What is a mutual action plan?

A mutual action plan (MAP) is a shared roadmap that aligns sales reps and buyers by defining stakeholders, objectives, and required milestones to close a deal. They are usually relevant for complex B2B deals involving multiple stakeholders and long sales cycles. What goes in a Mutual Action Plan: Title and project overview: What you're trying to accomplish (so everyone's on the same page) Milestone tracker: Shows what's done, what's left, and when things are due Task breakdown: Specific next steps under each milestone Assigned owners and deadlines: Who's responsible and when it needs to happen (this is the accountability part)

How is a mutual action plan different from a sales checklist or close plan?

A mutual action plan (MAP) is a roadmap shared between seller and buyer where both sides own tasks, deadlines, and next steps. A close plan is an internal sales document focused on the seller's activities to close a deal. The buyer never sees it. The difference? Close plans are about what you're doing. Mutual Action Plans are about what you're both doing, which means buyers actually have skin in the game instead of just nodding along. What each one actually is: MAP (shared with buyer): Both of you see it and update it Buyer has tasks and deadlines (not just you chasing them) Creates accountability on both sides. It’s harder for them to go quiet when they've committed to deliverables Focuses on moving the deal forward together Close plan (internal only): Your playbook with strategy, tactics, and what you're working on Buyer isn’t involved Tracks your activities only, no buyer ownership Used for forecasting and keeping your team aligned

At what point in the sales process should I introduce a mutual action plan to prospects?

A Mutual Action Plan is usually introduced after you’ve got some level of commitment from the buyer. Whether that’s after your discovery call or later in the process depends on your sales process. The key is using it to align on next steps and get them bought into how you'll move forward together. Get buyer commitment by co-creating the plan together, assigning them specific tasks with deadlines, and positioning it as their roadmap to success rather than just as your sales process. How to get buyers committed: Build it together during the call, don't send pre-built templates Give them actual work. Internal presentation to their CFO, technical eval with their IT team, stakeholder interviews, things that proves they're serious Call it their project plan (because it is). This is how they get budget approved and make a decision, not just how you close deals How to keep it from going stale: Weekly check-ins on task completion Use completion rates to qualify deal health Make next meetings contingent on task completion

How does a mutual action plan help me map stakeholders?

A use case for mapping stakeholders is to ask your initial stakeholder, while developing the mutual action plan, who else needs to be involved throughout the sales cycle. Set a task in your action plan to involve more relevant stakeholders, and delegate it to your prospect. They will be able to invite missing stakeholders to participate in your digital sales room, and you will get notified of all new stakeholders added so you can map the full decision making unit.

What should a mutual action plan include to ensure both my team and the buyer stay accountable and aligned on next steps?

A good Mutual Action Plan needs clear stakeholders with roles, milestones with deadlines, tasks assigned to both sides, and a way to track progress. This keeps everyone accountable, eliminates miscommunication, and keeps complex B2B deals moving forward systematically. What needs to be in there: Title and objective: What you're trying to accomplish and what success looks like Milestone breakdown: Major phases like evaluation, approval, implementation. The big steps to get this done Task assignments: Who owns what, when it's due, what "done" actually means Progress tracker: Shows what's finished, what's overdue, and what's coming up, so you're not guessing where things stand

How do you get prospects to stick to the mutual action plan?

Getting prospects to stick to mutual action plans means building it with them, not dropping it on them after the call. Set clear deadlines, assign real tasks, and check in consistently so it doesn’t become just another doc they ignore. How to make it collaborative: Build it together during the meeting: Share screen, add tasks live, and get their input Let them set deadlines: They know their approval process better than you do. Let them commit to dates that are actually realistic Make their people task owners: CFO needs to approve budget? Put their name on it How to keep them accountable: Specific owners and due dates on every task: "Legal review" with no name or date means it’s less likely to happen Track completion rates: 3 out of 10 tasks done means the deal's stalling, even if they say everything's fine

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11

Stakeholders involved

According to Gartner, an average of 11 stakeholders are involved in a B2B purchase.

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Deals lost to indecision

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Sales cycle reduction

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Map the deal cycle

When creating a joint go-live plan, you can figure out all the stakeholders that need to be involved, when the contract can be reviewed and signed, and what other steps should be added to the process.

