closing-deals

name	closing-deals
description	Manages the full client lifecycle from founder-led sales through partnerships and client success, using structured qualification, provider management, and expansion frameworks. Use when preparing for a sales call, qualifying a deal, managing provider relationships, onboarding a new client, or tracking client health.

Skill: Enterprise Sales & Partnerships (with Customer Success)

When to Use

Invoke this skill when:

• Preparing for a sales call, discovery meeting, or demo with a prospective client
• Qualifying a new deal and deciding whether to invest time in pursuing it
• Reviewing or scoring the relationship with a product provider or vendor
• Designing or updating the Design Partner Program
• Onboarding a new client after a deal closes
• Assessing client health or identifying expansion opportunities
• Building or updating the sales pipeline, CRM stages, or conversion targets
• Creating sales enablement materials (one-pager, demo script, objection handling)
• Transitioning from BANT+SPIN to MEDDIC/MEDDPICC after hiring a first sales rep

Stage Awareness

This skill is designed for founder-led sales (now through ~$1M ARR, ~25 clients). The frameworks graduate as the company scales:

Stage	Team	Qualification	CS Approach
Now -> $1M ARR	Founders handle all sales	BANT+SPIN	Embedded in sales (this skill)
$1M -> $5M ARR	First sales hire (AE)	Graduate to MEDDIC	Dedicated CS section grows
$5M+ ARR	Sales team + CS hire	Full MEDDPICC	CS graduates to standalone skill

Graduation trigger for Customer Success: When the company reaches 10+ active paying clients, spin CS into its own skill file. Until then, CS frameworks remain embedded in Section 6 of this document.

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Section 1: Sales Pipeline & CRM Setup

Pipeline Stages

Define these stages in your CRM (Attio, HubSpot, or spreadsheet). Every deal must sit in exactly one stage at all times.

Stage	Definition	Exit Criteria	Target Conversion
Lead	Inbound inquiry or outbound target identified	Contact info confirmed, initial response received	100% (entry)
Qualified	Passes BANT+SPIN scorecard (Section 2)	Score >= 12/20 on qualification scorecard	40-50% of Leads
Discovery	First substantive call completed	Pain confirmed, use case understood, champion identified	60-70% of Qualified
Proposal	Commercial proposal or sandbox access delivered	Proposal sent with pricing, timeline, and scope	50-60% of Discovery
Negotiation	Active terms discussion or legal review	All deal terms agreed in principle	60-70% of Proposal
Closed Won	Contract signed, onboarding begins	Signed agreement, payment terms confirmed	70-80% of Negotiation
Closed Lost	Deal did not close	Loss reason documented (see loss analysis below)	--

Monthly Pipeline Review Template

MONTHLY PIPELINE REVIEW -- Date: [DATE]

Stage Summary: [N] Leads | [N] Qualified | [N] Discovery | [N] Proposal | [N] Negotiation
Total Weighted Pipeline: $[X]K | Quarterly Target: $[X]K | Coverage: [X]x (need 3x)
Avg Lead-to-Close: [N] days | Added: [N] | Closed: [N] won / [N] lost
Win reasons:  [Top 3] | Loss reasons: [Top 3]

Pipeline Source Tracking

Source	Description
Founder Network	[FOUNDER]'s professional network. High quality, low volume. Formalize: map top 50 contacts at target companies, 3-5 personalized outreach per week.
Provider Referrals	Providers referring clients who need distribution. Volume depends on provider relationship health.
Inbound	Website, LinkedIn, conferences. Low now, growing with marketing.
Warm Introductions	Investor/advisor referrals. Track who introduces and follow up.

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Section 2: Deal Qualification Scorecard

Current Framework: BANT+SPIN

Use this lightweight framework while in founder-led sales mode (<25 clients). Score every deal after the first substantive conversation.

BANT assesses fit. SPIN guides the conversation.

