The Lost Art of the “What’s Stopping You?” Call

This one’s for the heads of sales—but ABM leaders, you should keep reading too.

Because there’s a very old-school move making a major comeback.
It’s not automated.
It doesn’t require a playbook.
And it doesn’t care about your fancy scoring models.

It’s called: picking up the phone and asking the hard question.

Let me explain.

When Deals Go Quiet, Go Human

Back in the day—every Friday—we’d look at the opps that had gone quiet. The ones just sitting there. Mid-funnel. No movement. No emails. Just radio silence.

And the head of sales?
They’d call them. Directly.
No gimmicks. No gimmicky subject lines.

Just a human checking in with another human.

The Questions That Matter

Here’s what those calls sounded like:

• Were we on time?
  
• What made you take the call in the first place?
  
• Did our team explain things clearly?
  
• What’s still unresolved for you?
  
• What’s stopping you from moving forward with us?
  
  

Simple. Honest. No pressure. And incredibly effective.

Because these aren’t sales tactics—they’re trust accelerators.

You’re giving the prospect space to speak candidly.
You’re surfacing the invisible blockers.
You’re showing them you actually care about making this work.

Why It’s Working Right Now

We’re in a market where skepticism is high and inboxes are full of noise. Your buyers have options—and they’re slow to commit.

But you know what they don’t have?

Vendors willing to listen.
Reps willing to ask, “What’s stopping you?”
Leaders who aren’t afraid of hearing the answer.

That kind of call? It builds confidence. It removes friction.
And in our world right now—it’s closing deals.

All over the place.

Old School ≠ Outdated

This isn’t nostalgia. It’s strategy.

Because when sales takes a minute to rehumanize the deal—and when marketing supports that with insight, messaging, and timing—you don’t just reactivate opportunities. You create real momentum.

So pull up the list.
Find the quiet opps.
Pick up the phone.
Ask the question.

And then listen.

You might just unlock your next Closed-Won.

Need help building a motion that gets sales back in the room earlier—and stronger? Let’s talk. At Found&Chosen, we help ABM teams and sales leaders build better conversations from the inside out.