A play · one sale type

B2B complex sale

A buying group discovers a category, evaluates vendors, and only later becomes a customer who expands or leaves.

Long cycle, many stakeholders, high trust.

The play

Scan the list. Open one.

01 · Discover · 44 items

Discover

How do they first hear that a problem like theirs has a name?

Pain · 12

visitor leaves unanswered

Felt by Visitor

Dissatisfied

They leave with the same question they arrived with.

Satisfied

They understand the offer and see one clear next step.

Delighted

The page answers as the company would, and they feel expected.

Avoid

A brochure that cannot answer a real question.

Mitigate

Governed answers on the page, brand voice, and a named handoff.

Opportunity

The first useful conversation happens before they hunt for a form.

Still owns: Marketer

the problem has no name yet

Felt by Visitor

Dissatisfied

They feel a mess. They do not yet have a word for it.

Satisfied

A page or talk gives the mess a name they can repeat.

Delighted

They use that name with a colleague the same week.

Avoid

Category language only the vendor uses.

Mitigate

Name the job in the words they already say.

Opportunity

You become the person who made the problem discussable.

Still owns: Content writer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

the first page is about us, not their job

Felt by Visitor

Dissatisfied

They meet a company story when they needed a job story.

Satisfied

The first screen is about their situation.

Delighted

They feel seen before they feel sold to.

Avoid

A hero line that only names the vendor.

Mitigate

Lead with the job, then the offer.

Opportunity

They forward the page because it explains them, not you.

Still owns: Marketer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

too much information, they are lost before they engage

Felt by Visitor

Dissatisfied

They drown in claims and never start.

Satisfied

One question, one answer, one next step.

Delighted

The page feels like a person who already knew what mattered.

Avoid

A first surface that tries to say everything.

Mitigate

One conversation, one next step, the rest on demand.

Opportunity

Less on the page is how they begin.

Still owns: Marketer

claim without proof

Felt by Visitor, Prospect

Dissatisfied

They hear a claim they cannot show anyone else.

Satisfied

There is a proof they can replay.

Delighted

They take that proof into their own buying group.

Avoid

Asking them to trust the brochure.

Mitigate

A short proof they can open without a meeting.

Opportunity

Proof does the first meeting’s work.

Still owns: Seller

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

the ad and the page disagree

Felt by Visitor

Dissatisfied

They click a promise and land on a different one.

Satisfied

The page continues the sentence the ad started.

Delighted

The path from ad to page feels like one company.

Avoid

A campaign that launches before the page is ready.

Mitigate

One claim, one page, one next step.

Opportunity

Paid attention becomes a conversation, not a bounce.

Still owns: Creative, Marketer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

they cannot find a next step

Felt by Visitor

Dissatisfied

They liked it, then did not know what to do.

Satisfied

One obvious next step, in the same voice.

Delighted

The next step feels expected, not like a trap.

Avoid

Five competing buttons and no owner.

Mitigate

One ask, named, above the fold and at the end.

Opportunity

Raising a hand is easy enough to do the same day.

Still owns: Marketer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

the recap never reaches the people who missed the event

Felt by Visitor

Dissatisfied

The room was useful. Everyone else hears nothing.

Satisfied

A recap the champion can send without rewriting.

Delighted

Missing the live hour is not missing the idea.

Avoid

A webinar that dies in the replay library.

Mitigate

A one-page recap with the next step attached.

Opportunity

The event becomes a reason to talk, not a booth.

Still owns: Marketer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

search describes a different company

Felt by Visitor

Dissatisfied

They look for the job and find a competitor’s words.

Satisfied

The public description matches what you actually do.

Delighted

They arrive already using your name for the job.

Avoid

Pages written only for your own sales deck.

Mitigate

Write for the question they type when they are stuck.

Opportunity

You are findable for the job, not only for the brand.

Still owns: Content writer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

social proof is missing or anonymous

Felt by Visitor

Dissatisfied

They see stars or logos and still cannot tell if it is for them.

Satisfied

A named peer, in a situation like theirs.

Delighted

They can quote that peer in their own meeting.

Avoid

A wall of logos with no story.

Mitigate

One specific proof, with a name they recognise.

Opportunity

Proof from someone like them beats a claim from you.

Still owns: Success, Marketer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

they cannot tell you apart in a noisy category

Felt by Visitor

Dissatisfied

Every vendor says the same three words.

Satisfied

One difference they can repeat in a corridor.

Delighted

They use your difference as their own language.

Avoid

A slogan that could sit on any homepage.

Mitigate

Pick one difference and keep it on every first surface.

Opportunity

They choose you because the difference is useful, not clever.

Still owns: Marketer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

they hear you only as a vendor, not as a category

Felt by Visitor

Dissatisfied

They know a product name and not the job it sits in.

Satisfied

The job and the name arrive in the same week.

Delighted

They teach the category using your framing.

Avoid

Launch language that skips the problem.

Mitigate

Teach the job first, then the name.

Opportunity

Category education becomes the top of the funnel.

Still owns: Content writer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

Customer risk · 8

they shortlist without you

Felt by Visitor

Dissatisfied

The buying group already has three names. You are not one.

Satisfied

You are on the first list they write down.