BANT Scoring (assessed during/after first call)

Dimension	Question to Answer	Score Guide
Budget	Does this prospect have budget for this type of infrastructure? What are they spending today?	5 = Confirmed budget allocated / 3 = Budget exists but not allocated / 1 = No budget, exploring
Authority	Are we talking to the decision-maker or a champion who can influence?	5 = Economic buyer at table / 3 = Strong champion, buyer identified / 1 = No access to buyer
Need	Is the pain real, acknowledged, and urgent? Are they actively solving this problem?	5 = Active project with timeline / 3 = Recognized need, no timeline / 1 = Nice-to-have, low priority
Timeline	When do they need to go live? Is there a forcing function?	5 = Within 3 months, external deadline / 3 = Within 6 months, internal priority / 1 = "Someday", no urgency

BANT Qualification Template

DEAL QUALIFICATION: [COMPANY NAME]
Date: [DATE]
Qualified by: [NAME]
Deal Source: [Founder Network / Provider Referral / Inbound / Conference / Intro]

COMPANY PROFILE
  Company: [Name]
  Segment: [Tier 1 / Tier 2 / Tier 3 -- per your ICP]
  Geography: [Country/Region]
  Size: [Users / AUM / Revenue if known]
  Current providers: [Who they use today]

BANT SCORES
  Budget:    [1-5] -- [Notes: what they spend today, budget cycle timing]
  Authority: [1-5] -- [Notes: who we talked to, who decides, buying process]
  Need:      [1-5] -- [Notes: specific pain points, use case description]
  Timeline:  [1-5] -- [Notes: go-live target, forcing function if any]

  TOTAL: [X/20]

QUALIFICATION DECISION
  >= 16: HIGH PRIORITY   -- Fast-track to Discovery, assign founder time
  12-15: MEDIUM PRIORITY -- Continue nurturing, schedule Discovery within 2 weeks
  8-11:  LOW PRIORITY    -- Add to nurture sequence, revisit in 30 days
  < 8:   DISQUALIFY      -- Politely decline, offer to reconnect when timing is better

SPIN CONVERSATION NOTES (from discovery)
  Situation:  [Current state -- what infrastructure they use, team size, products offered]
  Problem:    [Explicit pain -- what is broken, slow, expensive, or missing]
  Implication:[What happens if they don't solve this -- lost revenue, compliance risk, churn]
  Need-Payoff:[What would solving this enable -- new products, faster time-to-market, cost savings]

PRODUCT FIT ASSESSMENT
  Products needed:    [Product A / Product B / Product C -- check all that apply]
  Estimated ARR:      $[X]K (based on expected volume x rate card)
  Integration effort: [Low: API only / Medium: Custom flows / High: White-label]
  Provider dependency:[Which providers are needed -- Provider A / Provider B / Provider C]

NEXT STEPS
  Action 1: [Specific next step with owner and date]
  Action 2: [Follow-up item]
  Follow-up date: [DATE]

SPIN Conversation Guide

Use SPIN question sequencing during discovery calls. Never pitch until you complete the Implication and Need-Payoff stages.

Stage	Purpose	Example Questions
Situation	Understand current state (keep brief -- max 5 min)	"What [products/services] do you offer today?" / "Which providers do you integrate with?" / "How many people on your integrations team?"
Problem	Surface explicit pain	"What is the biggest bottleneck in adding a new [product/capability]?" / "How long did your last provider integration take?" / "What gaps do your customers complain about most?"
Implication	Make the pain feel urgent and expensive	"What does that [N]-month integration delay cost you in lost revenue?" / "If a compliance issue blocks your launch, what happens to the roadmap?" / "How many users have you lost because you only offer [one product]?"
Need-Payoff	Let them articulate the value of solving it	"If you could add [Product A], [Product B], and [Product C] through a single API, what would that unlock for your product?" / "What would it mean for your business if integration took weeks instead of months?"

Graduation Path: MEDDIC/MEDDPICC

When the company hires its first dedicated sales rep, upgrade qualification from BANT+SPIN to MEDDIC. The MEDDIC dimensions map to more rigorous enterprise sales:

MEDDIC Element	Maps From BANT+SPIN	What Changes
Metrics	Need + Implication	Quantified business case with specific ROI numbers
Economic Buyer	Authority	Must identify and engage the person who signs the check
Decision Criteria	Need	Formal evaluation criteria documented (RFP, scorecard)
Decision Process	Timeline + Authority	Map every step from evaluation to signed contract
Identify Pain	Problem + Implication	Deep, multi-stakeholder pain mapping
Champion	Authority	Named internal advocate who sells on your behalf

Add Paper Process and Competition for full MEDDPICC when deal sizes exceed $100K ARR or sales cycles exceed 3 months.

