By Simon Severino, founder of Strategy Sprints, where 2,400+ B2B founders have gone through our programs. Updated October 2026.

You get a prospect to commit to a start date by asking one question, "Which start date are we committing to?", and asking it only after the buyer has said, in their own words, what doing nothing costs them and what they want delivered. Then you stay quiet until they name a date. 🐬

Ask in that order and the date stops feeling like pressure. It's the obvious next step. You stop chasing "let's touch base after Q4". Fewer meetings per deal, fewer follow-ups at 11pm, and deals that start on a day you can put in the calendar.

Why does "let's touch base after Q4" mean no decision yet?

Great call. The buyer nods. "This is exactly what we need."

Then: "Let's touch base after Q4."

And the deal goes quiet.

No date means no decision. A buyer who says "sounds great, let's talk in January" hasn't said yes. They've said "not now", politely.

In The JOLT Effect (2022), Matthew Dixon and Ted McKenna report that 40 to 60% of qualified B2B deals end in no decision. Not lost to a competitor. Lost to "later". 🐯

Vague language is where deals go to die. "Sometime in spring" is not a commitment. The 14th is.

What does it look like when the date is missing?

Picture Daniel. Made-up name, very common founder. Software company, about four million a year, hiring two salespeople right now.

Great call. The buyer says, "Send me a proposal." Daniel sends it the same evening. He's proud of it. Clean layout, three options, a little discount on the middle one to make it easy.

Then he follows up. Once. Twice. Five times. "Just checking in." "Wanted to make sure this didn't slip through the cracks." By the fifth email he's refreshing his inbox between meetings, and the deal has gone stale.

Nothing was wrong with Daniel's offer. The order was wrong. The old way puts the proposal before the date. So the buyer holds the pen, and the seller waits.

If this sounds familiar, the proposal side of it is here: why prospects ghost you after the proposal.

What is the one question that gets a real start date?

This is Step 7 of the 8 Steps of the Repeatable Sale: Starting Date.

The question is: "Which start date are we committing to?"

Three words do the work:

• "Which" assumes there is one.
• "We" puts you on the same side of the table.
• "Committing" says this is a decision, not a wish.

Compare it with the old version: "So, when would you like to start?" That invites "soon". And "soon" is not a date.

Ask it. Then stop talking. Hands still, face calm, count to five in your head. The silence feels heavy for a second. That's the buyer thinking, not the call breaking. 🌴

If they hesitate, help them think it through: "What would need to be true to start on the 3rd?"

Now you hear a real date, or you hear the real objection. Both are progress.

Before Strategy Sprints, I coached 2,000+ teams, including Google, BMW and Airbus. Senior or junior, the people who lead calls all do the same thing: they ask the next question, instead of hoping the buyer will.

When should I ask for the start date so it never feels pushy?

Ask for a date in minute five and it feels pushy. The buyer pulls back. And they're right to.

The question only works after two other steps.

Step 4, Cost of Inaction: "What happens if you do nothing?" Then wait. Let the buyer say the number.

Step 5, Deliverables: "What do you want achieved in the next 90 days?" Let them say it in their words. Write the words down.

When you say the cost out loud, it's a pitch. When the buyer says it out loud, it's a decision. It's a line we drill in our Sales Gym, again and again.

Now do the math with them. Say the buyer told you doing nothing costs four deals a quarter. That's roughly one deal every three weeks.

So every three weeks of "let's wait" is a deal walking out the door. It tastes bitter coming out of the buyer's own mouth. That's why it sticks.

Here's how that moment can sound (an illustrative example, not a real client):

You: "So doing nothing costs you about four deals a quarter, and in 90 days you want your two new reps closing on their own."
Buyer: "That's it, yes."
You: "Which start date are we committing to?"
(silence)
Buyer: "The 3rd works. Our reps start onboarding that week anyway."

Now the date isn't pressure. It's their own math, finished. The full question order for the call is here: what to ask on a B2B discovery call, and in what order.

What do I say when the prospect dodges the date?

Sometimes you ask and you hear "Let me think about it."

Don't chase. Don't discount. Buyers smell neediness before you say a word, and chasing a date reeks of it. Ask one more question:

"Sounds like the date isn't the real question. What's in the way?"

If they say, "I need to talk to my partner," try:

"Makes sense. When you talk to her, what will you tell her doing nothing costs?"

That sends you back to Step 4. Usually the cost wasn't big enough yet, or the call moved past Step 4 too fast.

And if the honest answer is "this isn't a priority right now"? Good. A clear no in week one beats five follow-ups in week six. I say it out loud on calls: "I don't want to waste my time, nor yours." That's not arrogance. It's respect for both calendars. 🐯

You're not there to win at all costs. You're there to find out if it fits, and when.

How do we practice the start date in our programs?

In our 200K Club, founders bring a live deal to the group. Together we name the ONE step where the deal is really stuck. Usually it's not the step the founder thinks. A deal that looks stuck at the proposal is often stuck back at Step 2 or Step 4. The buyer never really named the frustration, or never said what waiting costs.

Then each founder commits to one action on that deal, with a date, out loud, in front of the group. Step 7, applied to ourselves.

It's a small thing. And it changes how you ask. Once you've felt a room wait for your date, you stop being shy about asking a buyer for theirs.

What happens after the prospect commits to a date?

You confirm it in writing, the same day: "We're committing to the 14th. I've blocked it."

Then you send the Statement of Work before the next meeting. That's Step 8. It restates their Step 5 deliverables in their words and names the Step 7 start date. Ready to sign. Not a draft.

When the next thing in their inbox is a signature line, you're leading. While the other vendor is still sending decks. 🐬

Your one move for this week

On your next sales call, write two lines at the top of your notes:

1. "Cost of doing nothing"
2. "What they want in 90 days"

Don't ask for a date until both lines are filled, in the buyer's own words. Then ask: "Which start date are we committing to?" And wait.

Do this once and you'll feel it. The call where you lead, and the buyer says a date out loud. After that, you'll want that feeling on every call. Deals that start on a date, and evenings that stay yours. That's a Sprintlife.

FAQ

How do I ask a prospect for a start date without sounding pushy?
Ask only after they've told you what doing nothing costs and what they want delivered. Then the date is the next logical step, not pressure.

What is the best question to get a start date?
"Which start date are we committing to?" It assumes a date exists, puts you on the same side, and frames it as a decision.

What if the prospect says "let's talk after Q4"?
Ask what's in the way, then go back to Step 4: "What happens if you wait until then?" If the cost is real, a date usually follows. If not, you get an honest no.

Should I send a proposal before we agree on a start date?
No. Agree on the date first, then send the Statement of Work with that date in it, before the next meeting.

What if they give a date far in the future?
Accept it, write it into the Statement of Work, and ask what needs to happen between now and then. A real date months out still beats "soon".

Want to practice the 8 Steps every week, with other founders? Join Sprint Club, 7 days free: https://www.strategysprints.com

Ready to accelerate now? Book a Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/strategysprint/discovery-call

Happy hunting.

Simon & The Sprinters 🐬⚡️🐆