Head of Sales Feature Delay Request

MEETING PREP BRIEF: James (Head of Sales) - Feature Launch Delay Request

=== KEY CONTEXT ===

James’s Communication Style:

• Relationship-focused: Value the partnership, acknowledge past interactions
• Timeline-sensitive: Directly concerned with Q4 target impacts
• Frustrated by vagueness: Needs specific dates, not “about 2 weeks”
• Appreciates honesty over optimism

Previous Commitments:
⚠️ YOU PROMISED: Competitive analysis by mid-week last month (OVERDUE)
⚠️ HE’S WAITING FOR: This deliverable before you ask for anything else

Hot Buttons to AVOID:
❌ Vague rollout dates (“soon”, “couple weeks”, “end of quarter”)
❌ Not addressing the missing competitive analysis
❌ Downplaying timeline impacts on his Q4 targets
❌ Technical excuses without business justification

=== ANTICIPATED QUESTIONS ===

Q: “Where’s the competitive analysis you promised last month?”
A: “I apologize - I haven’t delivered on that commitment. I can get it to you by [specific date - tomorrow or day after]. That’s on me, and I should have flagged the delay earlier.”

Q: “How does a 2-week delay impact my Q4 targets?”
A: “Direct impact: If we were targeting launch on [original date], this pushes to [specific new date]. That means Q4 revenue from this feature drops by approximately [percentage/dollar amount]. Here’s what that looks like for your pipeline: [specific customer scenarios].”

Q: “Why 2 weeks? Why not just ship now?”
A: “Current state has [specific issues] that will create support burden and poor first impressions with enterprise customers. Sales cycle extends 2-3 weeks when prospects see unpolished products. The 2 weeks gets us [specific improvements]. Net result: cleaner demos, faster closes, better retention.”

Q: “Can we do partial launch? Give me something for Q4?”
A: “Yes - potential middle ground: Launch to existing customers only on [original date], restrict new customer demos until [2 weeks later]. Gives you proof points for Q4 deals without risking bad first impressions. Trade-off: limited new logos in Q4.”

Q: “What guarantees do I have it won’t slip further?”
A: “Here’s the specific work remaining: [list items]. Daily standups week 1, milestone check-in [specific date]. If we’re not tracking to [2 weeks from now] by [checkpoint date], I’ll flag immediately and we decide together: ship as-is or adjust sales strategy.”

=== TALKING POINTS ===

Lead with accountability:

• “First - I owe you the competitive analysis from last month. That’s overdue and I should have communicated earlier. I’ll have it to you by [specific date].”
• “I’m coming to you with a request, and I want to be direct about the trade-offs.”

Frame the ask clearly:

• “Requesting to delay feature launch from [original date] to [specific date 2 weeks later]”
• “Reason: Current quality will hurt enterprise deals more than the delay”
• “Trade-off: Short-term Q4 impact vs better close rates and customer satisfaction”

Address his Q4 concerns proactively:

• “Impact on your Q4 targets: [specific revenue/deal impact]”
• “Here’s what I’m thinking to mitigate: [partial launch option, specific customers who can wait, deals that won’t be affected]”
• “You know your pipeline better than I do - what deals does this actually affect?”

Show you value his input:

• “I want your perspective: is 2 weeks of polish worth [X impact] to Q4?”
• “If this torpedoes a key deal, tell me - we’ll find another way”
• “What would make this work for you?”

=== THINGS TO BRING ===

📄 Competitive Analysis (YOU PROMISED THIS - bring even if incomplete)
📄 Specific Launch Timeline (original date vs new date, with exact dates)
📄 Q4 Impact Analysis (revenue, deal count, customer scenarios)
📄 Quality Issues List (specific problems that need 2 weeks to fix)
📄 Mitigation Options (partial launch, phased rollout, specific customer targeting)
📄 Work Remaining Breakdown (what gets done in 2 weeks, daily)

=== SUCCESS CRITERIA ===

✅ Primary: Get approval for 2-week delay with clear conditions
✅ Critical: Restore trust by delivering competitive analysis commitment
✅ Important: Agree on Q4 mitigation strategy together

Fallback: 1-week delay instead of 2, or conditional approval (launch to subset of customers on original date, full launch 2 weeks later), or launch as-is with agreed support plan for known issues.

=== MEETING TONE ===

DO:
✓ Lead with apology for missing competitive analysis
✓ Use exact dates (not “mid-November” - say “November 18”)
✓ Acknowledge Q4 impact honestly
✓ Ask for his input on mitigation
✓ Bring the competitive analysis even if incomplete

DON’T:
✗ Make excuses for missing the previous commitment
✗ Use vague language about timelines
✗ Minimize the Q4 impact
✗ Present delay as only option without alternatives
✗ Focus on technical details he doesn’t care about

CONFIDENCE: MEDIUM-LOW - You’re asking for flexibility while having broken a previous commitment. Success depends on: (1) delivering the competitive analysis ASAP, (2) showing you understand his Q4 pain, (3) offering mitigation options, not ultimatums.

ESTIMATED TIME: 30-45 minutes (he’ll want to discuss pipeline implications)

LIKELY OUTCOME: Conditional approval (partial launch, specific milestones, daily check-ins) OR counter-proposal (1 week not 2, limited scope launch). Unlikely to get blanket approval given broken trust, but can rebuild relationship by delivering on analysis and being transparent about trade-offs.