A B2B deal review is a focused coaching conversation between an AE and their manager about a specific active deal. It is distinct from a pipeline review (which covers all open deals at a surface level) in that it goes deep: the goal is to surface real risk, identify what the AE might be missing, and co-develop the best strategy to advance the deal to close. The best deal reviews are the most valuable coaching moments a sales manager has -- they teach deal strategy in the context of a real situation the AE is living, which is far more effective than generic training.
When to run a deal review
Deal reviews should be triggered by: (1) high-value deals (any deal in the top 20% of your average ACV deserves a deal review before it enters the proposal stage); (2) stalled deals (any deal that has been in the same stage longer than the average stage duration without a clear reason); (3) competitive deals (any deal where a named competitor is involved deserves a competitive deal review before the AE responds to a competitive objection or sends a proposal); (4) deal rescue (any deal that was in the forecast but has not moved in 2+ weeks); and (5) close-stage deals (any deal in the final negotiation or proposal stage should get a deal review before the final commercial proposal is submitted).
Deal review structure
What does the AE know?
Start with a structured fact-gathering phase where the AE walks through the deal from memory (not from the CRM notes): Who is involved? What is their problem? What is their success criteria? Who is the economic buyer and have they been met? What is the competition? What is the timeline and what is driving it? What does the customer say they need to decide? Asking the AE to narrate without notes surfaces what they actually know vs what they think they know -- gaps in their narration reveal gaps in their deal knowledge.
Risk identification
After the AE presents their understanding, the manager probes for risk: Has the economic buyer been engaged personally, not just mentioned? Does the champion have enough internal credibility to close the deal without you? Is there a compelling reason to make a decision now, or could this slip indefinitely? Is the timeline driven by the buyer or assumed by the AE? What happens to the buyer if they do not solve this problem by their stated deadline? Deal review risk questions should be Socratic -- ask questions rather than making statements, so the AE develops their own risk awareness.
Strategy development
Once risks are on the table, co-develop a strategy: what specific actions will the AE take in the next 7 days to de-risk the deal? Who do they need to talk to that they have not talked to yet? What proof points would strengthen the champion's internal case? Should the manager or CRO make an executive sponsor call? Is there a POV that should be proposed? Does the mutual action plan need to be updated? Strategy decisions should be specific and time-boxed -- "I will reach out to the CFO directly by Thursday" is a commitment; "I need to get better executive access" is not.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a B2B deal review?
- A B2B deal review is a structured coaching conversation between an AE and their sales manager about a specific active deal. Unlike a pipeline review (which looks at all deals quickly), a deal review goes deep on one opportunity: the AE narrates the full deal state from memory, the manager probes for risk and gaps, and they co-develop a strategy for how to advance the deal. Deal reviews are one of the highest-leverage coaching activities a sales manager has -- they teach deal strategy in the context of a real, live situation the AE is working on, which produces much better learning retention than abstract training.
- What is the difference between a deal review and a pipeline review?
- A pipeline review is a regular (typically weekly) meeting between an AE and their manager that covers all active opportunities at a surface level: what stage is each deal in, what is the forecast category, what is the next step, and are there any immediate risks. A deal review is a deep-dive into a single opportunity: it covers the full stakeholder landscape, the competitive situation, the risk factors, the champion's credibility and engagement, the economic buyer's awareness, and the specific strategy for the next 7-14 days. Pipeline reviews give you breadth; deal reviews give you depth. Both are necessary -- pipeline reviews flag which deals need a deal review, and deal reviews improve the quality of the forecast data that informs the pipeline review.
- How do you run an effective B2B deal review?
- To run an effective B2B deal review: (1) ask the AE to narrate the deal from memory -- without looking at CRM notes; gaps in their narration reveal gaps in deal knowledge; (2) probe for risk with Socratic questions ("Has the CFO been personally engaged?" not "You should get the CFO engaged"); (3) focus on what the AE does not know, not just what they do know -- the risks that derail deals are almost always things the AE did not know or did not ask; (4) leave every deal review with a specific list of actions, owners, and dates for the next 7-14 days; (5) follow up in the next pipeline review to verify whether the actions were taken -- accountability for deal review actions is what makes them productive.
Keep reading
- B2B pipeline review: how to run a weekly pipeline review
- B2B sales leadership: what great sales leaders do differently
- Sales coaching: what it is and how to coach a B2B sales team
- B2B pipeline health: how to assess whether your sales pipeline is real
- Mutual action plan: what it is and how to use it in B2B sales