Lost a $12k deal because I didn't read their onboarding docs carefully enough

I was pitching to a mid-size SaaS in Austin last month and everything was going great. Then the CTO asked how we handle their specific SOC 2 requirement, and I said 'no problem' without checking our actual compliance scope. Turns out we were missing a control they needed, and they ghosted me the next day. Has anyone else had a deal fall apart over a compliance detail you assumed was covered?

2 comments

2 Comments

troy_wilson818d ago

Do you think the issue here is really the compliance detail itself or more that you said "no problem" without checking first? In my experience, most buyers are okay hearing "I need to verify that with our team and get back to you by tomorrow" rather than a confident yes that falls apart later. I've had two deals actually go smoother after I admitted I wasn't sure about something and followed up with the right answer. Your mileage may vary but that quick check could have saved the deal or at least shown them you were honest.

richardknight18d ago

Tbh you're spot on with that "I need to verify" approach. I did the exact same thing last year - said "yeah we handle GDPR" to a European prospect without double checking our data retention policies. Found out later we had a 90 day limit and they needed 2 years. By the time I got back to them with the real answer, they'd already moved on with a competitor. Honestly, that one mistake cost me about 8 grand. Now I always lead with "let me check that specific requirement with our compliance team" and it buys me the time to actually look stuff up. It's way better than the fake confidence that just makes you look sloppy when it falls apart.