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Section 3: Provider Partnership Scorecard

Your product breadth depends on your upstream providers/vendors. Each relationship is a strategic dependency that must be actively managed.

Provider Scorecard Template

Complete this scorecard quarterly for each provider. Flag any provider with Dependency Risk of 4-5 for immediate mitigation planning. Repeat the template below for each of your providers.

Provider Registry:

• [Provider A] -- [Product type] -- maps to: [Your Product 1]
• [Provider B] -- [Product type] -- maps to: [Your Product 2], [Your Product 3]
• [Provider C] -- [Product type] -- maps to: [Your Product 1 variant], [Your Product 4]
• [Provider D] -- [Product type] -- maps to: [Your Product 3]
• [Provider E] -- [Product type] -- maps to: [Your Product 3], [Your Product 2]

=== [PROVIDER NAME] ===
Review Date: [DATE] | Status: [Active / Integrating / Evaluating]

  Reliability (uptime, execution quality):     [1-5] -- [Notes]
  Pricing Tier:                                [Rate] -- [Fee structure, volume discounts]
  Exclusivity Terms:                           [None / Soft / Hard] -- [Any restrictions]
  Integration Maturity:                        [1-5] -- [API quality, docs, sandbox]
  Support Responsiveness:                      [1-5] -- [Avg response time, escalation path]
  Regulatory Standing:                         [1-5] -- [Registration status, compliance]
  Dependency Risk:                             [1-5] -- [What happens if they go down/pivot]
  Relationship Health:                         [1-5] -- [Last touchpoint, key contact]

  OVERALL SCORE: [X/40]
  Action Items: [Specific actions to improve weak dimensions]

Provider Risk Mitigation Rules

Risk Level	Threshold	Required Action
Low (1-2)	Provider is reliable and relationship is strong	Standard quarterly review
Medium (3)	Some concerns but manageable	Monthly check-in, document contingency
High (4)	Material risk to product delivery	Identify backup provider, escalate to CEO
Critical (5)	Single point of failure, no alternative	Emergency: source alternative immediately, negotiate SLA improvements

Provider Coverage Matrix

Track which providers cover which products to identify gaps and redundancy:

Product	Primary Provider	Backup Provider	Gap?
[Product A]	[Provider A]	[None / Provider C?]	[Y/N]
[Product B]	[Provider B] / [Provider D] / [Provider E]	Multiple -- good	N
[Product C]	[TBD]	[TBD]	Y
[Product D]	[Provider B]	[Provider E]	N
[Product E]	[Provider C]	[TBD]	[Y/N]
[Product F]	[TBD]	[TBD]	Y
[Product G]	[Direct / via partner]	[TBD]	[Y/N]

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Section 4: Design Partner Program

Program Purpose

Design Partners are your first 3-5 paying clients who receive a [X]% discount in exchange for co-marketing rights, structured feedback, and case study participation. They validate the product, generate proof points, and accelerate sales to subsequent clients.

Selection Criteria

Score each candidate on these dimensions. Minimum total: 18/25 to qualify.

Dimension	Question	Score (1-5)
ICP Fit	Does this company match your Tier 1-2 ICP?	[1-5]
Brand Value	Would their logo on your website impress other prospects?	[1-5]
Technical Readiness	Do they have engineering resources to integrate within 30 days?	[1-5]
Feedback Quality	Will they provide structured product feedback (not just complaints)?	[1-5]
Expansion Potential	Could this become a $[TARGET_ARPA]+ ARR account within 12 months?	[1-5]

Program Structure

DESIGN PARTNER AGREEMENT OUTLINE

Partner: [COMPANY NAME]
Start Date: [DATE]
Duration: 6 months (renewable)
Company Contact: [FOUNDER_1 / FOUNDER_2]

WHAT THEY GET
- [X]% discount on standard pricing for 6 months
- Dedicated Slack/WhatsApp channel with your team
- Priority bug fixes and feature requests
- Early access to new products and API endpoints
- Co-branded announcement at launch