Delighted

They defend your place on that list.

Avoid

Waiting for inbound from people who already chose.

Mitigate

Be present where they first name the problem.

Opportunity

The shortlist is written with your framing.

Still owns: Seller, Marketer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

they bookmark and never return

Felt by Visitor

Dissatisfied

They meant to come back. They will not.

Satisfied

A reason to return is already in their inbox or calendar.

Delighted

The second visit is warmer than the first.

Avoid

A page with no memory of the first visit.

Mitigate

One useful follow-up, not a drip of noise.

Opportunity

Return is earned by usefulness, not by nagging.

Still owns: Marketer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

they forward a weak page into the buying group

Felt by Visitor, Prospect

Dissatisfied

The champion sends something that does not survive the room.

Satisfied

What they forward can stand without them.

Delighted

The buying group asks for the next step, not for a rewrite.

Avoid

A page that only works if you are on the call.

Mitigate

Write the leave-behind first, then the homepage.

Opportunity

The forward is the sale’s first internal meeting.

Still owns: Marketer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

they decide you are too early from one thin page

Felt by Visitor

Dissatisfied

One thin page reads as a thin company.

Satisfied

The first surface shows enough substance to stay.

Delighted

They treat you as a serious option the same day.

Avoid

A campaign page with no depth behind it.

Mitigate

Enough proof and next step to survive a sceptical colleague.

Opportunity

Seriousness is a first impression, not a later deck.

Still owns: Marketer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

they compare on price because nothing else is clear

Felt by Visitor

Dissatisfied

If the job is vague, the only number left is price.

Satisfied

The difference is clear enough to hold a price.

Delighted

They argue for you on outcome, not on discount.

Avoid

Leading with packages before the job is named.

Mitigate

Make the job and the proof visible before the number.

Opportunity

Price becomes a decision, not the only question.

Still owns: Seller

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

a competitor names the problem first

Felt by Visitor

Dissatisfied

Someone else gave them the words. You are now a follower.

Satisfied

Your name for the job is the one they use.

Delighted

They correct colleagues who use the other frame.

Avoid

Waiting to publish until the deck is perfect.

Mitigate

Publish the name of the job early, then refine.

Opportunity

The language of the category is an asset you can own.

Still owns: Content writer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

legal sees the public claim and objects later

Felt by Prospect

Dissatisfied

A public line that sales loves and legal will not stand behind.

Satisfied

The public claim is one legal already accepted.

Delighted

Marketing can move without a last-minute rewrite.

Avoid

Campaign copy that never met counsel.

Mitigate

An approved line for the first surface.

Opportunity

Speed without a future argument in the buying group.

Still owns: Legal, Marketer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

they ask a colleague instead of you

Felt by Visitor

Dissatisfied

The trusted source is a person you never meet.

Satisfied

A colleague can point at something you wrote.

Delighted

Peer advice includes your page as the reference.

Avoid

Content that cannot be forwarded in one click.

Mitigate

Make the page the thing a colleague would send.

Opportunity

Word of mouth has a URL.

Still owns: Marketer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

Opportunity · 12

name their problem before they can

Felt by Visitor

Dissatisfied

They still fumble for words.

Satisfied

You hand them a clean name.

Delighted

They teach others using your sentence.

Avoid

Waiting for them to brief you.

Mitigate

Publish the name of the mess they are in.

Opportunity

Naming is the first value, before a demo.

Still owns: Content writer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

a proof they can forward without you

Felt by Visitor, Prospect

Dissatisfied

They cannot take you into the next room.

Satisfied

They can send a proof that stands alone.

Delighted

The buying group meets you before you meet them.

Avoid

A proof that only works live.

Mitigate

A short artefact built to travel.

Opportunity

The forward is an unpaid sales call.

Still owns: Seller

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

a next step that feels expected, not a trap

Felt by Visitor

Dissatisfied

Every ask feels like a capture form.

Satisfied

The next step matches the question they just asked.

Delighted

They take it because it is the natural continuation.

Avoid

A demo ask on the first paragraph.

Mitigate

Match the ask to how far they have come.

Opportunity

Progress feels like help, not a funnel.

Still owns: Marketer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

an event that gives a reason to talk

Felt by Visitor

Dissatisfied

Events are attendance theatre.

Satisfied

The hour produces one specific next conversation.

Delighted

They book because the topic made the meeting obvious.

Avoid

A booth with no follow-up owner.

Mitigate

One question the event is designed to raise.

Opportunity

The event is a scene, not a lead source.

Still owns: Marketer, Seller

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

a piece the champion can reuse internally

Felt by Visitor, Prospect

Dissatisfied

They would have to rewrite you to be useful inside.

Satisfied

They can paste or present what you already wrote.

Delighted

Your words show up in their internal thread.

Avoid

Thought leadership that only works on your site.

Mitigate

Write in a form a champion can steal.

Opportunity

Internal reuse is the quiet pipeline.

Still owns: Content writer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

a warm path from intent, not a cold pitch

Felt by Prospect

Dissatisfied

Outbound arrives as a stranger.

Satisfied

The first human note refers to what they already did.

Delighted

They take the meeting because it is specific.

Avoid

A sequence that ignores what the page already knows.

