Close plan

What is a close plan?

A close plan is a dated list of the steps buyer and seller must complete to sign, agreed with the buyer. It names who does what by when on both sides, through evaluation, approvals and contract. It works because the buyer helped write it, so the dates come from the buyer's own process and approval calendar.

Why it matters to a revenue leader

Buying is messy. Gartner describes B2B buyers looping back through buying jobs such as requirements building, validation and consensus creation, and a close plan gives both sides a shared view of where they are. For a revenue leader, a close plan the buyer has agreed to is some of the best evidence that a forecast date is real. Without one, a close date reflects the seller's hope more than the buyer's process. In commercial services, the plan also lines up contract start with crew capacity and the client's budget year.

A fire protection seller and a property management firm agree on a close plan for a 40-building inspection agreement. It shows a site sample by May 15, a pricing review with the regional director by May 30, legal review by June 14 and signature by June 28. When legal review slips a week, both sides see the effect on the start date and agree on a new one.