WHAT YOU GET
- Permission to use logo on website and materials
- Written case study within 90 days of go-live
- Quarterly product feedback session (structured, 60 min)
- Public testimonial or quote for sales enablement
- Reference call availability for 2-3 qualified prospects per quarter

MILESTONES
  Day 0-14:   Kickoff + sandbox access + integration planning
  Day 15-30:  API integration complete, first test transactions
  Day 31-60:  Production deployment, first real volume
  Day 61-90:  Case study drafted, first product feedback session
  Day 91-180: Steady-state operations, expansion discussion, renewal decision

Design Partner Success Metrics

Metric	Target	Measured At
Time to first API call	< 1 day	Day 7
Time to production	< 30 days	Day 30
Monthly transaction volume	> $[X]K by Month 3	Monthly
Product feedback sessions completed	2+ in first 90 days	Day 90
Case study published	1	Day 90
NPS score	>= 8	Day 90
Expansion to second product	Yes/No	Day 180

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Section 5: Sales Enablement

Objection Handling Guide

Common objections and responses. Tie to battlecards from the gathering-competitive-intelligence skill for competitor-specific responses.

Objection	Root Concern	Response Framework
"We can build this in-house"	Control, cost perception	Acknowledge their engineering strength. Then: "Building one integration takes [N] months. [YOUR_COMPANY] gives you [N] products through one API in [N] weeks. Your team can focus on your core product instead of maintaining [infrastructure type]." Quantify their engineering cost vs. your fees.
"We already use [Incumbent Provider]"	Switching cost, risk	"Great -- they handle [Product A] well. What about [Product B], [Product C], or [Product D]? Most of our clients started with one provider and hit a wall when they needed multi-product. We don't replace your existing setup -- we extend it."
"Your technology approach seems risky"	Regulatory fear, reputation risk	"[Technology] is our infrastructure layer, not your customer's experience. Your users see [products] -- not the underlying technology. Every product is backed by [regulatory certification] providers. You get the benefits ([key advantages]) without the baggage."
"We need to see more traction/clients"	Trust, early-stage risk	Acknowledge: "Fair concern. Here is what we can offer: a Design Partner program with [X]% discount, dedicated support, and the ability to shape the product. [Reference client] is already live. We are happy to connect you with them as a reference."
"Your pricing is too high"	Budget, value not yet proven	"Let's look at the math. Your current setup costs [$X] in provider fees plus [$Y] in engineering time across [N] integrations. [YOUR_COMPANY] consolidates that to one integration at [rate]. What is the total cost of your current multi-provider approach?"
"We need [feature X] you don't have yet"	Product gap	"Good to know. Is [feature X] a launch blocker or a Phase 2 item? If it is on our roadmap, I can share the timeline. If it is critical for launch, let's discuss whether a Design Partner arrangement makes sense -- you'd shape the feature while getting early access."

Sales Enablement Kit Checklist

Ensure these materials exist and stay current. Review monthly.

Asset	Owner	Status	Last Updated
One-pager (PDF, 1 page)	CEO	[Draft / Ready / Needs Update]	[DATE]
Pitch deck (10-12 slides)	CEO + CPO	[Draft / Ready / Needs Update]	[DATE]
Demo script (sandbox walkthrough)	CPO	[Draft / Ready / Needs Update]	[DATE]
Pricing rate card	CEO	[Draft / Ready / Needs Update]	[DATE]
Case study: Design Partner 1	CEO	[Not Started / In Progress / Published]	[DATE]
Technical integration guide	CTO	[Draft / Ready / Needs Update]	[DATE]
Battlecards (vs. competitors)	See gathering-competitive-intelligence skill	[Draft / Ready / Needs Update]	[DATE]

Demo Script Framework (30 min)

Structure every demo around the prospect's stated pain, not your feature list.

1. Recap Their Pain (3 min): "Last time we spoke you mentioned [PAIN]. Let me show you exactly how we solve that."
2. Show the API (10 min): Execute a transaction in sandbox. Show multi-product capability. Highlight single API key, single onboarding. Focus on THEIR use case.
3. Integration Walkthrough (5 min): Documentation quality, code snippet in their language. "Most clients: sandbox to production in [N] weeks."
4. Economics (5 min): Their estimated volume, pricing at their tier, total cost vs. multi-provider approach.
5. Social Proof (3 min): Reference design partners, show metrics (uptime, volume, integration time).
6. Next Steps (4 min): Propose specific next action with date. Offer sandbox credentials on the call. Identify next stakeholders.

