--- title: "Sales Collaboration Case Study for PMs" description: "Diagnose why a warm B2B sales deal went cold from three email exchanges, then write the re engagement message in this sales collaboration case study exercise." canonical_url: "https://builderscamp.com/guides/challenges/sales-for-product-managers-cold-deal-diagnosis" date_published: "2026-09-16" date_modified: "2026-09-16" author: "Andre Albuquerque" publisher: "Builders Camp" guide_class: "challenges" --- # Sales collaboration case study exercise for product managers **TL;DR:** This is Builders Camp's Sales for Product Managers practical challenge: diagnose why a warm B2B deal went cold from three real email exchanges, decide whether to pursue, pause or disqualify it, and write the re-engagement message. It runs about 60 minutes and is rated intermediate. ## What is the challenge scenario? Relay is a workflow automation tool for ops teams, handling approval chains, request routing and process documentation for mid market companies. Three weeks ago, a sales rep opened a deal with FreightBridge, a 300 person logistics company. The VP of Operations was warm on the first call and agreed to a demo. The rep ran it, followed up twice, then got silence. This morning she finally replied, and the rep forwarded it to you with one line asking what happened, since he thought this was a good deal. Three email exchanges tell the story. The first outreach cited a specific result, a 40 percent cut in approval cycle time for similar companies, and got a fast, warm yes to a demo. The post demo follow up leaned on features and pushed straight for a technical call, and got a noncommittal reply. A two week silent check in mentioned a Q2 promotion and 20 percent off, and got a polite, distancing response about still evaluating options. The rep is ready to send another follow up. You need to stop him. ## What are you asked to do? Go through each of the three exchanges and write what was actually communicated beyond the literal words, and what it tells you about where the deal stands. Name what the buyer is actually saying behind we need more time to evaluate, and identify at least two specific mistakes in the rep's approach that made this outcome more likely, plus the one question he never asked. Decide whether to pursue, pause, or disqualify the deal, name the specific signals driving that call, and write the one line CRM note you would leave behind. Write the actual re-engagement email, four to six sentences, that does not mention the discount, does not ask for a meeting in the opening line, and leaves the buyer with something useful. Close by writing the three questions you would ask in the first five minutes of a follow up call, and what each one is really trying to uncover. ## What does a strong answer cover? This bootcamp does not publish a rubric for its practical challenge, so check your own draft against the curriculum's own questions instead of a worked solution: - Does the read of each email name what was actually communicated, rather than restating the literal words? - Does the diagnosis of the objection go past she is not interested to name the actual, specific reason? - Does the pursue, pause or disqualify call point to a specific signal from the exchanges, rather than a general hunch? - Does the re-engagement email avoid the discount and lead with something useful to the buyer, not just another ask? - Do the three call questions each target something that would genuinely change your read on the deal? ## Skills this exercise practises Reading buying signals and their absence in real correspondence, separating what a prospect says from what their behavior suggests, making an explicit pursue or disqualify call, and writing a re-engagement message that earns a reply instead of pushing harder. ## Which bootcamp does this challenge come from? This is the practical challenge from [Sales for Product Managers](https://builderscamp.com/bootcamps/sales-for-product-managers), Builders Camp's one week bootcamp on collaborating with sales and translating deal feedback into product insight, led by Andre Albuquerque. Completing it counts toward that bootcamp's certificate. The [how to run customer interviews](https://builderscamp.com/guides/other/how-to-run-customer-interviews) guide covers the same signal reading skill from a research angle, and [how to get promoted to senior PM](https://builderscamp.com/guides/path/how-to-get-promoted-to-senior-pm) covers why cross functional influence like this matters for career growth. The [negotiation case study](https://builderscamp.com/guides/challenges/negotiation-for-product-managers-three-team-standoff) exercise elsewhere in this series practises a related skill: finding the real interest behind a stated position. Builders Camp runs live and self paced bootcamps in product management and AI product building. [See the Sales for Product Managers bootcamp](https://builderscamp.com/bootcamps/sales-for-product-managers?utm_source=guide&utm_campaign=sales-for-product-managers-cold-deal-diagnosis) for current cohort dates and the full self paced curriculum. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is Relay, and what actually happened in the deal? Relay is a fictional workflow automation tool for ops teams. A sales rep opened a deal with a 300 person logistics company, ran a warm demo, then got silence for two weeks before a polite reply saying the buyer still needs time to evaluate. ### Why does the exercise say we need more time to evaluate is not a real objection? Because it is a polite exit dressed as an objection. The exercise asks you to read past the literal words to what the buyer is actually signaling, and to name at least two things the sales rep did that made this outcome more likely. ### What is the difference between pursue, pause and disqualify in this exercise? Pursue means there is a real buying signal worth following up on directly. Pause means stepping back and re-engaging in three to four weeks with something different. Disqualify means the deal is not going anywhere and the rep's time is better spent elsewhere. You have to pick one and defend it with specific signals. ### Why does the re-engagement email rule out mentioning the discount? Because the previous email already leaned on a promotion and got ignored. The exercise is testing whether you can leave the buyer something useful, a question, an insight, a piece of information, rather than another ask dressed up differently. ### How long does this practical challenge take? Builders Camp lists it at 60 minutes and rates it intermediate difficulty. Reading the three exchanges carefully for what was actually communicated, beyond the literal words, is where most of the real work happens. ### Does completing this exercise count toward a certificate? Yes. It is the practical challenge for the Sales for Product Managers bootcamp, and submitting it counts toward that bootcamp's completion and its LinkedIn integrated certificate. ## Sources - [Builders Camp: Sales for Product Managers bootcamp](https://builderscamp.com/bootcamps/sales-for-product-managers) ## How this guide was made Researched from Builders Camp's bootcamp, track and masterclass material and the sources listed on this page, drafted with AI, and fact-checked against every source cited.