Mutual Action Plan (MAP) is a powerful yet often underrated and misunderstood tool in the sales arsenal. While MAPs may sound intimidating and seem like a lot of work, many of us use a version of it informally in our daily lives without even realizing it. Every time we plan something—whether with family, friends, or coworkers—we discuss what needs to be done, decision criteria, next steps, and who is responsible. These are essentially the basics of a MAP.
One of the most effective uses of MAPs in sales is testing your champion’s commitment to the buying process. By asking them to co-create the plan and take ownership of key milestones, you can gauge their influence and dedication. If they actively participate and push internally, you’ve found a true advocate. If not, it might be time to find another champion. For example, asking them to introduce you to senior decision-makers and start the legal process can help prevent delays and reveal their true level of engagement.
Testing your Champion is only one of several reasons to use a MAP though.
How do you progress deals when you’re not directly involved in buyer conversations, especially during holiday season? The answer lies in MAPs. Often underutilized, MAPs are more than just a list of action items—they drive deal progression and build strong business cases throughout the sales cycle.
How can MAPs help?
- Clear Roadmap: MAPs provide a step-by-step roadmap, aligning both parties on key milestones and deadlines
- Collaborative Approach: Co-creating the plan builds trust and demonstrates commitment, making it easier to address concerns and move the deal forward
- Structured Business Case: MAPs help outline the business case by detailing benefits, ROI, and success criteria
- Proactive Risk Management: Identify potential roadblocks early and address them proactively, reducing the risk of deal delays or stalls
How do we approach building a MAP?
We know the last thing anyone needs is another complex or rigid ‘make-work’ template, so instead, we add focus through our simple, yet powerful PART framework to build out MAPs. Below are the key steps, but if you are curious to learn more about our PART framework in general, you can read our article here.
- Problem: Identify the current problem the prospect or customer faces
- Action: Outline the solution to rectify this problem
- Result: Define the end result of solving this problem
- Trigger: Explain why now is the right time to solve this problem
Using MAPs with Current Clients vs. New Prospects
The misconception about MAP is that it only benefits new business (i.e. chasing prospects). However, it is also extremely useful with existing clients where you can leverage your current relationship and knowledge of their business to tailor the MAP during expansion sales cycles and renewals:
- Utilize historical data to predict challenges and proactively address them
- Identify advocates who can help sell internally and adapt your communication style based on your familiarity with the customer
- Assess and address different risks, focusing on renewal timelines and satisfaction levels for current clients, and initial adoption concerns for new prospects (in the case of cross-selling to new stakeholders).
How can you get the most out of a MAP?
To get the most value out of a MAP, you have to focus on using it the right way. Two common mistakes with MAPs are tracking activities without tying them to a bigger picture and being self-serving rather than buyer-focused. Initially, you may be focused on tracking tasks, but in order to realize the full potential and benefits of MAP, you should really link activities to clear success criteria and build a robust business case. They will help you align success criteria across each stakeholder, assisting you with gaining individual buy-in, while also creating a unified vision by establishing organization-wide success criteria that is interconnected. Aligning the MAP with the buyer’s needs and demonstrating the value of our solutions is crucial for success.
By tailoring MAPs to specific contexts and focusing on strategic goals, you can drive better alignment, smoother sales processes, and stronger outcomes. Make sure your MAPs are not just task trackers but strategic tools for driving customer success and building strong business cases.
By implementing these strategies, you can turn MAPs into a powerful tool for driving sales success and fostering long-term client relationships.
To help you quickly ramp up on MAPs, we provide you with a short video that walks you through how we apply PART and maintain momentum. For more on this and other revenue topics, you may enjoy our Quest to Quota Attainment Course (which also includes a Micro Skills Series course on Mutual Action Plans). It is broken up into short modules, making it easy to learn and practice new skills in short but effective time blocks each day. And finally, if you need hands-on support for your revenue-generation efforts, check out the services we offer.
