A mutual action plan is a shared, dated list of the steps the buyer and the seller will each take from today until the buyer is using what they bought.
Building and keeping the plan
The account executive builds the plan with the buyer's champion, usually once the buyer has put a number on the problem. They work backward from a date that matters to the buyer, such as a season, a launch or a renewal, and list every step: evaluation, sign-offs, security and legal review, procurement, contract, onboarding. Each step gets a named owner and a date.
- 01Evaluation
- 02Sign-offs
- 03Security and legal review
- 04Procurement
- 05Contract
- 06Onboarding
The plan lives where both sides can edit it and is opened at every buyer call. In the weekly deal review, managers ask one question about it: which steps did the buyer add or change? A plan only the seller has touched is a forecast; one the buyer has edited is evidence. The full method is in how to build a mutual action plan, and its role in moving deals is covered in our guide to deal coaching.
Example
A rep and a retail champion build a plan anchored to the stores' change freeze on 1 November. Asked who reviews anything touching the store network, the champion names a security lead whose review takes three weeks. The step goes in with his name, the rep's close date moves to fit it, and the forecast becomes later and more believable. (Illustrative.)
The first lines of that plan might read:
| Step | Owner | Date | Side |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of stockouts agreed with finance | Champion, head of store operations | 12 Sep | Buyer |
| Security review of store network access | Security lead | 15 Sep to 6 Oct | Buyer |
| Business case to the COO | Champion, with the rep | 9 Oct | Both |
| Contract and order form | Procurement lead; the rep | 14 Oct | Both |
| Pilot in three stores | Store operations; onboarding lead | 20 Oct | Both |
| Go-live before the change freeze | Champion | 31 Oct | Buyer |
Weak plans look different: every step owned by the rep, dates that bunch at the end of the seller's quarter, and nothing after the signature. A manager reading one in a 1:1 asks which line the buyer wrote, and starts the coaching there.
Related terms
- Close plan: the seller's internal version.
- Deal review: where the plan gets checked each week.
- Mutual action plan template: a copyable format.
FAQ
Why build a mutual action plan with the buyer?
A mutual action plan makes the buyer's buying process visible to both sides, with names and dates. It surfaces steps the seller did not know about, such as a security review or a budget sign-off, before they delay the deal.
Who owns a mutual action plan?
Both sides own steps in it. The seller usually starts it and keeps it current, but the plan is working when people at the buyer own most of the buyer-side steps and edit them without being asked.
Is a mutual action plan the same as a close plan?
No, a mutual action plan is shared with the buyer and covers both sides' steps to go-live, while a close plan stays inside the selling team. The close plan is the seller's internal plan for what must be true for the deal to sign.