disqualify gracefully before wasting months.
More importantly, asking demonstrates strategic sophistication. You're not just selling—you're navigating their organizational reality as an insider would.
Action Step:
Add three constraint-identification questions to your discovery process. Ask them before presenting solutions. Let the answers shape what you propose and how you position it.
The deals you save are the ones where you see obstacles coming.