Mitigate

Intent in, then a reason that uses it.

Opportunity

The first call starts mid-conversation.

Still owns: Sales ops, Sales Development Representative

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

the same voice from ad to page to reply

Felt by Visitor

Dissatisfied

Three surfaces, three companies.

Satisfied

The voice does not change when the channel does.

Delighted

They trust the reply because it sounds like the page.

Avoid

Separate teams writing in isolation.

Mitigate

One claim and one voice, reused.

Opportunity

Continuity is a delight they notice.

Still owns: Marketer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

they feel the company was waiting for this question

Felt by Visitor

Dissatisfied

They feel processed.

Satisfied

The answer is ready and in brand.

Delighted

They feel expected, even on a Sunday night.

Avoid

Office-hours-only answers on a public page.

Mitigate

Governed answers for the questions you already know.

Opportunity

Availability without inventing policy.

Still owns: Marketer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

the first useful answer earns a deeper look

Felt by Visitor, Prospect

Dissatisfied

You ask for a demo before you have helped.

Satisfied

Help first, then a deeper look is natural.

Delighted

They ask for the demo themselves.

Avoid

Gating the first useful page.

Mitigate

Give value on the public surface, then invite depth.

Opportunity

Upsell of attention: from page to proof to meeting.

Still owns: Seller

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

a buying-group pack, not a brochure

Felt by Prospect

Dissatisfied

A brochure that cannot survive a committee.

Satisfied

A pack with roles, proof, and a next step.

Delighted

Each person in the group finds their line.

Avoid

One generic PDF for every visitor.

Mitigate

Write for the group, not only for the first visitor.

Opportunity

The pack is how you enter rooms you are not in.

Still owns: Seller

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

show up where they already look for the job

Felt by Visitor

Dissatisfied

You are only findable on your own site.

Satisfied

You appear in the places they already search and ask.

Delighted

They meet you as part of how they work, not as an interruption.

Avoid

Spend only on brand terms.

Mitigate

Be present on the job, in search, in rooms, in the feed.

Opportunity

Presence is cheaper than later rescue outbound.

Still owns: Content writer, Media ops

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

a short diagnostic that makes the next meeting specific

Felt by Visitor, Prospect

Dissatisfied

The first meeting is a generic tour.

Satisfied

They arrive with a picture of their own gap.

Delighted

The meeting starts on their numbers, not your slides.

Avoid

A form that only captures an email.

Mitigate

Three questions that change what you say next.

Opportunity

Diagnosis is a gift and a qualification.

Still owns: Sales Development Representative

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

Seller-ops risk · 12

blank page

Felt by Content writer

Dissatisfied

The writer stares at an empty brief and publishes late.

Satisfied

There is a source, a claim they may use, and a real deadline.

Delighted

The next article starts from proof the seller already needed.

Avoid

Asking for original thought with no approved source.

Mitigate

A short brief, one source of truth, and a human check.

Opportunity

The writer makes the claim findable.

Still owns: Content writer

A named way

spend without a brake

Felt by Media ops

Dissatisfied

Money runs while nobody is looking.

Satisfied

Someone can pause, pace, or reallocate today.

Delighted

Creative and buying share one brake.

Avoid

Unsupervised spend next to a page nobody owns.

Mitigate

Guardrails on what to launch, bid, pause, or move.

Opportunity

Spend becomes a decision with a name on it.

Still owns: Media ops

A named way

the seller cannot find the proof when the buyer asks

Felt by Seller

Dissatisfied

The buyer asks. The seller hunts. The moment dies.

Satisfied

Proof is where the seller already works.

Delighted

The seller answers in the same conversation.

Avoid

Proof that lives only on the website.

Mitigate

Put the current proof in the seller’s path.

Opportunity

Findability for the seller is part of discover.

Still owns: Content writer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

outbound hits a cold account

Felt by Prospect

Dissatisfied

The note has no reason except a sequence.

Satisfied

The first line refers to a real signal.

Delighted

They reply because it was specific.

Avoid

Volume without intent.

Mitigate

Intent in, then a reason, then a name.

Opportunity

Fewer notes, warmer meetings.

Still owns: Sales Development Representative

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

two teams say two different things this week

Felt by Visitor

Dissatisfied

The market hears two companies.

Satisfied

One claim is live. The rest wait.

Delighted

Sales and demand can repeat each other.

Avoid

Campaigns that never meet the talk track.

Mitigate

A single live claim, written down.

Opportunity

Alignment is an ops risk, not a values poster.

Still owns: Marketer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

attribution is theatre

Felt by Seller

Dissatisfied

Nobody trusts the number. Spend arguments never end.

Satisfied

You know enough to decide this week’s move.

Delighted

Demand and sales argue about the next test, not the past.

Avoid

A dashboard that cannot change a decision.

Mitigate

Measure what you will actually pause or keep.

Opportunity

Honesty about what you cannot know.

Still owns: Sales ops

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

the event list dies in an inbox

Felt by Marketer

Dissatisfied

Names from the room never become a next step.

Satisfied

Each name has an owner and a dated action.

Delighted

The week after the event is quieter and more specific.

Avoid

A spreadsheet with no owner.

