How Mike Pritchett Simplifies Enterprise Deals with Better Deal Discipline

Mike Pritchett has spent two decades building and selling in enterprise environments, including scaling a video tech business across seven countries. In this episode, he breaks down why deals stall, how to keep momentum, and what sales leaders should really look for in pipeline reviews.

How BuzzTrail uses interactive video to capture more top-of-funnel intent

Mike is now building BuzzTrail, focused on improving the top of funnel for SaaS demos.

• BuzzTrail places an AI interactive video avatar on a website.

• The goal is to answer early questions, route the right prospects, and speed up qualification.

• It is designed to triage low-fit interest and connect strong prospects to the right humans internally.

Why enterprise deals get stuck when they “grow bigger than they started”

Mike describes a common failure mode in enterprise sales: the deal expands faster than the process can handle.

• A deal starts small in one department.

• Other departments discover the initiative and want input.

• Senior stakeholders join late, and the process becomes heavier and slower.

His preferred approach is still simple: land in one area, prove value, then expand.

What typically slows deals down in enterprise buying journeys

In Mike’s experience, one of the biggest sources of friction is internal technical scrutiny.

• Security and technical evaluation can introduce long delays.

• Teams debate buy versus build.

• The process can stall unless a strong internal champion keeps it moving.

How CRM stages hide the reality of what is happening in the deal

Mike points out that CRMs are necessary, but the buying journey rarely fits cleanly into a few stages.

• Deals often look advanced because reps are optimistic and move stages too early.

• The real slowdown tends to happen once decision makers are involved and urgency drops.

• A lack of transparency makes it hard for leaders to diagnose what is real versus what is noise.

"I think the most important rule I live by in sales is never leave a meeting without another meeting."

How to keep multi-stakeholder deals moving with simple, repeatable rules

Mike’s practical approach is built around structure and accountability.

• Never leave a meeting without booking the next meeting.

• Never leave a meeting without clear ownership of actions.

• Follow up with a written summary that states who is doing what, and by when.

This matters more as deals start to resemble project management, especially when multiple internal teams are involved.

Why salespeople should not be forced to become project managers

Mike argues most great sellers are at their best talking to customers, not managing internal admin.

• Salespeople are rarely great at admin-heavy work.

• When reps spend time on documents, tools, and coordination, it pulls them away from customer conversations.

• The goal is to remove distractions so the rep can stay customer-facing.

"The goal is to get rid of all the nonsense, and just be 100% focused on how do I get to the kid's birthday party."

What to learn first if you are starting in sales today

If Mike were starting again as an SDR or early AE, he would focus on one thing: volume and consistency.

• Make the calls.

• Build the muscle for rejection and repetition.

• Stay steady regardless of short-term outcomes.

He believes too many tools create an excuse to avoid the uncomfortable work that actually creates pipeline.

Where AI helps and where it becomes a distraction

Mike is pro-AI, but only when it creates real ROI.

• AI should reduce friction and accelerate real outcomes.

• It becomes a problem when it turns into “shiny object” work with no measurable impact.

• A practical safeguard is timeboxing experimentation, then sense-checking results.

Why the future of enterprise sales still comes back to relationships

Mike expects more automation and more agents selling to agents for simpler transactions. But he thinks larger enterprise deals will become even more relationship-driven.

• Low-complexity deals may close with minimal human involvement.

• Bigger contracts will still depend on trust, credibility, and human connection.

• In-person meetings can become a differentiator in a world overloaded with virtual touchpoints.

What he would do differently if he built again

Mike shares a few changes he would make in his next company journey.

• Build partnerships earlier, because they can accelerate growth and create strategic exit paths.

• Spend more time with key customers as the CEO, not only through the team.

• Invest earlier in founder networks and long-term relationships.

Conclusion:

Enterprise sales gets messy when momentum and clarity disappear. Mike’s playbook is to simplify: keep next steps locked in, reduce admin drag, and protect time for real customer conversations.