Be Prepared For The Possibility That You Might Not Land The Deal

This can happen to solution providers that are or aim to be "trusted advisers," according to Goodman, who said he has lost deals because he was unwilling to side with one of the parties in an internal conflict within a client's organization.

"We establish our standing at the table," Goodman said, even going so far as to say "at the risk of losing an opportunity" should the client decide to turn to another company's solution.
The upside of that? If that relationship doesn't work out, "they [might] come back to us," he said.