--- title: "Words to Live By: \"Time Kills All Deals\"" description: In SaaS sales, time kills all deals. Learn how to avoid complacency and maintain urgency while closing large complex enterprise deals image: https://www.crossoppartners.com/hubfs/Broken%20Clock.jpeg --- [Skip to content](https://www.crossoppartners.com/cross-operating-partners-blog/time-kills-all-deals#main-content) [![ARR focused Operating Partners](https://www.crossoppartners.com/hs-fs/hubfs/New%20COP%20Logo-1.png?width=952&height=524&name=New%20COP%20Logo-1.png)](https://www.crossoppartners.com/) - [About](https://www.crossoppartners.com/about) - [Services](https://www.crossoppartners.com/services) - [Case Studies](https://www.crossoppartners.com/case-studies) - [Blog](https://www.crossoppartners.com/cross-operating-partners-blog) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [About](https://www.crossoppartners.com/about) - [Services](https://www.crossoppartners.com/services) - [Case Studies](https://www.crossoppartners.com/case-studies) - [Blog](https://www.crossoppartners.com/cross-operating-partners-blog) - [Contact us](https://www.crossoppartners.com/contact-us) [Contact us](https://www.crossoppartners.com/contact-us) [All posts](https://www.crossoppartners.com/cross-operating-partners-blog/all) February 17, 2026 # Words to Live By: "Time Kills All Deals" ![Picture of Zach Cross](https://www.crossoppartners.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Zach%20Headshot.jpeg?width=50&name=Zach%20Headshot.jpeg) By  [Zach Cross](https://www.crossoppartners.com/cross-operating-partners-blog/author/zach-cross)  ·  2 minute read They’re simple. Memorable. Effective. Not controversial. And far easier said than done. This is our next blog in the *Words to Live By* series, where we explore phrases and philosophies we’ve seen change behavior inside PE-backed companies. From our experience, when teams truly live by them, execution improves and outcomes follow. **Time Kills All Deals** Not because the calendar moves. Because momentum dies. And when momentum dies, that means other things have taken priority. Once a deal has been “backburnered,” it’s generally dead. **Momentum > Time** When we think about this phrase, it’s less about elapsed days and more about lost urgency. Deals rarely die suddenly. They decay. Activity can masquerade as progress for a long time. Meetings happen. Emails flow. The illusion of progress sets in. But underneath? **No executive urgency. No quantified value. No reason to act now.** Reps convince themselves and often their managers that deals are pacing when in reality they’re drifting. And when deals drift, only bad things happen: Executive turnover, new strategic imperatives, M&A transactions, etc. **The Data Doesn’t Lie** In one scaling environment, we saw an average enterprise sales cycle of roughly 150 days with an ASP around $150K. Once deals crossed ~200 days, they were as good as dead. Sure, there were occasional exceptions, but even those required full requalification and effectively became new opportunities. Far too often sellers grew complacent. Not wanting to “annoy” the prospect or seem too salesy, they waited. In complex sales, days become weeks. Weeks become months. Momentum evaporates quietly. Then deals die. Never lose urgency. **Good Deals Move Forward or They Stall** Legal and procurement often get blamed for slowing deals. But when the business case is urgent, and tied to an executive priority, those groups move. When they don’t, it’s usually a signal the deal wasn’t as strategically important as believed. Deals stalling with legal or procurement is a business alignment problem first. **Great Sellers vs. Average Sellers** When deals stall, the gap widens fast. How do sellers respond to delays? Great sellers: Average sellers: One creates momentum. The other documents decay. **Why Sponsors Should Care** This isn’t just a sales leadership problem. It’s a value creation issue. Cycle time isn’t just a sales metric. It impacts: And when managed well, we’ve seen: Pipeline velocity ultimately shows up in enterprise value. **The Operator Takeaway** Deals rarely die suddenly. They decay. Manage momentum. Maintain urgency. Control the process. Or don’t. Just remember… Time kills all deals. 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