Common Mistakes Sales Teams Make With a Mutual Action Plan and How to Fix Them

B2B sales are not for the faint of heart. Drawn-out sales cycles, contesting priorities, and extensive buying committees can quickly throw off sellers and buyers. With so much uncertainty, many sales teams turn to a mutual action plan to reduce friction and streamline the process.

However, while undoubtedly effective, if not done properly, mutual action plans simply won’t work. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the most common mistakes sales teams make with MAPs and provide actionable steps to fix them. So, what are you waiting for; let’s get into it!

What is a Mutual Action Plan?

A mutual action plan (MAP), or mutual success plan, is a shared document between the buyer and seller that clearly sets expectations throughout every stage of the sales funnel. It outlines the key requirements and steps necessary for a company to purchase, apply, and gain value from a service or product. Mutual action plans are generally the responsibility of the sales rep or team, who ensure each goal is met.

There’s usually a set template sales teams use for their mutual action plan based on their past successful deals. They’ll then customize each one to match each buyer’s specific needs. Regardless of the template, most MAPs work backward, starting with the expected outcome and mapping out details like:

●       What steps need to happen

●       When they should happen

●       Who’s responsible for making them happen

When done correctly, a mutual action plan shouldn’t feel like a chore to accomplish but rather a valuable resource for streamlining communication, saving time, eliminating guesswork, and realizing the value from your investment sooner.

Common Mistakes When Using Mutual Action Plans

Now that we’ve gone over what a mutual action plan is, it’s time to discuss how your sales team could be using it wrong. Remember, MAPs are effective tools for closing deals, but if you’re not implementing best practices, you’re not getting the most out of this invaluable resource.

Mistake #1 – Monopolizing the Planning Process

One of the best parts about mutual action plans is the collaboration between sellers and buyers, but if your team dominates the planning process, you lose out on this incredible benefit. Many reps fail to actively seek input from their customer, essentially navigating the sales process blindly. Assuming what the buyer wants can seriously backfire, potentially derailing the deal.

Another common way sales teams take over the planning process is by creating a “to-do” list plan and imposing it on the buyer. Collaboration is about working together, listening, and determining how to best meet the customer’s needs. However, if they feel like all you care about is checking a box on a list of not what they have to say and how they feel, the chances are high that they’ll look elsewhere for similar products or services.

How to Fix it

The number one best way to get the most out of the sales process is through collaborative planning. It’s not enough to assume what the buyer needs; you want to actively involve them in each step of creating the mutual action plan. Ask questions and get their feedback; the more you communicate, the better. Not only will you gain deeper insights into the buyer’s mind, but the personal connection you create will greatly improve your chances of closing the deal.

Mistake #2 – Forgetting to Include the Stakeholder

It can be exciting when you find a potential customer who’s interested in your products, especially if you’ve put in significant effort creating your ICP. However, if you fail to identify and interact with every relevant decision-maker and influencer, you risk roadblocks, delays, and failed sales. It’s important for your sales team to remember to engage the stakeholders and not develop tunnel vision when creating mutual action plans. While your point of contact may have excellent ideas, if they’re not the one responsible for green-lighting sales, they shouldn’t be your sole focus.

How to Fix It

Before you get too far into the sales funnel, map out a decision-making process that engages every relevant individual. Be sure to speak with the stakeholders, asking them questions and taking feedback. Since they’re the ones ultimately responsible for completing the sale, their input is a crucial part of developing a successful MAP. Don’t be afraid to make sure you involve every decision-maker; the more you can learn about the customer’s needs, the better. While this step may take a little more time upfront, you’ll save a ton of resources down the line.

Mistake #3 – Not Clearly Outlining Responsibilities and Roles

Your sales team is just that—a team. Everyone has their own roles and responsibilities, and when they accomplish them, everything runs smoothly. However, if you don’t clearly outline who’s accountable for each specific step in your mutual action plan, the process will quickly break down. Imagine it like a football game.

What would happen if your wide receivers tried to throw passes instead of your quarterback? Everyone would be confused and not know where to go or what was going on. The same goes for developing mutual action plans. Without clearly outlining the responsibilities and roles for each team member, you’ll end up missing deadlines, wasting time, and frustrating the customer.

How to Fix It

Having each team member commit to a specific role streamlines the process and avoids confusion. When they know what their responsibilities are, the timeline they have to complete them, and your expectations on what they’ll look like, it takes the guesswork out of MAP creation. No one likes to feel disorganized or chaotic, especially when it comes to business. Not only will delegating tasks provide clarity for your team, but it will also make a great impression on the buyer.

