Growth Insights for CEOs
Advice for CEOs on Growth and Scaling

Vistage Chairs: The Most Dangerous Sales Answer a CEO Can Accept: “We Lost on Price”
Tue, Oct 13, 2026 | Posted by Karen Hayward
Executive Takeaways
- When a buyer says “too expensive,” research shows price is rarely the real reason, especially as deal size grows.
- Your CRM loss-reason field reflects your sales team’s view of the decision, not the buyer’s.
- “Price” is often a stand-in for unclear value, implementation risk, or low confidence in the outcome.
- A few points of win-rate improvement can unlock real revenue from the pipeline you already have.
Recent Posts

Are Fractional CMOs Only Good for Strategy?
Wed, Apr 7, 2021 — The short answer is no. Fractional CMOs, especially the CMOs at Chief Outsiders, are battle-tested veterans who not only were the heads of marketing for 2+ firms, but we all moved up through the ranks earlier in our careers, mainly doing execution. We do strategy and execution when the client needs it. In general, we get things done!
Stay up-to-date with the latest from Chief Outsiders
Great articles on marketing, growth, and how to take your company to the next level.