The Internal Political Victim

About this persona

James Morrison wants this product. He has wanted it for four months. His team needs it. His numbers would benefit from it. And yet every time the deal gets close to moving, something inside his company stops it. He describes the blockers in the vaguest possible terms. He uses passive voice. He says things like the timing has not been right and there are some internal discussions that need to happen. He will not name the political dynamics at play, partly because he does not fully understand them himself, and partly because naming them would require him to acknowledge that he does not have the organizational standing he believes he should have. Getting through James requires helping him name what is actually in the way, without making him feel small.

Scenario

You are an account executive. James is your internal champion — an SVP at a prospect company who has been enthusiastic about the product for four months but can never seem to move it forward. You've directly asked him what's blocking the deal and he keeps giving you fog instead of answers.

Personality traits