Closing – Run a Clear Decision Process

Closing is not pressure. It is making the decision path explicit and easy.

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Learning goal

• Create a Mutual Action Plan (MAP) for an active deal.
• Define exit criteria for your final stage.
• Prevent “maybe” outcomes by scheduling decision steps.

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Why it matters

• Deals slip when next steps are vague.
• A MAP aligns stakeholders and reduces internal confusion.
• Clear closing reduces follow-up time and improves forecasting accuracy.

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Explanation

Mutual Action Plan (MAP)

1. Who decides + who signs
2. Decision criteria (what must be true)
3. Proof steps (pilot, reference call, security review)
4. Commercial steps (terms, procurement)
5. Dates + owners for each step

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Guided exercise (10–15 min) — Build a MAP

1. Pick one deal in late stage.
2. Write 6 steps with owner + date.
3. Send it as a simple table in your next follow-up.

Independent exercise (5–10 min) — Exit criteria

Write the 3 conditions required to mark a deal “Closed Won” and “Closed Lost”.

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Self-check

• I have a MAP.
• My pipeline stage has exit criteria.
• I schedule decisions, not “check-ins”.