In this day and age, everything seems to be interconnected. Sales leaders need to talk to the customers, customers talk to the customer service, and those speak to the management to further any complaints and make everything better. The sales cycle, or really – any cycle, is a network of interconnected individuals and groups who need to work together to assign responsibilities to get desired outcomes. 

In this article, we will go over how to make the multiple stakeholders work on the same page with competing priorities and success criteria. This communication tool is called an effective Mutual Action Plan. It guarantees laser focus on the deal's critical elements, creates urgency for prospect engagement, and can help you see due dates more clearly for all the individuals involved.

So, whether you are in the selling team, buying team, or any team, this kind of document will help you in your day-to-day work. Additionally, it can help the critical stakeholders be up to date with all the different elements of the sales cycles. It’s a project plan so that many other parties can work together effectively. Let’s dive into some details on the topic!

The mutual action plan is sometimes called a mutual plan of action or MAP. In the simplest of explanations, it’s a strategy that aims to create a collaborative effort between at least two parties (individuals and groups) to create a joint execution plan. 

For example, if your sales team is having problems explaining the buying process to the customers, you can match them with the IT department or graphics designers so that they can explain the whole sales process better. The most important thing is to keep everyone on the same page and keep the decision-makers informed.

Those plans are usually used in business and project management. They typically help to keep everyone, the sales teams, IT, management, and all the other parties involved on the same page. It can be a formal explanation of the purchase process, as we have mentioned before, or something relatively informal that could help communicate more effectively. Whatever the choice may be, if you want to close deals, create a compelling event, or just make the prospective customer happy – mutual action plans are a great way of going about it.

But before we delve into the fantastic world of mutual action plans, let’s first look at the software we will use for this project. In this case, we will encounter many situations with different potentials. Mutual action plans tend to get a bit complicated. So, to run a successful business, you must have a reliable tool that will help you in most circumstances. In this case, we recommend using Microsoft Office as the leading software brand in the world. 

With the robust Office-suit programs, you can create a comprehensive mutual success plan, track progress, identify typical buying group, and get all the key dates in one place. With a great program, your business goals will be achieved in no time, and you will be able to ensure customer success. So, to create successful mutual action plans, you should check Microsoft’s package. It has everything you need to run your business, from PowerPoint presentations Microsoft Word documents, and Excel spreadsheets. Unlike many other companies, Microsoft ensures ongoing updates of your system with support for older versions.

Furthermore, it’s not prohibitively expensive anymore! You can get a Microsoft Office Key for just a few dollars at Royal CD Keys. And, considering that it’s a lifetime subscription, you can utilize those tools for various purposes, whether for business or personal use. Additionally, utilizing templates effectively will enable you to further enhance the potential of this package and thus enhance your productivity. Speaking of templates, let’s deliver some examples best suited for your successful mutual action plan.

Mutual Action Plan Template #1

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Our first free template is something that every sales rep probably knows and recognizes. It states all the tasks, positions, milestones, and owners of certain project parts. But it’s not only great for sales reps who aim mainly to make the deal happen. Multiple different institutions can benefit from this kind of commitment to details. Seeing the status of every task can help better understand the risks and expectations of each party, and detailed timelines can increase the visibility of where the project can be completed. 

Whether you want to ensure a better buying experience, deliver some incredible product, or make the joint effort more effective, this template can do that and much more!

Mutual Action Plan Template #2

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The second template on our list is something more simplistic when it comes to visuals but much more advanced when it comes to the evaluation of each detail. Suppose you want to create a process with no loose ends. This is the way to go if you want to achieve the impossible. To ensure an excellent outcome and get every objective done, the best way is to ensure that you know exactly what is going on every step of the way. And this template will help you in those processes for sure. It may not solve all the problems in your company, but it can significantly benefit all stakeholders.

So, if you want your prospects to rise, you should introduce this concept into your organization. It will help you plan your objectives, give you hope for the future, and help people understand what they are responsible for in real time. 

Mutual Action Plan Template #3

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And finally, we have a bit of a twist of both templates before – an action plan that is also detailed and visually pleasing. With this one, you can keep all the project stages in one place, manage the deadlines, and start working on your company's productivity. If you get the right people working together with this mutual action plan map, you can be sure that you will be able to accomplish the task at hand.

Of course, it’s not for everyone, as some companies may not need so much detailed information on resources and the idea's implementation. But there are plenty of changes to be made to each of those templates so that you can customize it to your needs. We encourage making those your own in summary; it’s better.

So, now that we know all there is about mutual action plans, how you can benefit from creating one, and how to use a mutual action plan to close deals faster and more effectively, let’s go over the benefits that can come from including such a document in your company.

The potential for growth with this plan is massive, as getting all the people from different agencies working together on the same spreadsheet can do wonders. Let’s go over some of the key benefits of such a plan!

Clarity

First and foremost – clarity is what makes those mutual plans go. With this kind of plan, you can present a roadmap for everyone, with complete and clear action items, objectives, tasks, and whatever you need to implement in your project. It will potentially reduce any conflicts that could happen and help you find the best way of moving forward.

Efficiency

The second significant element of those kind of plans is the efficiency. It can help you hit all the targets in a month and make all the parties involved understand their tasks and the dependencies between different teams. Additionally, they will be able to know all the whos and whats when it comes to potential problems.