Enhance the buyer experience

Hold your buyers accountable for reaching a common end goal and make them feel as if you are working together as a team to get something done instead of continuously having to chase the next steps.

Get a clearer pipeline

Align your mutual action plan with your sales process so you always know how far you are from closing the deal, better understand bottlenecks in the deal cycle, and take a proactive approach to moving the deal forward.

MAPs that integrate with your tech stack

View all your active mutual action plans directly within your CRM. Track key details like completion rates, room owners, and associated accounts, giving you a clear overview of each deal’s progress.

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Frequently asked questions

A mutual action plan (MAP) is a shared roadmap that aligns sales reps and buyers by defining stakeholders, objectives, and required milestones to close a deal. They are usually relevant for complex B2B deals involving multiple stakeholders and long sales cycles.

What goes in a Mutual Action Plan:
- Title and project overview: What you're trying to accomplish (so everyone's on the same page)
- Milestone tracker: Shows what's done, what's left, and when things are due
- Task breakdown: Specific next steps under each milestone
- Assigned owners and deadlines: Who's responsible and when it needs to happen (this is the accountability part)
A mutual action plan (MAP) is a roadmap shared between seller and buyer where both sides own tasks, deadlines, and next steps. A close plan is an internal sales document focused on the seller's activities to close a deal. The buyer never sees it.

The difference? Close plans are about what you're doing. Mutual Action Plans are about what you're both doing, which means buyers actually have skin in the game instead of just nodding along. What each one actually is:

MAP (shared with buyer):
- Both of you see it and update it
- Buyer has tasks and deadlines (not just you chasing them)
- Creates accountability on both sides. It’s harder for them to go quiet when they've committed
- to deliverables
- Focuses on moving the deal forward together
Close plan (internal only):
A Mutual Action Plan is usually introduced after you’ve got some level of commitment from the buyer. Whether that’s after your discovery call or later in the process depends on your sales process. The key is using it to align on next steps and get them bought into how you'll move forward together.

Get buyer commitment by co-creating the plan together, assigning them specific tasks with deadlines, and positioning it as their roadmap to success rather than just as your sales process.

How to get buyers committed:
- Build it together during the call, don't send pre-built templates
- Give them actual work. Internal presentation to their CFO, technical eval with their IT team, stakeholder interviews, things that proves they're serious
- Call it their project plan (because it is). This is how they get budget approved and make a decision, not just how you close deals
How to keep it from going stale:
- Weekly check-ins on task completion
- Use completion rates to qualify deal health
- Make next meetings contingent on task completion
A use case for mapping stakeholders is to ask your initial stakeholder, while developing the mutual action plan, who else needs to be involved throughout the sales cycle. Set a task in your action plan to involve more relevant stakeholders, and delegate it to your prospect. They will be able to invite missing stakeholders to participate in your digital sales room, and you will get notified of all new stakeholders added so you can map the full decision making unit.
A good Mutual Action Plan needs clear stakeholders with roles, milestones with deadlines, tasks assigned to both sides, and a way to track progress. This keeps everyone accountable, eliminates miscommunication, and keeps complex B2B deals moving forward systematically.

What needs to be in there:
- Title and objective: What you're trying to accomplish and what success looks like
- Milestone breakdown: Major phases like evaluation, approval, implementation. The big steps to get this done
- Task assignments: Who owns what, when it's due, what "done" actually means
- Progress tracker: Shows what's finished, what's overdue, and what's coming up, so you're not guessing where things stand
Getting prospects to stick to mutual action plans means building it with them, not dropping it on them after the call. Set clear deadlines, assign real tasks, and check in consistently so it doesn’t become just another doc they ignore.

How to make it collaborative:
- Build it together during the meeting: Share screen, add tasks live, and get their input
- Let them set deadlines: They know their approval process better than you do. Let them commit to dates that are actually realistic
- Make their people task owners: CFO needs to approve budget? Put their name on it
How to keep them accountable:
- Specific owners and due dates on every task: "Legal review" with no name or date means it’s less likely to happen
- Track completion rates: 3 out of 10 tasks done means the deal's stalling, even if they say everything's fine

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