Here’s how you get the information you need about the “when” of the deal and how to use it to maintain momentum.
February 04, 2026
By Rachel Smith
When we introduced DRIVE as an information-gathering framework, we posed the following question: if we know velocity in sales is so important, how come none of the major sales-qualification frameworks include it?
It’s time to explore the V in DRIVE. How can we establish velocity in sales? How can we maintain it once it’s established? And if things start to slow down, how can we use the information we’ve collected to get things moving again?
After all, a deal in motion stays in motion. A deal at rest dies.
Even if you understand the impact your product or service will have on your prospect, if you don’t know when they need a solution in place, your deal lacks urgency. This might not seem like a problem at first. Your prospect is excited about solving their problem. Surely that lends your deal some momentum, right?
Unless your sales cycle is extremely short (which is a rarity in B2B SaaS), initial excitement from your prospect isn’t enough. There are so many other things your prospect is focused on, and individual and organizational priorities shift. To maintain velocity in sales, you need to establish a timeline early on.
So, what are the questions you can ask that will uncover this timeline and help you establish velocity in sales? Here are some options:
Great, you’ve been given a date of when your prospect wants to have a solution in place. But is it a real date, or did they just arbitrarily throw something out because you asked? Here are some questions you can ask to uncover whether the date they have given you is a true deadline for them:
There needs to be a true “why” behind the “when” in order to maintain velocity in sales. If there’s not, your buyer may not be ready to make a purchase, or they may not have all the information they need from their own team. A common answer to “When do you need a solution in place?” is “as soon as possible.” While it sounds good on the surface, it’s an ambiguous answer that needs more clarification. If you get this answer from your prospect, ask them, “What does ASAP mean to you?” Their definition might not be the same as yours.
Now that you have information on when your prospect needs a solution in place and why that date is significant, you have a powerful tool at your disposal when things inevitably start to slow down. Let’s say your contract has been stuck in legal longer than expected, and you need your champion to help push it through. Remind them why it’s worth pushing. “I know you need a solution in place by the beginning of April in order to handle your summer busy-season. In order for that to happen, we’ll need to ensure the contract gets approved before the end of the month.” That’s a much more effective approach than simply asking what’s taking legal so long. Reminding your prospect of why the timeline is important is a great way to increase velocity in sales.
Another way to protect your deal momentum is to use the timeline information you’ve been given to create a closing schedule (sometimes called a mutual action plan or closing map). A closing schedule outlines every step that needs to be taken to get the deal across the finish line and identifies who is responsible and when it needs to be completed.
The closing schedule should be shared with your prospect mid-funnel so both parties are clear about what needs to get done. The items on the closing schedule also serve as micro conversions. When individual items get completed on time, it’s a good sign that your deal is on track. If dates on the closing schedule are routinely missed, that’s a negative micro conversion that you need to address. Remind your prospect of when they need a solution in place and what is at risk if it’s not in place by then. Several missed closing-schedule activities warrant more exploration. Ask questions like, “What’s changed on your end that we need to factor into our timeline?” or “What’s happened that has shifted your priorities away from getting this solution?” These will help you uncover what’s going on and help you maintain momentum in your sale.
There are other ways to encourage momentum in your deals that have little to do with when your prospect needs a solution. How you communicate with your prospect—from the very beginning of your relationship—sets the pace for your deal.
By maintaining frequent, consistent communication with your prospect early on, you teach them to expect that pace throughout the sale. Frequent touchpoints create their own momentum. When you establish this velocity in sales from the beginning, it won’t seem odd when you touch base more frequently as you’re getting the deal to the finish line. If you haven’t established this pace early on, however, it will be out of character and suspect when you suddenly reach out every day toward the end. Suddenly trying to accelerate the deal will often cause your prospect to hit the brakes.
Velocity in sales is critical, so make sure you’re using a sales-qualification framework that helps you uncover information about it. DRIVE is one of the only sales-qualification frameworks that puts a spotlight on velocity. Not only does it unearth information about when your prospect needs a solution in place, but it also gives you the means to hit the gas if things start to slow down.
Sixty percent of B2B deals end in no decision. They just slow down and fizzle out. Don’t let that happen to you. Focus on velocity in sales and DRIVE your deal forward!
Want to do a deep dive into our DRIVE information gathering framework? Our DRIVE online training courses are free of charge right now!
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