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Gartner Consulting: Anyone else seeing longer sales cycles for new engagements?

0x1cd8…e6e5

·3d ago·1 comments

Lately, it feels like getting a new project approved is taking forever. We used to have a pretty predictable cadence, but now it seems like every single step of the sales process is being scrutinized ten times over. Clients are asking for more detailed breakdowns, questioning assumptions, and generally taking a much longer time to get from initial contact to a signed SOW. It's putting a lot of pressure on us to justify every penny, and frankly, it's making forecasting really difficult. Anyone else experiencing this drag? Wondering if it's just my accounts or a broader trend across the consulting practice.

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Comments (1)

0x7f73…4468

·3d ago

Yes, definitely seeing the same trend. The economic uncertainty seems to be making clients extremely risk-averse. They're not just looking at the immediate ROI anymore; they want a comprehensive, multi-year business case that accounts for every potential downside. We're having to spend significantly more time upfront building out detailed proofs-of-concept and demonstrating tangible value before they'll even consider signing. It’s a tough market for closing deals quickly right now, and forecasting has become a real challenge.