How do you ensure you have all the right people on the prospects side and your internal side to manage complex deal structures and complex negotiations?

Define what "right" means at every stage of the deal cycle. Who is to involve internally and what is a seller capable of covering without support. The more precise the sales process is designed the clearer it is for every function within the company when to take actions.

Externally you need to know what persona you need at what stage to get the information you need to move the deal forward. In this case it is crucial to have a real champion that will help you to gain access to the right personas at the right time. If you have no champion, find and develop one, because it will get tough without one.

To effectively manage complex deal structures and negotiations, it boils down to a deep understanding of the customer's objectives and their timeline for achieving them, and most importantly which internal resources they will need to progress the opportunity. Once we've identified the "when," the next critical step is crafting a mutual close plan that outlines the roles of both internal and external stakeholders. However, it's imperative not to develop this plan in isolation. Every facet of our business must be in sync and fully committed to executing this mapped-out strategy. Without explicit agreement and a shared commitment to the timeline, progress can feel like an uphill battle.

If it becomes apparent that the customer is not fully aligned with our mutual plan, it's a clear sign that there's a misalignment somewhere in the buying cycle. In such cases, I advocate for taking a step back, seeking realignment, and securing a renewed commitment from the business before moving forward. We understand that priorities shift, personnel changes occur, and budgets may be reassigned. Thus, it's essential to maintain a rigorous qualification process at every stage, ensuring a clear outcome and timeline.

While this approach may seem deliberate, it ultimately accelerates the process in the latter stages of the sales cycle. By diligently bringing in the right people at the right time, we maximize our chances of success and create a smoother path to closing the deal.

By confirming the skeptic(s) as soon as possible.

At the end of every sales call the most common thing is for the prospect to say, "Taking it back to the team".

Well, who cares who the decision maker is on the team. We need to know the skeptic(s). 

So saying something like, "Hey I know you are going to take this to your team when this call is over. I am curious, who is usually the most skeptical person on the team? What are they skeptical about? What would they want to discuss/see if they were here for this conversation/demo, etc.?"