Mitigate

Route the list the same day, with a reason.

Opportunity

The event is wasted if the list is wasted.

Still owns: Sales Development Representative

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

intent is seen and nobody owns the follow-up

Felt by Sales ops

Dissatisfied

A signal lights up. Silence.

Satisfied

A named person has the next step.

Delighted

The follow-up is faster than their second search.

Avoid

Alerts with no chair.

Mitigate

Every intent type has an owner.

Opportunity

Seeing demand is not the same as answering it.

Still owns: Sales Development Representative, Seller

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

media launches a page the writer has not finished

Felt by Media ops

Dissatisfied

Traffic hits a stub. Trust drops on day one.

Satisfied

The page is ready before the spend.

Delighted

Launch is a joint decision.

Avoid

Buying the click first.

Mitigate

A simple ready-check: claim, proof, next step.

Opportunity

Spend waits on substance.

Still owns: Content writer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

nobody owns the first conversation

Felt by Visitor

Dissatisfied

They asked. The company shrugged.

Satisfied

A chair is accountable for the first reply.

Delighted

The first reply feels like the same company as the page.

Avoid

A shared inbox with no name.

Mitigate

Name the owner of the first conversation.

Opportunity

Discover ends when someone answers, not when they click.

Still owns: Marketer, Sales Development Representative

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

the sales development representative books a meeting the page cannot support

Felt by Sales Development Representative

Dissatisfied

They arrive in the meeting colder than the page promised.

Satisfied

What they saw and what they get match.

Delighted

The meeting is a continuation.

Avoid

Booking against a thin public story.

Mitigate

Only book when the page can carry the first ten minutes.

Opportunity

Pipeline quality starts on the first surface.

Still owns: Marketer, Seller

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

The seller cannot find the proof when the buyer asks.

Still owns: Content writer, Seller

A named way

See the leak

02 · Evaluate · 15 items

Evaluate

How do they compare options without talking to sales yet?

Pain · 5

visitor leaves unanswered

Felt by Visitor

Dissatisfied

They compare in silence and leave with the same question.

Satisfied

The page answers enough to stay.

Delighted

They feel they can evaluate without waiting for office hours.

Avoid

A brochure in evaluate clothing.

Mitigate

Governed answers and a named next step.

Opportunity

Self-serve evaluation that still sounds like the company.

Still owns: Marketer

too much information, they are lost before they engage

Felt by Visitor

Dissatisfied

The compare page says everything. They never start comparing.

Satisfied

One difference, one proof, one next step.

Delighted

They can evaluate without drowning.

Avoid

A feature wall with no order.

Mitigate

Lead with the one claim they came to test.

Opportunity

Less on the compare page is how they stay.

Still owns: Marketer

form dies in an inbox

Felt by Visitor, Prospect

Dissatisfied

They asked, and then heard nothing.

Satisfied

Someone replies with enough context to continue.

Delighted

The reply arrives as if the company had been waiting.

Avoid

A long form in a shared inbox.

Mitigate

One question at a time, then a named person.

Opportunity

Raising a hand feels like the start, not a void.

Still owns: Sales Development Representative

claim without proof

Felt by Visitor, Prospect

Dissatisfied

They cannot test the claim without a meeting.

Satisfied

A tour or sandbox they can run alone.

Delighted

They bring that proof to the buying group.

Avoid

Asking them to wait for a demo slot.

Mitigate

A tour they can run without talking to sales yet.

Opportunity

Proof is how they compare.

Still owns: Seller

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

the internet already knows more than the seller

Felt by Prospect

Dissatisfied

They arrive briefed. The seller starts at the first slide.

Satisfied

The meeting starts from the question they already formed.

Delighted

They stay because the person adds what a page cannot: their account, a number, a next step.

Avoid

A tour of the brochure they already finished.

Mitigate

Read what they can already read, then bring the one thing that is not public.

Opportunity

The room is for judgement, not a recap.

Still owns: Seller, Application engineer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

Customer risk · 2

they evaluate and never raise a hand

Felt by Visitor

Dissatisfied

They finished comparing. You never knew.

Satisfied

A light next step appears when they are ready.

Delighted

They raise a hand with context already attached.

Avoid

Hiding every ask until a form.

Mitigate

A small, honest ask at the point of proof.

Opportunity

Silence after evaluate is a lost shortlist.

Still owns: Marketer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

the tour does not match the page they read

Felt by Prospect

Dissatisfied

The self-serve tour feels like another product.

Satisfied

The tour continues the page’s claim.

Delighted

They trust the meeting because the tour already did.

Avoid

A sandbox that drifted from the public story.

Mitigate

The application engineer owns the tour the visitor sees.

Opportunity

Evaluate is technical sales, even when no one is on the call.

Still owns: Application engineer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

Opportunity · 2

they can compare without booking a call

Felt by Visitor, Prospect

Dissatisfied

Every comparison requires your calendar.

Satisfied

They can go far enough alone to decide if they should talk.

Delighted

They book because they already saw something true.

Avoid

Forcing a meeting to see anything real.

Mitigate

A safe tour with a human as the exception, not the rule.

Opportunity

The application engineer’s job starts before the meeting.

