There is one phrase every sales team dreads hearing: “Let me run this by legal.”

Sometimes it is reasonable. Most of the time, it is a sign that something in the agreement is unclear, unfamiliar, or difficult for the buyer to interpret.

And unclear contracts slow deals more than anything else.

If you are hearing that phrase too often, the issue is not the customer.
It is the contract.

Clarity is the difference between a fast yes and a stalled review queue.

Why This Phrase Is a Warning Sign

When a buyer sends your contract to legal, it usually means one of three things:

1. They do not understand a section

Unclear language forces customers to seek interpretation.

2. They see something they have not seen before

Variance from standard market terms raises concern.

3. They cannot assess risk on their own

Lack of transparency triggers caution and delay.

None of these are legal problems.
They are clarity problems.

The more unclear or misaligned your terms are, the more likely the buyer will escalate. And once legal is involved, time slows, cycles lengthen, and the path to signature becomes unpredictable.

The Real Cost of “Run This by Legal”

Every time a contract gets routed to legal review, teams pay in:

• Lost momentum

• Delayed revenue

• Lower deal confidence

• Additional internal alignment time

• Increased risk scrutiny

• Extra back-and-forth communication

And in year-end cycles, every extra day matters.

Contracts should provide clarity and confidence.
Not confusion and delay.

How Contract Clarity Prevents Slowdowns

Clarity is not about rewriting every agreement.
It is about understanding where confusion shows up and addressing it before the customer ever hits forward to legal.

Tools like Predict help teams see:

• Which clauses are unclear

• Where obligations differ from market standards

• Sections most likely to trigger legal review

• Variance that creates confusion for buyers

• Risk indicators customers will question

This gives legal, sales, and procurement teams a shared, data-backed view of what slows deals and why.

Clarity becomes measurable.
And measurable clarity is fixable.

Meaning Based Analytics Make Contracts Easier to Trust

Predict uses meaning based analysis to interpret the intent behind clauses instead of scanning for words. That allows teams to understand:

• How aligned each clause is with the market

• Whether terms feel balanced

• Where explanations or context may be needed

• Why certain language creates hesitation

When a contract feels familiar, fair, and transparent, customers rarely escalate it.

Most of the time, legal review happens because the customer cannot clearly answer a question.
Contract intelligence helps them answer it instantly.

Internal Teams Benefit Too

Clearer agreements do more than speed up deals.

For Legal Teams

Less time spent interpreting unclear language and more time focused on strategic work.

For Sales Teams

Fewer escalations, faster turnaround, and more predictable cycles.

For Procurement Teams

Better visibility into obligations, protections, and risk.

For Leadership

Higher deal velocity and reduced friction across departments.

Clarity improves outcomes for everyone.

A Future Without “Run This by Legal”

Clearer agreements do more than speed up deals.

The fastest moving teams have one thing in common:
They remove friction before it appears.

Clarity does not just help deals close faster.
It creates stronger relationships, more trustworthy agreements, and experiences that feel seamless for customers.

The solution is not to pressure customers to skip legal review.
The solution is to give them a contract they can understand without needing it.

And with the right contract intelligence, that is no longer guesswork.
It is measurable, achievable, and repeatable.

Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQs)

1. Why do customers escalate unclear contracts to legal

Because they cannot interpret language, obligations, or risk on their own.

2. Can contract analytics reduce legal review

Yes. Meaning based insights reveal the terms that trigger confusion, helping teams fix clarity issues early.

3. Does this require rewriting our agreements

Not necessarily. Many clarity improvements come from understanding patterns, not rewriting templates.

4. What causes legal teams to escalate contracts

Unclear obligations, unusual variance, and mismatched expectations are the top triggers.

5. How do we get started

Begin by analyzing your agreements with Predict or contact sales@termscout.com

Spencer Lasley

VP of Client Experience

Spencer helps enterprise teams accelerate revenue and customer success through strategic, data-driven solutions—backed by 10+ years of experience.