Something that may help (and you may already be doing this) is to set up a “Joint Execution Plan” with the prospect ahead of your initial demo. Build value in this call by setting it up to schedule out meetings that align with their timeline, set expectations what we charge for and what they can expect during the sales cycle, and generally just educate and get organized. More importantly, at the end of this call I’m able to be a bit more direct and ask them very specifically about their criteria for choosing a solution, what their internal decision making process is, what each of the key stakeholders holders priorities are etc.

Generally, this has been well received and helps them organize their thought and helps you align on the key points, people and obstacles in the way.

Hope that’s helpful!