Still owns: Application engineer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

qualification happens without a trap

Felt by Prospect

Dissatisfied

They feel processed by a form.

Satisfied

A few questions that clearly help the next reply.

Delighted

They give context because it will be used.

Avoid

A long form that only helps the CRM.

Mitigate

Ask only what changes the next step.

Opportunity

Respect is a conversion asset.

Still owns: Sales Development Representative

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

Seller-ops risk · 6

they cannot tell if a person is on the other side

Felt by Seller, Sales Development Representative

Dissatisfied

They spent an hour on a conversation that cannot say yes.

Satisfied

A question only someone with a job can answer, then a named next step.

Delighted

They know a person who can decide is in it — or they stop early, without a row.

Avoid

Treating every booked hour as a qualified buyer.

Mitigate

Ask for one fact a page cannot invent: their job, their constraint, a date they own.

Opportunity

Time goes to people who can decide.

Still owns: Seller, Sales Development Representative

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

the seller opens with what they already finished reading

Felt by Seller

Dissatisfied

Twenty minutes gone before anyone says something new.

Satisfied

The first sentence refers to the page, the note, or the comparison they brought.

Delighted

They feel the seller did the same homework.

Avoid

Opening the deck from slide one every time.

Mitigate

A ready-check: what is public, what is specific to them, what we will decide.

Opportunity

Preparation is the product of the meeting.

Still owns: Seller, Application engineer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

blank page

Felt by Content writer

Dissatisfied

Evaluate pages stay empty while traffic arrives.

Satisfied

The compare page has a source and a claim.

Delighted

The writer and the tour stay in the same story.

Avoid

No brief for the evaluate surface.

Mitigate

A short brief tied to the live claim.

Opportunity

Evaluate is still a writing job.

Still owns: Content writer

A named way

we have no idea who decides and influences the purchase

Felt by Seller, Sales ops

Dissatisfied

The room has one name. Legal, finance, and the blocker are still a guess.

Satisfied

A dated map: who decides, who influences, who can say no.

Delighted

Every meeting has a chair who can move the deal or explain who can.

Avoid

A champion slide with no names behind it.

Mitigate

Ask for the buying group before the second meeting.

Opportunity

The map is an ops record, not a hope.

Still owns: Seller, Sales ops

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

the pack is a slide dump the engineer cannot run

Felt by Application engineer

Dissatisfied

The application engineer inherits a tour they cannot run.

Satisfied

The pack is something they can use in the room.

Delighted

Seller and engineer share one artefact.

Avoid

Throwing slides over the wall.

Mitigate

The engineer helps shape the pack they must run.

Opportunity

Technical sales owns the evaluate artefact.

Still owns: Seller

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

The pack is a slide dump the engineer cannot run in the room.

Still owns: Seller, Application engineer

A named way

See the leak

03 · Decide · 14 items

Decide

What helps the buying group say yes with a straight face?

Pain · 4

they cannot see when you can start, or if you have the chairs

Felt by Prospect

Dissatisfied

The commercial yes has no dated start, and no one who is free to run it.

Satisfied

A start window and the chairs who will show up sit next to the number.

Delighted

The buying group can plan the quarter from the same paper.

Avoid

A signature and then a waiting list.

Mitigate

Show the first open window, or say you are full.

Opportunity

Capacity is part of the decide.

Still owns: Seller, Application engineer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

they cannot take a number into the buying group

Felt by Prospect

Dissatisfied

The champion has a feeling and no figure their CFO will accept.

Satisfied

There is one number they can defend without the seller in the room.

Delighted

They present it as their own.

Avoid

A deck of adjectives.

Mitigate

One commercial number, one assumption, one source.

Opportunity

The number does the internal meeting.

Still owns: Seller

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

quote from memory

Felt by Seller

Dissatisfied

The price in the room is not the price in the system.

Satisfied

The quote matches what was said last Tuesday.

Delighted

They can send it without checking a private note.

Avoid

A number invented to keep the meeting alive.

Mitigate

Quote from the same source the contract will use.

Opportunity

Trust at signature starts in the draft.

Still owns: Seller

A named way

deck the buyer cannot follow

Felt by Prospect

Dissatisfied

The room is lost by slide four.

Satisfied

The story has a path the buyer can retell.

Delighted

The leave-behind is the meeting, not a tour of the product.

Avoid

A deck that is a product walkthrough.

Mitigate

A short story, then an approved library so nobody invents claims.

Opportunity

The champion can present it without the seller in the room.

Still owns: Seller

A named way

Customer risk · 2

the seller changes mid-cycle and they start over

Felt by Prospect

Dissatisfied

A new name asks them to tell the story again before the yes.

Satisfied

The new seller arrives already knowing the thread.

Delighted

The buying group barely notices the chair changed.

Avoid

A mid-cycle swap with no account memory.

Mitigate

Notes, proof, and next step travel with the deal, not the person.

Opportunity

Continuity is how they still say yes.

Still owns: Seller, Sales ops

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

legal sees the paper the week they meant to sign

Felt by Prospect

Dissatisfied

Counsel arrives as a surprise and the quarter slips.

Satisfied

The paper legal will accept is the paper they already have.

Delighted

Signature is a date, not a new negotiation.

