Intro: What is the negotiation stage in the sales cycle?
What is a Stage 5 Negotiation Opportunity?
You've sent at least the first draft of the business case and proposal to stakeholders & those who will be signing. You're working the with Champion to discuss onboarding & success implementation timeline.
- Forecast Category: Commit
- Our Deal Risk: Final negotiations or legal language, Close date/Implementation date push due to back and forth
- Avg Days in S5: XX
- S5 conversion: XX%
👤 BUYER IS DOING: Working through procurement for purchasing with the proposal they sent.
Seller Activities:
- LEGAL: You are in redlines with legal to remove all legal objections 🐙 LEGAL | Standard 'Marketing ask' clause for Quote You have involved Jason Pratt to assist with contracting. As the rep, you are following up frequently with the prospect to ensure urgency, and a timely signature.
- SECURITY: Sent or completed all security documents 🐙 ENT MSA w/ SLA and DPA
- BUSINESS CASE: 🐙 Negotiating pricing from proposal sent against ROI and TCO objections. 🐙 Business case is already agreed upon, and is being used to set up their CS kick off.
- ONBOARDING: Defined Handoff for implementation, defined quantifiable metrics and rollout plan outline clearly outlined in 🐙 CSM Onboarding Template Decks & 🐙 Deployment Plan
Exit Criteria:
- Services Start Date
- Users (Paid or Expansion)
- Term of Contract
- Per User Price
- Platform Fee
- Onboarding Fee
- Year 2 ARR
- Onboarding & Enablement Services Package
- Auto-Renewal
- Billing Email
- Why did we win?
1. Approval metrics
Approval metrics are specific criteria or thresholds that need to be met in order to gain internal approval and close a sales deal. These metrics can vary depending on the nature of the deal, the organization's policies, and the complexity of the sale.
Some approval metrics that we need to have to close a Sales Deal:
- Financial Metrics - Minimum deal value: Deals above a certain monetary value require higher-level approval.Discount percentage: Deals with discounts exceeding a certain threshold require additional review.Revenue impact: Deals that contribute a certain percentage of quarterly or annual revenue require executive approval.
- Contract Length and Terms - Contract duration: Deals with contract lengths beyond a standard period require management approval.Unusual terms: Deals with non-standard terms or conditions require legal or executive approval.
- Product/Service Complexity - Customization: Deals involving extensive product or service customization require technical and operational approval.Integration requirements: Deals requiring complex integration with existing systems may need IT department approval.
- Strategic Importance - Strategic account: Deals involving key strategic accounts or partners require executive-level approval.Market penetration: Deals targeting new markets or segments may require approval from the relevant business unit leaders.
- Resource Allocation - Resource commitment: Deals that require significant resources, such as additional staff or specialized equipment, need department head approval.Production capacity: Deals that may impact production or resource allocation require operations or production team approval.
- Risks and Mitigations - Risk assessment: Deals with identified risks (financial, legal, technical) require risk management review and approval.Mitigation plan: Deals with associated risk mitigation plans may need approval from relevant stakeholders.
- Regulatory and Compliance - Compliance review: Deals involving regulated industries or regions require compliance team approval.Data privacy: Deals involving customer data require approval from the data protection officer.
- Customer Qualification - Creditworthiness: Deals with customers whose creditworthiness falls below a certain threshold may require financial review and approval.Customer history: Deals with customers who have a history of payment issues may need credit department approval.
- Internal Alignment - Cross-functional approval: Deals requiring input and alignment from multiple departments (e.g., sales, marketing, operations) need approval from respective heads.
- Escalation Points - Deal escalation: Deals that face challenges or deviations from the standard process may require escalation to higher management for approval.
2. Deal desk
Sales Deal Desk Overview
The Sales Deal Desk at InnovateTech Solutions is a cross-functional team responsible for evaluating and facilitating complex sales deals to ensure they align with the company's strategic objectives, financial targets, and risk management guidelines. The deal desk acts as a central hub for deal evaluation, pricing approval, terms negotiation, and coordination among various internal departments.
Benefits
- Ensures consistency and alignment with company goals.
- Mitigates risks associated with non-standard deals.
- Provides a collaborative and streamlined process for complex sales transactions.
Deal Desk Structure
The Sales Deal Desk comprises members from the following departments:
- Sales Operations - Responsible for deal structuring, pricing strategy, and ensuring consistency with established pricing models.
- Finance - Reviews the financial aspects of deals, including pricing, discounts, revenue recognition, and potential impact on profitability.
- Legal - Provides legal review of non-standard terms and conditions, ensuring compliance with regulations and company policies.
- Product Management - Offers insights into product feasibility, customization, and resource availability for complex deals.
- IT/Technical Teams - Provides technical expertise and assesses feasibility for integration, customization, and technical requirements.
APPROVAL PROCESSDeal Desk Workflow
- Deal Evaluation - The sales team identifies a potential deal that falls outside standard offerings or involves customization.The deal is submitted to the deal desk for evaluation, including details about the customer's requirements, solution complexity, and potential risks.
- Pricing and Discount Review - Sales operations assesses pricing based on historical data, market trends, and established pricing guidelines.Discounts exceeding a certain threshold trigger finance review for potential impact on profitability.
- Terms and Conditions - Legal reviews proposed terms and conditions to ensure alignment with company policies and legal compliance.Non-standard terms are negotiated and modified if necessary.
- Resource Allocation - The deal desk collaborates with relevant departments to allocate resources, such as technical support or additional personnel.
- Risk Assessment - The deal desk identifies and assesses potential risks associated with the deal and works to develop mitigation strategies.
- Approval Process -The deal desk coordinates approval from various stakeholders, including department heads and senior management.Depending on the deal's complexity, escalations to higher levels of management may occur.
- Communication and Documentation - The deal desk maintains clear communication with the sales team, ensuring they are informed about the deal's progress and any required actions.Detailed documentation is maintained throughout the process, including approvals, negotiations, and final terms.
- Deal Closure - Once all approvals are obtained and terms are finalized, the deal is presented to the customer for acceptance.The deal desk ensures a smooth transition to post-sale activities, such as implementation or deployment.
3. Closed won
🎉 CONGRATULATIONS!!! 🎉
1. Attach the Signed Contract on the Account under 'FILES' on the Opportunity
- New customer: Use a file naming convention of CLOSEDATE_COMPANYNAME_#OFYEARS
- example: 3.24.22_Envoy_1
- Expansion: Use a file naming convention of {{CLOSEDATE}}_{{COMPANYNAME}}_EXPANSION {{# of users}}
- example: 3.24.22_Envoy_EXPANSION_11
2. Make sure to update the WHY DID WE WIN Section
3. Post in #wins channel on slack using this template.
4. Send New Customer Welcome Email
5. Schedule internal handoff meeting following 🐙 THIS SPEK w/ CSM
4. Closed lost
What is a Closed Lost Opportunity?
This Stage indicates that an opportunity made it to a Stage 2 Opportunity or 'Sales Qualified Pipeline', but never made it to Closed Won.
In SF, Rep must fill out:
✅ 'Why we Lost the Deal' + explanation
✅ 'Lost to competitor'
✅ 'Missing Functionality'
Additional Resources
Closed Lost, but not forever! Use these Sales Plays to help re-engage with your Closed Lost opportunities!
- 🧟♀️ Raise the Dead Play
- 💔Missed Connections Play for Unresponsive
Additional Resources:
