When I was a sales rep and I closed a big account, the euphoria generally lasted about a half hour. I’m talking about the BIG deals, the ones with long sales cycles, complex solutions and multiple layers of decision makers. The euphoria ends when the realization of the next steps sets in. For the industries I have worked in, the transition to a new vendor was rarely simple. The work starts after the deal is “closed” because that’s when you start to validate the partnership in the eyes of the customer…
I always felt that the more critical aspect of a closed sale was the implementation and the after sales support. Customers can have buyer’s remorse and nothing undermines the confidence of a new deal than a sloppy implementation or poor post-sales support.
The work begins when the sale ends, and for complex solutions it is critical that both parties are on the same page. Here are some things to consider:
- Set clear, written objectives for the implementation
- Get cross-functional input from all affected parties for the implementation plan (inside both organizations). This may include operations, billing, pricing, IT, customer service, sales, etc
- Develop an implementation plan which includes action items, timelines and responsible parties
- Prioritize the implementation, include phases for the transition (if necessary)
- Review the plan on a weekly or monthly basis, holding all parties accountable to the plan, working through obstacles and modifying the plan as needed
- Provide frequent updates to the highest levels of stakeholders so that obstacles and issues can be quickly resolved
- Develop a communication strategy for all parties who will be affected by the change—inside your organization and the customer
- Be prepared and willing to resolve for the unknown; complex solutions will undoubtedly uncover hiccups
As a vendor, you are often seen as an extension of your customer. Depending upon the type of business you are in, when you fail, your customer fails. Once the deal is done and successfully implemented, you earn the right to do business with that customer every day of the week and how much value you add is up to you…