Avoid

A verbal yes with no redline path.

Mitigate

Show counsel the shape early, then hold it.

Opportunity

Legal is a scene, not a last-minute veto.

Still owns: Legal, Seller

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

Opportunity · 1

the champion can present without the seller

Felt by Prospect

Dissatisfied

Every internal meeting needs your calendar.

Satisfied

They can run the room with what you already left.

Delighted

The buying group decides while you are not there.

Avoid

A leave-behind only the seller can explain.

Mitigate

Write the internal talk track first.

Opportunity

Absence is how a real champion works.

Still owns: Seller

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

Seller-ops risk · 7

the new seller has never opened last year's notes

Felt by Seller

Dissatisfied

A new seller walks in cold and makes the prospect narrate.

Satisfied

The thread is open before the first meeting.

Delighted

The first meeting starts mid-conversation.

Avoid

A handover that is a calendar invite only.

Mitigate

Make last notes, last proof, and last promise required reading.

Opportunity

The company remembers so the seller does not have to.

Still owns: Seller, Sales ops

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

we have no idea who decides and influences the purchase

Felt by Seller, Sales ops

Dissatisfied

The forecast names a deal. Nobody can name who will sign or who will block.

Satisfied

Decide includes a map the manager can inspect.

Delighted

Monday's commit is only deals with a named path to yes.

Avoid

A colour on a row and a single contact.

Mitigate

No map, no commit — or the deal stays at risk.

Opportunity

Influence is pipeline hygiene.

Still owns: Seller, Sales ops

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

they cannot tell if a person is on the other side

Felt by Seller, Sales Development Representative

Dissatisfied

Commit includes a conversation that cannot sign.

Satisfied

A named person who can take a number into their group, or the deal stays out.

Delighted

Monday's forecast is only people who can say yes.

Avoid

A colour on a row with no human owner.

Mitigate

No person who can decide, no commit.

Opportunity

Decide is a person, not a thread.

Still owns: Seller, Sales ops

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

the forecast is a hope with no next step

Felt by Seller

Dissatisfied

Monday's number cannot be explained by Friday's calls.

Satisfied

Each open deal has a dated next step and an owner.

Delighted

The forecast meeting is short because the work is visible.

Avoid

A colour on a row and no conversation behind it.

Mitigate

No next step, no commit.

Opportunity

Progress is a date, not a colour.

Still owns: Sales ops, Seller

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

blank RFP

Felt by Tender manager

Dissatisfied

The response starts from an empty folder while the clock runs.

Satisfied

Proof, price, and claims are already findable.

Delighted

The tender manager files on time without inventing.

Avoid

A last-week scramble for case studies.

Mitigate

A library the response can reuse.

Opportunity

The RFP is assembly, not original thought.

Still owns: Tender manager

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

forgotten call notes

Still owns: Seller

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

The call notes are forgotten before the next meeting.

Still owns: Sales Development Representative, Seller

A named way

See the leak

04 · Onboard · 8 items

Onboard

How do they reach first value before enthusiasm fades?

Pain · 2

first value never arrives

Felt by Customer

Dissatisfied

The contract is signed. Nothing useful happens.

Satisfied

They hit one promised win before the enthusiasm fades.

Delighted

They can show that win to the person who paid.

Avoid

A kickoff that is only a welcome slide.

Mitigate

Name first value, the date, and who still owns it.

Opportunity

Onboard is a result, not a meeting.

Still owns: Success, Seller

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

nobody owns the next step

Felt by Customer

Dissatisfied

They asked how to start and heard a shared inbox.

Satisfied

A named person and a dated first action.

Delighted

They know who to ping without hunting.

Avoid

A portal with no owner.

Mitigate

One next step on the kickoff note.

Opportunity

The week after signature is still a sale.

Still owns: Success

A named way

Customer risk · 2

they invited the wrong people to kickoff

Felt by Customer

Dissatisfied

The room cannot do the work the deal assumed.

Satisfied

The people who will use it are in the first hour.

Delighted

Adoption starts in the room that showed up.

Avoid

A kickoff of sponsors only.

Mitigate

Seller and success agree the cast before the date.

Opportunity

The right chairs are a kickoff artefact.

Still owns: Success, Seller

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

the person who sold it is not the person who shows up

Felt by Customer

Dissatisfied

A stranger asks them to start again at kickoff.

Satisfied

Success arrives already knowing the promise.

Delighted

They barely notice the chair changed.

Avoid

A throw-over-the-wall from sell to care.

Mitigate

Handover is the last promise, the estate, and the first win.

Opportunity

The company is the relationship.

Still owns: Seller, Success

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

Opportunity · 1

a first win they can show their boss this month

Felt by Customer

Dissatisfied

They have a tool and no story for the person who signed.

Satisfied

One result they can forward internally.

Delighted

The champion looks right for having chosen you.

Avoid

A long programme with no early proof.

Mitigate

Design one visible win into the first weeks.

Opportunity

Internal proof is how onboard sticks.

Still owns: Success

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

Seller-ops risk · 3

success inherits a deal they cannot run

Felt by Success

Dissatisfied

The first customer call is a discovery call.

Satisfied

The pack has the promise, the estate, and the first win.