Accountability

Another great thing about this particular template is the accountability aspect. You can hold every stakeholder accountable for what they did or did not do in a company based on their place in the mutual action plan. You will also be able to see the timelines, contributions, and responsibilities in the grand scheme of things so that everyone will know what is demanded of them.

Communication

Another significant element of mutual action plans is the communication aspect. With this kind of spreadsheet, you will be able to talk to each other more effectively, see how you can make each other’s work more accessible, and overall – better understand each other’s tasks. Different parties within the system often don’t even know about each other’s existence; hence – there is a feeling: “No one does anything but me.” Unfortunately, it can be perceived like that, but with this kind of communication aid, you will be able to solve that in minutes.

Collaboration

Speaking of working together, another significant aspect of mutual action plans is collaboration. With everything written down, you will be able to see who you can work with on which project and how to maximize the effectiveness of your actions. Of course, that does not mean you will be able to just offload your problems onto other stakeholders, but work with them closely and gain the ability to ask the right questions to the right people.

Risk Mitigation

Another big aspect of a mutual action plan is that it can help you greatly in risk mitigation. If done correctly, it can help you identify potential issues and risks before they appear and work proactively to deal with them. With this ability, you will be able to reduce their impact or even avoid them whatsoever. Everything can be seen clearly on the roadmap, so you can break it down if you need to establish the timeline of potential problems or assess the value of a proposed solution.

Conflict Resolution

Additionally, with the right mutual action plan, you will be able to resolve all the conflicts and problems in a matter of seconds. The plan will be a guiding principle on what should be done, who should do it, and how. If done correctly, you can just point to the plan and resolve all the disputes by presenting the information at hand.

So, now that we know what we are dealing with, what are the benefits of even thinking about this as a potential solution to our problems, and what kind of software to use, it’s time to go over some of the key elements to include in your mutual action plan.

Of course, those are just a few of the most common ones, as you may need to modify them according to your needs. Nevertheless, we are positive that at least the proposed boilerplate will find its way into your spreadsheet. With that in mind, let’s review some key elements to include in your mutual action plan.

Goals and Objectives

As you may imagine, stating the practical goal of your goal is key to running a successful business. It’s the same with creating the right action plan. Without it, people will not be able to understand what they are working for and the end goal, and they will never be able to state whether they accomplished it.

Scope of the Project

Another big thing to keep in mind is the scope of the project. You must clearly plan what you are trying to accomplish and avoid all the distractions. If the plan is too broad, you will never have the sense of accomplishment that is so important in the office environment. On the other hand, if you have a goal that is too thin, the whole “creating an action plan” may be a bit overkill.

Timeline

But, what will not be an overkill is the timeline. An essential element of every mutual action plan is that everyone can check deadlines and their responsibilities in relation to the whole team. It’s one of the most important elements, also due to the whole dependencies factor that can change the outlook of the whole project.

Tasks

Another big thing is to clearly state all the tasks of all the stakeholders involved in the process. It may not be easy to present it in a precise and concise manner, but if done correctly, it can bring great benefits to the whole team and can help the stakeholders to better understand what they can expect from the project and each other.

Dependencies

Another big element to keep in mind is the dependencies factor. If you identify those correctly, you will quickly be able to stop all the potential issues at bay. You need to carefully check this stat out, as it may be an issue for all involved if task B gets done before task A. And, trust us, it will cause a lot of problems that could easily be avoided.

Resource Allocation

Be sure to add all the resources that will be needed with their precise allocation proposition. It may not feel like a lot, but it can change completely the performance of the project. Sometimes, you just need to change things around in order to make everything work smoothly and without any issues. 

Key Performance Indicators

And yes, our favorite KPIs can also find a way into the spreadsheet, especially because you actually need a tool to find out if you are doing a good job or not. You need to be able to assess the progress if you would even start to think about getting everything done efficiently. Without it, the whole thing could be a neverending story that will never be fulfilled.

Risk Assessment

It’s an optional one, but it can give you a lot of potential. If done correctly, you will be able to see all the potential issues that can come from teams not working together effectively and getting into each other spaces. We recommend including this in your plan, as you can benefit greatly from implementing those practices in your corporate life. Risk assessment is key to lowering layoffs and potential issues within the company.

And that is it for today! We hope that this explanation will help you in creating your very own Mutual action plan. Of course, there are a lot more things to say about this particular concept, but we feel like this peek into the world of optimizing your workflow is a great introduction to the idea.

As we have stated before, a well-drafted mutual action plan can not only help you in better communication or working with each other more closely, but it can also enable you to avoid potential risks, see all the troubles from far ahead, and even create a sense of community between different teams. 

That can help in optimizing the efficiency of your teammates and the overall potential of what you are trying to achieve. Additionally, it’s great for risk management and conflict avoidance, as you will be able to clearly see what is coming, assess how problematic it can be for the company, and swiftly react to any potential roadblocks on the way.

Thanks so much for checking out our article on the topic of mutual action plans. As always, we invite you to our wide library of articles on our site. We have a lot of those on topics like gaming, office, or software, so we are sure that you will find something for yourself. If you have any questions, feel free to let us know. We will be more than happy to help you out in your endeavors. That’s it for today; stay safe, and we will see you in the next one!