Mistake #4 – Creating Unnecessarily Complex Plans

A mutual action plan is designed to provide a detailed outline for the buyer and your team, but that doesn’t mean it has to be overly complex. It may be tempting to go into great detail and include numerous unnecessary steps to feel like you’ve created a thorough plan, but that’s not always the case. In fact, oftentimes, simpler is better.

Consider it from both the buyers and your sales team’s perspectives. For the buyer, if they feel like there’s a ton of steps and responsibilities for them, they can quickly feel overwhelmed. The MAP turns from a helpful resource to a stressful document they’re compelled to follow. For your sales team, excessive details make their job harder and can actually take away from their productivity. They may no longer focus on the quality of their work but instead concentrate on checking as many boxes as possible, regardless of the result.

How to Fix It

The acronym K.I.S.S—keep it simple stupid is your best friend when creating mutual action plans. While no one on your team is stupid, the sentiment still stands. MAPs don’t have to be overly complicated to be effective; they just need to provide a clear pathway to accomplish the main goal. Think of it this way: effective communication is concise and to the point.

It doesn’t drag on with unnecessary information that causes the person you’re talking to to lose their attention. The same goes for your mutual action plan. You want to add only the necessary details required for success. Don’t bog your team and buyer down with added fluff. The more streamlined the document, the easier it is to manage and follow.

Mistake #5 – Lack of Communication and Follow-Ups

While a mutual action plan lays out a path to success, that doesn’t mean it’s a set-it-and-forget-it type deal. Too many sales teams use their MAPs as a substitute for staying connected with the buyer and fail to review their progress, address their concerns, and update the plan when needed. As with any deal, communication is the key to success, even with a mutual action plan in place. The customer expects to hear from you and your team to know they’re a priority and not simply a number.

How to Fix It

As with any relationship, success takes effort. Creating a set time to check in with the buyer and sticking with it is a great way to develop trust and nurture your lead. It’s important to remember that just because they show interest and are even excited about your products or services doesn’t mean the sale is guaranteed. Actively engaging with the customer routinely will make it easier to review your progress and address any issues quickly before they develop into deal breakers.

Mistake #6 – Failing to Adapt

As any sales rep will tell you, situations can change at any moment. Where you may have thought the deal was done, the buyer could throw a curve ball that threatens to derail the entire process. What separates a good MAP from a great one? One word—flexibility. The truth is you’re going to encounter roadblocks along the way for almost every deal, whether it’s new information to account for or last-minute changes. No mutual action plan should ever be set in stone. It needs to evolve and change with the circumstances. That also means your sales team must have a similar mindset and not freeze up when the unexpected occurs. Although it’s not fun, being able to adjust the plan is crucial for success.

How to Fix It

As we stated above, the remedy for failure to adapt is developing a flexible mindset. Communicate with your team quickly when situations arise that require changes to the plan. The faster they know what’s going on, the easier it is to make updates. It’s also important to communicate with the customer so you have a thorough understanding of the situation and how it impacts the MAP. You don’t want to assume anything; rather, use the facts and information at hand to make updates that align with the new trajectory.

Mistake #7 – Treating the Mutual Action Plan as a Static Document

This mistake jumps off the one above and involves the flexibility to alter and change the mutual action plan as needed. It’s important not to create a MAP and think you’re good to go for the entirety of the sales process. The reality is you should be revisiting and updating it regularly throughout the entire sales cycle to ensure it aligns with the customer as their priorities evolve. It’s very common for the customer’s needs and priorities to change along the way, especially if your team is doing a good job addressing their concerns. They may realize their original requirements don’t align with their actual needs. If you’re not constantly updating the MAP, these types of realizations can be harder for your team and require more time to fix.

How to Fix It

By updating the mutual action plan throughout the sales cycle, you can ensure it’s up-to-date with the customer’s needs and priorities. Think of the MAP as a living document that’s constantly evolving. If you’re not checking on it and updating it as needed, it won’t properly serve its purpose. Tools like FuseBase make the process easy since they’re all-in-one platforms designed to help your sales team when they need it most. Again, a little time spent revisiting your document can save you a ton of time later on and keep the customer happy.

Mutual action plans are one of the best tools for closing the deal and creating an exceptional customer experience. Avoiding the common mistakes listed above will help you get the most out of your MAP and streamline the sales process.

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