close
Close for the PO
Ask for the purchase order, reduce scope instead of discounting, diagnose stalls, and use ROI to restart stuck deals.
The ask is the job
End by restating criteria, evidence, and the decision path in the agreement. Then ask. Silence or we loved it without a PO is a stall to diagnose, not a win to celebrate.
When it stalls
Name the mode before you discount. Each has a different restart.
| Stall | Restart |
|---|---|
| No economic buyer | Get check-writer on calendar with ROI |
| Vague success | Rewrite 3–5 measurable criteria |
| Science project | Freeze scope to written criteria |
| Quiet champion | Multi-thread users + EB this week |
| Procurement takeover | Loop champion; tie delay to event |
| Loved it, no budget | ROI + reduce scope, not price |
In this phase
- Ask for the POEnd the pilot by asking for the purchase order.
- Reduce scope, not discountCut seats or sites instead of discounting.
- Stall diagnosticDiagnose why a pilot stalled and pick the restart.
- ROI modelTurn hit criteria into a finance-ready ROI story.
- Loved it, no budgetRestart deals where the pilot won hearts but budget blocks the PO.
FounderNexus
If the pilot worked and the PO is stuck, bring it to FounderNexus. Operators who have closed this motion will pressure-test the ask — not cheerlead.
Join FounderNexusClaims and patterns on this page are paraphrased from practitioner session notes and the Startup Bible pilots page. See Sources.
Continue the journey
- Run the clockKickoff as realignment, land a week-1-2 quick win, run a midpoint review, and keep closing through the pilot.
- Expand without anchoringLand-and-expand after a paid pilot without anchoring at a cheap monthly price, and know when to stop piloting.
- Stall diagnosticDiagnose why a pilot stalled and pick the restart.
- Stall diagnostic worksheetWorksheet to name the stall mode and pick the restart.