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Section 6: Client Success (Embedded)

Graduation trigger: When the company reaches 10+ active paying clients, extract this section into a standalone skill file.

Client Health Score Model

Score each active client monthly. The health score triggers proactive intervention before churn signals become cancellations.

Health Score Template

CLIENT HEALTH SCORE -- Client: [NAME] | Period: [MONTH/YEAR] | Scored by: [NAME]

USAGE (40% weight)                          SUPPORT & ENGAGEMENT (25% weight)
  API volume vs. plan:     [1-5]              Ticket volume:        [1-5]
  MoM volume trend:        [1-5]              Severity trend:       [1-5]
  Product breadth:         [1-5]              Team engagement:      [1-5]

SATISFACTION (20% weight)                   EXPANSION SIGNALS (15% weight)
  NPS / satisfaction:      [1-5]              Asked about new products: [Y/N]
  Feedback quality:        [1-5]              Growing toward next tier: [Y/N]
                                              Referred a prospect:      [Y/N]

OVERALL HEALTH SCORE: [X/100]
BAND: 80-100 HEALTHY (quarterly) | 60-79 MONITOR (biweekly) | 40-59 AT RISK (weekly, escalate) | 0-39 CRITICAL (CEO call in 48h)

Intervention Triggers

Signal	Trigger	Response	Owner
Volume drops 30%+ month-over-month	Usage alert	Reach out within 48 hours: "Noticed volume dipped -- anything we can help with?"	CPO
Zero API calls for 7+ days	Usage alert	Same-day outreach: check for integration issues or internal changes	CTO (tech) + CPO
Support ticket escalation (P1/P2)	Support alert	Resolve within SLA, follow up with post-mortem and prevention plan	CTO
Client goes dark (no response for 14+ days)	Engagement alert	Escalate to CEO for personal outreach via founder network or warm intro	CEO
NPS score < 7	Satisfaction alert	Schedule 30-minute call to understand root cause, create action plan	CPO

Client Lifecycle Playbook

Each client passes through four stages. No stage is skipped; each transition is deliberate.

Stage 1: Onboarding (Day 0-30) -- Goal: Signed contract to first production API call.

• Day 0-3: Kickoff call (CPO), shared Slack/WhatsApp channel created
• Day 1: Sandbox credentials delivered (CTO)
• Day 7-14: KYB/compliance completed (CEO)
• Day 7: First sandbox transaction (Client + CTO)
• Day 14: Integration code review (CTO)
• Day 21-30: Production go-live, first real transaction (All)
• Day 30: Health score baseline set, internal "client live" announcement (CPO)

Stage 2: Adoption (Day 31-90) -- Goal: Steady-state usage, volume meets forecast.

• Weekly: Volume check vs. forecast (CPO) + technical support review (CTO)
• Day 30: First health score (CPO)
• Day 45 + 90: Product feedback sessions (CPO)
• Day 60: Business review call (CEO + CPO)
• Exit criteria: 3+ consecutive weeks at or above forecasted volume

Stage 3: Expansion (Day 91-365) -- Goal: Land-and-expand to 2+ products.

• Cross-sell discovery call when adoption criteria met (CEO)
• QBR every 90 days (CEO + CPO)
• Common expansion paths:
  • [Segment A]: [Product A] -> [Product B] -> [Product C]
  • [Segment B]: [Product A] -> [Product D] -> [Product E]
  • [Segment C]: [Product C] -> [Product B] -> [Product A]

Stage 4: Renewal & Advocacy (Ongoing) -- Goal: Retain, grow, and turn into reference.

• Contract renewal review 60 days before expiry (CEO)
• Annual business review (CEO + CPO)
• Reference request after NPS >= 8 (CPO)
• Product advisory board invitation when 10+ clients exist (CPO)

Expansion Revenue Framework

Track Net Revenue Retention (NRR) as the primary CS metric. Target: 120%+ NRR (each cohort of clients grows 20%+ year-over-year).