Delighted

Kickoff is a continuation.

Avoid

A CRM row and a smile.

Mitigate

Seller and success open the same handover before the date.

Opportunity

Care cannot invent the deal.

Still owns: Seller, Success

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

the kickoff date slips while enthusiasm dies

Felt by Success

Dissatisfied

Weeks pass. They stop answering.

Satisfied

A date held as tightly as the signature date.

Delighted

Energy is still there when work starts.

Avoid

A flexible kickoff that means never.

Mitigate

Book kickoff before the ink, then keep it.

Opportunity

Time-to-first-value is a dated job.

Still owns: Success, Seller

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

Tickets pile up and nobody takes over.

Still owns: Success, Support

A named way

See the leak

05 · Adopt · 5 items

Adopt

What keeps the product or service in weekly use?

Pain · 3

they start the relationship from scratch every year

Felt by Customer

Dissatisfied

A new name asks them to tell the story again.

Satisfied

The new seller arrives already knowing last year.

Delighted

They barely notice the chair changed.

Avoid

A territory reset with no account memory.

Mitigate

Notes, proof, and next step travel with the account, not the person.

Opportunity

The company is the relationship, not one seller.

Still owns: Seller, Success

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

nobody knows what is already installed, or where it sits in the lifecycle

Felt by Customer

Dissatisfied

They have to recap what they already run, and when it expires.

Satisfied

The seller can name the estate and where each piece sits.

Delighted

Care starts from what is actually running.

Avoid

A success motion that never opens the install list.

Mitigate

Keep install base, contract dates, and next lifecycle step on the account.

Opportunity

The year is easier when the estate is known.

Still owns: Seller, Success

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

ticket pile, no takeover

Felt by Customer

Dissatisfied

They wait, and nobody takes the ticket.

Satisfied

An answer or a clean escalation, consistent with policy.

Delighted

They feel heard before they regret opening the ticket.

Avoid

A pile with no owner and no takeover.

Mitigate

Resolve what you can, escalate cleanly, keep answers consistent.

Opportunity

Care after the yes is why they stay.

Still owns: Support

A named way

Customer risk · 2

nobody owns the relationship across the year

Felt by Customer

Dissatisfied

After kickoff, the account has no named person.

Satisfied

Someone is accountable between Q1 and renew.

Delighted

They know who to call without hunting.

Avoid

A success motion that is only a ticket queue.

Mitigate

Name the owner of the year, not only the deal.

Opportunity

Continuity is a chair, not a hope.

Still owns: Success, Seller

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

context dies when the seller leaves

Felt by Customer

Dissatisfied

When the seller leaves, last year's promises leave with them.

Satisfied

What was promised is written and still findable.

Delighted

The next person can finish the sentence.

Avoid

Account knowledge that lives only in one head.

Mitigate

Keep the thread on the account, not in a leaving seller's inbox.

Opportunity

They should not have to be the company's memory.

Still owns: Sales ops, Seller

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

06 · Expand · 13 items

Expand

When is it honest to offer more — and through which surface?

Pain · 2

they start the relationship from scratch every year

Felt by Customer

Dissatisfied

A new name asks them to tell the story again.

Satisfied

The new seller arrives already knowing last year.

Delighted

They barely notice the chair changed.

Avoid

A territory reset with no account memory.

Mitigate

Notes, proof, and next step travel with the account, not the person.

Opportunity

The company is the relationship, not one seller.

Still owns: Seller, Success

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

nobody knows what is already installed, or where it sits in the lifecycle

Felt by Customer

Dissatisfied

They have to recap what they already run, and when it expires.

Satisfied

The seller can name the estate and where each piece sits.

Delighted

The next conversation starts from what is actually running.

Avoid

An expand pitch that treats the account as a blank page.

Mitigate

Keep install base, contract dates, and next lifecycle step on the account.

Opportunity

Knowing the estate is how expand stays honest.

Still owns: Seller, Success

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

Customer risk · 4

they have to re-explain the account to a new person

Felt by Customer

Dissatisfied

January is a history lesson they did not ask to give.

Satisfied

The new seller already knows the last year.

Delighted

They only have to say what changed.

Avoid

A new seller who opens with “tell me about you”.

Mitigate

Brief the new seller before they book the first call.

Opportunity

The customer should not be the onboarding kit.

Still owns: Seller

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

the next seller does not know what was promised

Felt by Customer

Dissatisfied

They hear a new story that contradicts last year's yes.

Satisfied

The next seller can name the last promise.

Delighted

Expand starts from what was already true.

Avoid

A new plan that ignores the last contract.

Mitigate

Write the promise where the next seller will open it.

Opportunity

Trust survives a chair change.

Still owns: Seller, Success

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

they propose something the client already runs

Felt by Customer

Dissatisfied

The pitch names a product they have had for years.

Satisfied

The offer starts from what is live, then what is missing.

Delighted

They feel the seller did the homework.

Avoid

A catalogue walk-through with no estate check.

Mitigate

Open the install list before the first expand slide.

Opportunity

Not selling them what they already paid for.

Still owns: Seller

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

they miss the renewal or end-of-life window

Felt by Customer

Dissatisfied

The contract lapses, or a product dies, and nobody called.

