A large enterprise opportunity pulls in an AE, one or more SEs, delivery/professional services, legal, product management, and sometimes a partner or systems integrator — none of whom report to the Architect, and all of whom need to move in the same direction. This is influence without authority at its purest: the tools that work are a clear, shared view of the deal (MEDDPICC scorecard as the single source of truth), a standing cadence, and a genuinely earned reputation for good judgement.

A deal strategy session, run well

1. Open with the MEDDPICC gaps, not a status recap — go straight to what's unknown or at risk
2. Assign one clear owner per gap, with a date, before the meeting ends
3. Surface disagreement about strategy explicitly in the room, not in side conversations afterward
4. End with the single most important action for the next 48 hours, said out loud