--- title: 5 Ideas on Playing the Long Game in Sales | The Sales Blog description: Everyone wants new revenue fast. But in high complexity, long sales cycle deals, fast is slow. You need to play the long game. image: https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shutterstock_107814287.jpg --- ### [Now booking SKO meetings for 2026/27! 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They perceive the cost of change as being greater than the cost of dealing with the major challenges. The ability to live with the [status quo](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/the-status-quo-the-most-dangerous-threat-to-your-deal) makes it difficult for you to develop dormant the satisfaction as fast as you would like to. Opportunity acquisition is the name of the game, and that game is difficult to play and difficult to win. It takes time. 2. **The need to nurture.** One of the critical activities sales organizations and sales professionals need to spend time engaged in is nurturing their dream clients with content that helps their dream client to understand the nature of their challenges. When someone doesn’t yet have an understanding of their challenges or a vision as to how they can improve, they can stick with the status quo because they don’t know what is wrong, or they don’t know what is possible. Sometimes your dream client isn’t even using the right performance indicators. [Nurturing](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/why-you-cant-allow-marketing-to-nurture-your-dream-clients-alone) is teaching. 3. **Executive sponsorship.** For a long time, I have recommended that you get into your dream at whatever level possible, even if it far below the C-suite. But you also need to know that without executive sponsorship, you are far less likely to create or win an opportunity. Sometimes the only people with enough authority and a deep enough understanding of the difference between price and cost are at higher levels in your dream clients account company. Your value proposition may only be compelling by someone high enough in the organization to [perceive the value](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/price-is-an-expression-of-value). 4. **Consensus**. The need to build consensus is critical, and you need to start that process as possible. The longer you wait to bring in the stakeholders you need, the more likely you are to end up with a stalled opportunity. You might fear that building consensus puts your opportunity in jeopardy because it is often difficult to accomplish, but that is not the greatest danger. The greater danger is that you don’t take the time to build that [consensus](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/losses-due-to-lack-of-consensus) and lose to a competitor who has–or more likely to a “no decision.” 5. **Fast is slow.** Everyone wants new revenue fast. Everyone wants to acquire new clients as fast as possible. But in high complexity, long sales cycle deals, [fast is slow, and slow is fast](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/fast-is-slow-slow-is-fast). ###### Tags: [Sales](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/sales) [2015](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/2015) Post by [Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/author/anthony-iannarino) on October 21, 2015 Written and edited by human brains and human hands. ![Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/ai-blog-profile-crop.jpg) Anthony Iannarino is an American writer. He has published daily at [thesalesblog.com](https://www.thesalesblog.com) for more than 14 years, amassing over 5,300 articles and making this platform a destination for salespeople and sales leaders. Anthony is also the author of four best-selling books documenting modern sales methodologies and a fifth book for sales leaders seeking revenue growth. His latest book for an even wider audience is titled, The Negativity Fast: Proven Techniques to Increase Positivity, Reduce Fear, and Boost Success. Anthony speaks to sales organizations worldwide, delivering cutting-edge sales strategies and tactics that work in this ever-evolving B2B landscape. He also provides workshops and seminars. Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn, X or Youtube. You can email Anthony at [iannarino@gmail.com](mailto:iannarino@gmail.com) [Follow me on my website](https://www.thesalesblog.com/anthony-iannarino) [Follow me on Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/thesalesblog) [Follow me on LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/iannarino/) [Follow me on Twitter ](http://www.twitter.com/iannarino) [![AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg?width=400&height=400&name=AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/authority) [![ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg?width=318&height=179&name=ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/free-cold-calling-video) ![salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover (1)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(1).jpg?width=768&height=994&name=salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(1).jpg) ### Free Sales eBook: Sales Call Planner Planning your sales call improves the likelihood of making a successful call, and it demonstrates to your dream client your professionalism. 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What we’re doing right now **is working**, even in this challenging economy. **Would you like some help?** [![Solve for Sales](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035) ### Join my Weekly Newsletter for Sales Tips Join 100,000+ sales professionals in my weekly newsletter and get my *Guide to Becoming a Sales Hustler* eBook for FREE! --- ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org/", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Anthony Iannarino" }, "dateModified" : "2023-02-08T11:20:31 AM", "datePublished" : "2015-10-21 20:51:55", "description" : "Everyone wants new revenue fast. But in high complexity, long sales cycle deals, fast is slow. 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