Is there a deal on the table before your looking to close

I was having a conversation with my friend of 24 years and we got onto the topic of why are there so many peole who seem to lack the ability to 1) Close a deal.. But then we had to rethink our ideology.. 2) How to  reconigze when a deal IS NOT on the table. People spend way to much time and resources on maybes in the emotional and mental arenas of their lives. Today is a cnadid discussion on reconigzing where you are and acting accordingly.