It's not a deal until its sealed.I've had contractual...

It's not a deal until its sealed.

I've had contractual negotiations on consulting service agreements drag out for months due to disagreements over specific clauses. Likewise, I've seen significant contracts fall over at the 11th hour because the purchaser can't reach financial close. All it takes is something like an insurance underwriter not to agree on the value, or to say, "Coverage will be void if you sign up to these conditions."

You just can't say "we have a license signing in the works." Either party can decide it's not worth proceeding even when all the right noises are being made.