Sales is often seen as the engine of growth. Yet, behind every successful deal lies a quiet risk — one that’s rarely addressed early enough. When your sales team works hard to close a new client, what happens if that client doesn’t pay?
For Chief Sales Officers, Sales Directors, and Managers, this is more than a finance problem. If a deal falls apart after the ink dries, it affects cash flow, forecast accuracy, team morale — and yes, commission. That’s why the smartest commercial leaders are rethinking the sales cycle: they’re building presales due diligence into the process, not treating it as an afterthought.
Sales Doesn’t End at Signed Contracts
It’s tempting to think the sales journey ends once the agreement is signed — but the real business impact only begins once payment is made. If a company doesn’t have the means or intention to follow through, that “won deal” becomes a commercial liability. Commissions go unpaid, revenue targets slip, and your pipeline accuracy takes a hit.
Sales leaders know this pain well. Especially in sectors where long payment terms are common, or where deals are complex and cross-border, the risk of bad debt isn’t theoretical — it’s real. And the earlier you identify the warning signs, the easier they are to mitigate.
Due Diligence is a Sales Enablement Tool
Due diligence isn’t just a finance or legal function. When integrated into presales processes, it becomes a powerful enabler of stronger, safer sales. Knowing who you’re selling to — their ownership, financial stability, legal status, and trading behaviour — arms your team with knowledge, leverage, and peace of mind.
When your sales team is equipped with this insight upfront, they can shape contracts more effectively, negotiate from a position of strength, and flag risks before resources are wasted onboarding a client who won’t deliver.
Commission Shouldn’t Hang on a Risky Signature
There’s nothing more disheartening for a sales rep than working a deal for months, only to find out the client can’t or won’t pay. In many companies, commission is tied to collections — not just the close. That’s fair in theory, but unfair in practice when the business didn’t do the right checks before the deal was approved.
Protecting commission isn’t just about changing payment terms. It’s about verifying client legitimacy early. As a CSO or Sales Director, it’s your responsibility to make sure your team isn’t running blind — and that their hard work turns into actual business outcomes.
From Sales Risk to Sales Intelligence
Embedding due diligence into presales doesn’t slow your team down — it makes them sharper. It reduces churn, strengthens client relationships, and enhances forecast accuracy. You’ll make better decisions about which prospects are worth pursuing, and which ones need better contract protections — or should be walked away from altogether.
At VendSafe, we help sales-led organisations de-risk every deal. Our team delivers tailored due diligence, compliance checks, and contract vetting solutions that integrate seamlessly into your sales process — before contracts are signed. From high-risk sectors to global deals, we give you the intelligence to sell safely, scale faster, and get your team paid.