Expansion Type	Description	How to Identify	Target Contribution
Cross-sell	Client adds a new product	Health score "asked about new products" signal; QBR discussion	40% of expansion revenue
Upsell	Client moves to higher pricing tier due to volume growth	Volume approaching tier threshold	35% of expansion revenue
Usage growth	Organic volume increase within existing products	Month-over-month volume trending up	25% of expansion revenue

EXPANSION REVENUE TRACKER -- Period: [QUARTER/YEAR]

| Client | Start ARR | Current ARR | Change | Type (Cross/Up/Usage) |
|--------|-----------|-------------|--------|-----------------------|
| [Name] | $[X]K     | $[Y]K      | +$[Z]K | [Type]               |

NRR Calculation: Starting $[X]K + Expansion $[X]K - Contraction $[X]K - Churn $[X]K = Ending $[X]K
Net Revenue Retention: [X]% | Target: 120%+ | Status: [On Track / Below / Above]

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Section 7: Founder-Led Sales Playbook

Weekly Sales Rhythm (CEO + CPO)

This is a small team. Sales cannot consume more than 40% of the CEO's time or 20% of the CPO's time until ARR exceeds $500K.

Day	Activity	Time	Owner
Monday	Pipeline review: update all deal stages, flag stalled deals	30 min	CEO
Tue-Thu	Discovery calls, demos, and follow-ups (max 4 external meetings/week)	1-2 hrs/day	CEO + CPO
Friday	Weekly sales retrospective: wins, losses, learnings, pipeline forecast update	30 min	CEO + CPO

Outbound Cadence

• Day 1: Personalized LinkedIn/WhatsApp -- reference shared connection or pain point, ask a question, do not pitch
• Day 4: Follow-up with relevant content (blog post, case study, market data)
• Day 8: Direct value message: "Here is what we built and why it matters for [THEIR COMPANY]"
• Day 15: Final follow-up: "Happy to reconnect when timing is right."
• Day 30+: Nurture list -- monthly LinkedIn engagement, occasional content share

Rules: Max 5 new prospects/week. Personalization is non-negotiable. Track every touchpoint. No response after Day 15 = nurture, do not chase.

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Cross-References

Situation	Related Skill
Need competitor-specific battlecards for objection handling	gathering-competitive-intelligence -- Battlecard Deck (FIA format) feeds Section 5 objection handling
Need pipeline source strategy and channel planning	launching-go-to-market -- GTM channels and beachhead analysis inform pipeline sources
Need case studies and metrics for investor materials	raising-capital -- Client proof points and ARR metrics feed fundraising deck
Need client health metrics for growth dashboard	measuring-growth -- NRR, health scores, and expansion data feed the KPI dashboard
Need pricing architecture for proposals	designing-business-models -- Rate card and unit economics feed deal economics
Prospect asks about specific market/regulatory readiness	planning-market-entry -- Country-specific regulatory and licensing data for sales conversations

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Checklist: Full Skill at a Glance

Pipeline & Qualification:

• CRM pipeline stages defined with conversion targets
• Pipeline sources tracked (founder network formalized as structured outreach)
• Every deal scored with BANT+SPIN qualification scorecard
• Monthly pipeline review completed with win/loss analysis

Provider Partnerships:

• Quarterly provider scorecard completed for all providers
• Risk scores reviewed -- any 4-5 triggers mitigation plan
• Coverage matrix checked for product gaps

Design Partners:

• Selection criteria applied (minimum 18/25 to qualify)
• Agreement signed with milestones and success metrics
• 90-day milestones tracked (case study, feedback sessions, production volume)

Sales Enablement:

• One-pager, deck, demo script, and rate card are current
• Objection handling guide reviewed and updated with latest competitive intelligence
• Demo script customized for each prospect's stated pain

Client Success (Embedded):

• Monthly health scores completed for all active clients
• Intervention triggers monitored and acted on
• Expansion opportunities identified and tracked
• NRR calculated quarterly -- target 120%+

Founder-Led Rhythm:

• Monday pipeline review completed
• Max 4 external meetings per week respected
• Friday sales retrospective held
• Outbound cadence running (5 new prospects/week max)