Unfortunately this is somewhat ingrained in the sales cycle. I finally understood it at a prior company when they bought Saleforce. By the time they realized SF

Unfortunately this is somewhat ingrained in the sales cycle. I finally understood it at a prior company when they bought Saleforce. By the time they realized SF wasn't going to be a good fit, they were 50k in and had already signed a multi year contract. Charge obscene amounts, and offer steep discounts the earlier and longer the company is willing to contract for. It becomes a sunk cost and bonus points if the company starts developing competencies in it (negating that many people are sufficiently detached that they don't even realize its a bad fit). Its a relatively advanced skill knowing how to navigate such a scenario at the various stages.