Handoff Builder

Handoff Builder

Create seamless transitions between GTM functions. The handoff between sales and CS is where most customer relationships break — the customer repeats everything they already told sales, expectations get lost, and trust erodes. This skill prevents that.

The Handoff Problem

Every GTM handoff is a moment of risk:

• SDR → AE: Context about the prospect's pain and urgency gets lost
• AE → SE: Technical requirements aren't fully communicated
• Sales → CS: Customer expectations don't match what was sold
• Sales → Implementation: Scope and timeline assumptions differ
• CS → Sales: Expansion opportunities don't get pursued

Bad handoffs cost deals, create churn, and destroy cross-functional trust.

Handoff Types

1. SDR → AE Handoff

# Lead Handoff: [Company Name]

**SDR:** [Name] | **AE:** [Name] | **Date:** [Date]

## Prospect Summary
| Field | Detail |
|-------|--------|
| Company | [Name, size, industry] |
| Contact | [Name, title, email, phone] |
| Source | [How they came in — inbound, outbound, event, referral] |

## Why They Took the Meeting
[What pain or interest did they express? Use their words.]

## Qualification Notes
| Criterion | What We Know |
|-----------|-------------|
| Pain | [Specific problem they mentioned] |
| Budget | [Any signal — allocated, looking for budget, unknown] |
| Authority | [Is this the decision-maker? Who else is involved?] |
| Timeline | [Any urgency driver or target date?] |

## Conversation History
[Summary of all touchpoints — emails, calls, content engagement]

## Suggested Approach for First Call
[Based on what the SDR learned, what should the AE focus on?]

## Red Flags
[Anything concerning — competitor already in play, low urgency, tire-kicking signals]

2. Sales → CS Handoff

# Customer Handoff: [Company Name]

**AE:** [Name] | **CSM:** [Name] | **Date:** [Date]
**Deal Size:** $[amount] | **Contract Start:** [Date] | **Term:** [Duration]

## Customer Overview
| Field | Detail |
|-------|--------|
| Company | [Name, size, industry, HQ] |
| Primary Contact | [Name, title, email] |
| Executive Sponsor | [Name, title] |
| Technical Lead | [Name, title] |

## What They Bought and Why
[Clear description of: what was sold, which use cases they're deploying for, and the business problem they're solving. Don't just list SKUs — explain the intent.]

## Customer Expectations
[What did the customer explicitly say they expect to achieve? Use their words. This is the most important section — it's the promise CS needs to deliver on.]

### Success Criteria (Agreed with Customer)
1. [Specific, measurable outcome they expect]
2. [Second outcome]
3. [Third outcome]

### Timeline Expectations
| Milestone | Customer's Expected Date |
|-----------|------------------------|
| Go-live / first value | [Date] |
| Full rollout | [Date] |
| First business review | [Date] |

## Sales Cycle Context

### Key Decisions and Why
[What were the pivotal moments in the sale? What almost killed the deal? What won it?]

### Competitors Evaluated
[Who else they looked at and why they chose you — this helps CS reinforce the decision]

### Concerns Raised During Sales
[Any objections, hesitations, or risks the customer expressed. CS needs to know these so they don't resurface as churn risk.]

### Internal Champion
[Who advocated for you internally? CS should nurture this relationship.]

### Potential Blocker
[Anyone who was skeptical or opposed? CS should be aware.]

## Technical Context
| Item | Detail |
|------|--------|
| Integration requirements | [What needs to connect] |
| Data migration | [Scope of migration] |
| Technical constraints | [Known limitations or requirements] |
| Security/compliance | [Any special requirements] |

## Expansion Opportunity
[What wasn't included in this deal but could be a future upsell? What signals to watch for.]

## Risk Flags
| Risk | Severity | Mitigation |
|------|----------|------------|
| [Risk] | 🔴🟡🟢 | [What CS should do] |

## Attachments / References
- [Link to proposal]
- [Link to SOW]
- [Link to call recordings]
- [Link to CRM opportunity]

3. AE → SE Handoff

Brief but precise — what the SE needs to prep a demo or POC.

4. Sales → Implementation Handoff

Scope, timeline, technical requirements, customer expectations, and known risks.

Handoff Quality Score

Every handoff gets scored on completeness:

Overall: [X/100] — handoffs below 70 get flagged for additional information.

Related Skills

• deal-qualification → Qualification data feeds directly into handoff context
• proposal-builder → Proposal content referenced in handoff
• expansion-playbook → Expansion opportunities identified during handoff
• gtm-memory → Handoff context stored for future reference

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