How to Know Which Deals Will Actually Close. And Which Ones You Just Hope Will.
The Mutual Action Plan: a working document, not a wish list, that tells you whether a deal is real before you find out the hard way.
What a real MAP includes
- Named stakeholders, with role and influence: actual names, not "Champion + Procurement."
- The decisions, in order: technical validation, security review, legal, procurement, final approval, sequenced.
- Target completion dates: an actual date next to each decision, not "Q2."
- Owners on both sides: a named person pushing each step forward, one from each team.
- Exit criteria, from the buyer’s side: what has to be true for them to sign, in their words.
It only works if it’s mutual
A MAP isn’t a document you fill out alone and send over. It’s a working document you co-author: in the room, on a call, in a shared tab.
If the buyer won’t take the time to build it with you, that tells you exactly what you need to know about whether the deal is real. If they co-build it, you have a real deal, run the plan. If they won’t, you don’t have a deal, you have hope.