Never Let the Momentum Die
The Sales Code - #20
When I look back at the biggest deals I’ve closed—whether it was landing a multimillion-dollar public partnership in the EU or negotiating with a royal-backed sports team in Dubai—they all shared one invisible ingredient:
Momentum.
Momentum is that fragile window when your prospect is excited, curious, and willing to explore next steps.
But here’s the trap:
Most salespeople treat momentum like it’s permanent.
They leave a meeting feeling triumphant—“They loved it!”—and then…nothing happens.
They wait a week to follow up. They send a polite email. The energy evaporates.
Let me be blunt:
Time kills deals.
You must protect momentum like it’s oxygen.
I learned this lesson early in my career.
I was in Milan, trying to secure a partnership between Helbiz and a major payment provider. We’d spent months just getting in the door.
When the meeting finally came, it went beautifully—smiles, nods, alignment on vision.
My younger self thought: Perfect. They’ll get back to us next week with final terms.
Of course, they didn’t.
Because in their world, we were one of fifty priorities.
It took me another six months to rekindle what we’d built in that first meeting.
After that, I made a rule I still follow today:
Never end a conversation without defining the next step—clearly, specifically, and with a date attached.
Here’s how you keep the fire alive:
🛠️ Momentum Maintenance Toolkit
Always Confirm the Next Action—In Person.
“Great—so I’ll send you the draft by Wednesday, and you’ll have feedback by Friday?”Use Micro-Commitments.
Get them to do something small before you leave:Share an internal doc
Introduce you to another stakeholder
Block a follow-up slot
Even tiny commitments build psychological ownership.
Follow Up Immediately—But With Value.
Don’t just say “Thank you.”
Reinforce urgency and relevance:
“As discussed, here’s the use case summary—let me know if you’d like any adjustments before Friday.”Re-Anchor the Timeline.
If they stall, re-anchor:
“I understand you’re juggling a lot. Is it reasonable to aim for a decision by the end of the month?”Never Leave Silence Hanging.
Silence breeds doubt and second thoughts.
Consistent, relevant follow-ups breed confidence.
Momentum is why some deals take 10 days and others take 10 months.
It’s why a prospect who was “so excited” last week is suddenly ghosting you today.
And it’s why the best salespeople don’t just build rapport.
They build velocity.
Your job is to keep moving—because the moment you stop, your prospect’s attention moves on to the next shiny object.
This week, look at your pipeline and ask yourself:
“Where have I let momentum die?”
Then, take action to revive it.
Stay sharp, stay relentless, and never let your deals go cold.
— Ruggero
P.S. Need help diagnosing why your deal has stalled? Hit reply. I’ll help you troubleshoot it.