Don’t Bury the Living!

The Man Who Woke Up on the Pyre

In November 2024, The Sun (UK) reported that Rohitash Kumar, a 25-year-old man from Rajasthan, India, was mistakenly declared dead after a high fever left him unresponsive. He was placed in a mortuary freezer for over two hours and brought to a temple for cremation.

But as the funeral rites began, Kumar started breathing on the pyre—just in time. He was rushed to the ICU and survived.

George Washington’s Last Wish

George Washington feared being buried alive. On his deathbed in 1799, he gave strict instructions:

“Do not let my body be put into the vault in less than three days after I am dead.”

At the time, medical science wasn’t always reliable in confirming death, and Washington didn’t want to take any chances. He wanted to be absolutely sure.

The Sales Lesson

Too often, salespeople accept defeat before verifying whether the deal is truly lost.

They’ve been told by the prospect that they lost, or they’ve been ghosted—given the silent treatment after what felt like real interest. They assume the silence means “no.”

Without a second look or a new approach, they walk away from opportunities that still had life.

But like the stories above, just because something looks dead doesn’t mean it is.

I’ve coached clients through these moments—helping them re-engage with strategy, tenacity, and creativity.

In some cases, it turned a loss into a win. In others, they are still in the game.

From Third Place to First

When I was managing the Federal Government sales business for Sony, I had an account manager named Lou who understood something many competitors didn’t: the government doesn’t just look at price—they look at compliance.

In certain procurement methods, the lowest bid wins only if it’s technically compliant. Lou knew that buried in the terms and conditions were mandatory checkboxes that, if left unchecked, could disqualify a bid—no matter how low the price.

More than once, we weren’t the lowest bidder. In fact, on at least two solicitations, we were the third lowest.

But Lou didn’t walk away. He went to the contracting office, asked to review the winning bid, and noticed what others missed—an unchecked mandatory box. That one technical oversight disqualified the lowest and second-lowest bidders.

We got the award.

Lou could have accepted the loss and moved on. He didn’t. He stayed in the game—and we all won because of it.

The Kiss of Death That Wasn’t

In a more recent situation, one of my clients was confident he had a deal closed—until his prospect, Bill, told him he wanted to revisit it in six months.

It sounded like the standard polite kiss of death.

But rather than walking away, we dug deeper. I worked with my client to uncover the real value Bill was expecting—and the cost of delay.

I told him exactly what to say: call Bill back, take responsibility, and apologize for not clearly showing how he could start getting results right now. Then explain that waiting six months wouldn’t just delay progress—it would push back new revenue by another nine months.

Bill listened. He agreed.

And instead of waiting half a year, he gave my client a commitment—three times bigger than originally expected.

Still in the Game

With another client, the story was similar—but the situation and the seller were different.

She was told “no.”

Not maybe. Not later. A flat-out rejection.

We reviewed the situation together, and I could see there was still opportunity. I coached her to go back—this time with tenacity.

She did.

And now, that same prospect who had closed the door is actively considering options. As of this writing, the deal isn’t dead. It’s alive—and still in play.

Final Thought

In all of these stories—yes, including the man on the funeral pyre—there were no miracles.

No one came back from the dead. They were never dead to begin with.

There was still life, no matter how faint or easy to miss.

Sales works the same way. What looks like a “no” might just be a “not yet.”

What seems lost might just be overlooked.

The difference between walking away and winning often comes down to one thing:

Knowing where to look—and having the tenacity to go back. If you want results like this—for yourself, your company, or someone you know—let’s talk.

Our first conversation is just 15 minutes. No cost. No pressure. Just a chance to see if there’s life in a deal you thought was lost.

If I can help you revive just one deal you were ready to bury, that 15 minutes might just be the most valuable of your entire year. Schedule your meeting here.

About Phil Whitebloom and BeenThere Consulting Services

Phil Whitebloom is the founder of BeenThere Consulting Services and a sales coach who doesn’t deal in fluff, theory, or recycled advice.

With over 45 years in the sales trenches—including as Vice President of Sales at Sony—Phil has led teams that sold over $1.5 billion in products and services.

He specializes in helping businesses get immediate results by uncovering missed opportunities, reviving stalled deals, and transforming “no” into “closed won.”

Whether you’re a CEO, sales leader, or individual contributor, if you’re ready to stop leaving money on the table, it’s time to talk.

One call. 15 minutes. No cost. It could unlock six figures in deals you thought were dead.Schedule your meeting here.