Satisfied

Someone names the date before the date names them.

Delighted

The next step arrives while there is still time.

Avoid

Lifecycle dates that live only in finance.

Mitigate

A dated next step on every installed piece.

Opportunity

Timing is part of care, not a surprise invoice.

Still owns: Success, Seller

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

Opportunity · 2

they barely notice the chair changed

Felt by Customer

Dissatisfied

Every new seller is a reset.

Satisfied

The next conversation continues last year's.

Delighted

They feel one company, not a revolving door.

Avoid

Introducing a stranger as if it were a first meeting.

Mitigate

Hand over context before the customer meets the new name.

Opportunity

Continuity is the offer at expand.

Still owns: Seller, Success

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

expand from what is actually running

Felt by Customer

Dissatisfied

Every expand is a new first meeting.

Satisfied

The next offer sits next to the live estate.

Delighted

They recognise their own world in the proposal.

Avoid

A generic upsell deck.

Mitigate

Map the estate, then name one honest next piece.

Opportunity

The install base is the brief.

Still owns: Seller, Success

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

Seller-ops risk · 5

account knowledge lives in one seller's head

Felt by Seller

Dissatisfied

When that seller leaves, the account goes cold.

Satisfied

The thread is on the account, not only in one inbox.

Delighted

A new seller can brief themselves in an hour.

Avoid

Notes that never leave a personal folder.

Mitigate

Required fields: last promise, last proof, next step.

Opportunity

The company remembers so the chair can change.

Still owns: Sales ops, Seller

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

handover between two sellers is a slide dump

Felt by Seller

Dissatisfied

The new seller inherits a deck and no thread.

Satisfied

Handover is the last conversation, the last promise, and who still owns what.

Delighted

The first customer call is a continuation.

Avoid

A folder of slides with no owner.

Mitigate

A short handover the new seller must use before they book.

Opportunity

Handover is a job, not a courtesy.

Still owns: Sales ops, Seller

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

the estate lives in a spreadsheet nobody trusts

Felt by Seller

Dissatisfied

Three lists, three versions, none current.

Satisfied

One estate record the seller and success both open.

Delighted

A new seller can brief the estate in an hour.

Avoid

A personal tracker that never reaches the account.

Mitigate

Required fields: what is in, when it ends, what is next.

Opportunity

The company knows the estate so the chair can change.

Still owns: Sales ops, Success

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

forgotten call notes

Still owns: Seller

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

The call notes are forgotten before the next meeting.

Still owns: Sales Development Representative, Seller

A named way

See the leak

07 · Advocate · 6 items

Advocate

Where can a happy customer say something true in public?

Pain · 1

they are asked for a review before they felt value

Felt by Customer

Dissatisfied

The ask arrives while they are still waiting for the first win.

Satisfied

The ask comes after a result they recognise.

Delighted

They write it because it is true, not because they were nudged.

Avoid

A logo request in week two.

Mitigate

Ask after a named win, not after a kickoff.

Opportunity

A review is a gift, not a KPI raid.

Still owns: Success

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

Customer risk · 1

they would recommend you and have no place to do it

Felt by Customer

Dissatisfied

They tell a colleague in a corridor and it dies there.

Satisfied

A short, honest door when they are ready.

Delighted

A peer finds you through their sentence.

Avoid

Hiding the ask until a campaign.

Mitigate

One place to say something true, in their words.

Opportunity

Advocacy is a door, not a drip.

Still owns: Success, Marketer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

Opportunity · 2

a true sentence they can say in their own name

Felt by Customer

Dissatisfied

The only public line is a slogan they would not sign.

Satisfied

They can post or send a sentence that is theirs.

Delighted

A peer quotes them, not you.

Avoid

A drafted testimonial they must water down.

Mitigate

Offer a prompt, not a paragraph to approve.

Opportunity

Their words travel further than yours.

Still owns: Success, Content writer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

they bring a peer without being asked

Felt by Customer

Dissatisfied

Every introduction has to be extracted.

Satisfied

They open a door because the work earned it.

Delighted

A new buying group arrives already warm.

Avoid

A referral scheme that feels like a bounty.

Mitigate

Make introducing a peer easy and un-salesy.

Opportunity

The quiet pipeline is a customer who is proud.

Still owns: Seller, Success

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

Seller-ops risk · 2

success nags for a logo while the account is still fragile

Felt by Success

Dissatisfied

The relationship cools because the only ask is publicity.

Satisfied

The ask waits on health and a real win.

Delighted

They offer the logo themselves.

Avoid

A quarterly hunt for case studies.

Mitigate

A simple ready-check: value felt, then ask.

Opportunity

Advocacy is a lagging sign of care.

Still owns: Success

A named way

No named way on this item yet.

the only public proof is anonymous

Felt by Marketer

Dissatisfied

A wall of marks with no story a peer can use.

Satisfied

One named sentence, in a situation like theirs.

Delighted

The next visitor can quote a person.

Avoid

Collecting logos with no permission to be specific.

Mitigate

Write the proof you are allowed to say out loud.

Opportunity

Named proof is an advocate artefact.

Still owns: Success, Marketer

A named way

No named way on this item yet.