Is there closed revenue stuck in your pipeline?

If I had to bet (or ask the hundreds of teams I’ve talked to) … it’s in the handoff from “closed won” to “actively onboarding”.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. What if…

• Customers knew exactly what to expect before the deal closed
• The onboarding team had everything they needed to get started
• The sales team had visibility into where closed customers are

If your handoffs leave customers guessing, you’ll get pushed down their list of priorities.

Here’s how to avoid customers (and a whole lot of 💰💰💰) becoming a churn risk before going live!

1. Introduce onboarding early

Introduce your onboarding plan during the sales process to align the work everyone involved needs to do with the value you’ll deliver as a result.

• Align and documented the plan
• Introduce the post-sale team
• Identify who will be accountable

2. Clearly define the internal handoff process

Don’t leave handoffs to chance or wish them on an email maybe being sent. Define and document who needs to do what and when.

• What information is required from customers
• Who needs to be in communication
• When customers should be introduced

3. Put guardrails in place

The more process you can define and validate input for the better.

• Add required fields in your CRM
• Send an automated reminder when things get off track
• Add a manual check of information before looping in the customer

4. Provide transparency

Everyone is busy, things slip through the cracks but there’s nothing worse than not knowing what’s next for your team or the customer.

• Share the handoff and onboarding plan with the customer (Arrows if you use HubSpot)
• Assign action items
• Set due dates aligned to the target go-live

5. Create a feedback loop

Handoffs aren’t a set-it-and-forget-it item. Create a system that keeps everyone in the loop on what is going well and what can be improved.

• Add a report visible to sales & onboarding for time from close to live revenue
• Add a report for time from close to onboarding started
• Provide space for both teams to provide feedback on the process

Building and maintaining momentum usually means enabling everyone involved to take action on their next step rather than sending more follow-ups.

Create a buying experience that makes customers' life easier and in turn they’ll help you close deals, avoid pipeline dead zones, and get to live revenue faster 🤑

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