mutual-action-plan

Use this once a buyer agrees the problem is worth solving. A shared plan turns "we'll get back to you" into dated steps both sides own, and shows early whether the close date is real.

Inputs

• The buyer's target date for value (go-live, a launch, a quarter start) and why it matters.
• What is known about their decision and paper process.
• Stakeholders on both sides.

The play

1. Anchor on their date

Start from the date the buyer needs results, not your quarter end. "To have reps using it by 1 March, onboarding starts 1 February, so signature by 25 January."

2. List every step, both sides

Evaluation, stakeholder meetings, technical review, security questionnaire, legal review, procurement and vendor setup, budget approval, signature, kickoff, onboarding milestones. Most slipped deals slip on steps nobody listed. Read references/map-template.md for the template and typical durations.

3. Assign owners and dates

Every step has a named owner (buyer or seller side) and a date. Steps without a buyer-side owner are wishes.

4. Mark the critical path

The longest chain of dependent steps, usually security plus legal plus procurement. Start them in parallel and early.

5. Introduce it as help

Send the plan to the champion as a tool for their internal process: "Here's a draft of what usually needs to happen; what did I miss?" Let them edit it. A plan the buyer has changed is a plan they own.

6. Review it every week

Update status, move dates honestly, and raise slips early.

Champion email

Hi Priya, to hit reps live by 1 March, I sketched the steps that usually need to happen on both sides (attached). Some I've guessed, especially security and procurement at Lumen. Could you fix what's wrong and add anything I missed? Happy to walk through it on Thursday's call.

What good looks like

• The buyer edits the plan, adds steps and owns dates.
• Security, legal and procurement start before the final presentation, not after.
• The plan continues past signature into the first value milestone, which keeps the conversation about outcomes.
• The common mistake is a seller-only checklist sent as an ultimatum the week before quarter end.

Rules

• MUST anchor dates on the buyer's goal.
• MUST name an owner for every step.
• NEVER invent deadlines or artificial urgency in the plan.

Example prompts

• "Build a mutual action plan for our $60k deal with Lumen; they want reps live by 1 March."
• "This deal keeps slipping. Turn my notes into a close plan with the critical path."
• "Write the email that introduces the plan to our champion."