Why Your Sales Process Should Be Built With Your Delivery Team in Mind
Because what happens after the sale is just as important as closing it.
Most businesses treat sales and delivery as two separate phases, run by two separate teams, with two very different priorities.
Sales wants to move fast and close deals. Delivery wants to do it right and meet expectations. But when these functions operate in silos, things break, fast.
Handoffs get messy. Teams are blindsided. Clients feel it. And suddenly, your brand promise is at risk before the work even begins. The most effective sales processes are the ones designed with delivery in mind. Here’s why that alignment matters, and how to start building it.
The Problem: A Sales Process That Creates Work Instead of Reducing It
Sales teams often focus on getting the “yes”, but without a system that sets up delivery for success, that yes can create chaos:
Vague or misaligned scopes
Promises that can’t be fulfilled
Poor or inconsistent handoffs
A delivery team forced to “figure it out on the fly”
This results in:
Client frustration
Burned-out project teams
Reduced profit margins
Internal tension between departments
Sound familiar?
The Solution: Build Your Sales Process With Delivery, Not Before It
When your sales and delivery teams are aligned from the start, you create:
Smoother handoffs
Clearer expectations
Better client experiences
More profitable, repeatable work
But this doesn’t happen by accident. It takes intentional collaboration, shared ownership, and process design that respects both ends of the customer journey.
5 Ways to Build a Sales Process That Sets Delivery Up for Success
1. Co-Create the Scope
Bring delivery into the scoping conversation, early.
They’ll spot red flags, suggest realistic timelines, and help structure proposals that match your actual capacity.
2. Standardize the Handoff
Design a repeatable process for what happens when a deal closes:
What documentation must be completed?
What internal kickoff steps are required?
Who owns what in the transition?
3. Define What a “Closed Deal” Really Means
It’s not just a signed contract. It’s a fully prepared project, clear expectations, assets, timelines, and stakeholder alignment. Get everyone to agree on the definition.
4. Create Shared KPIs
Sales shouldn’t just be measured on closed deals. Delivery shouldn’t only be judged on execution. Create shared metrics around:
Client satisfaction
Scope accuracy
Project profitability
On-time delivery
5. Close the Feedback Loop
Have regular check-ins between sales and delivery teams to review what’s working, and what’s not. Use that feedback to improve proposals, pricing, expectations, and internal communication.
Final Thought: Sales Is the Start of Delivery, Not the End of the Deal
Your sales process doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s the beginning of the client experience, and it either sets delivery up for success or leaves them cleaning up the mess.
When you design sales with delivery in mind, you win more than deals. You win loyalty, repeat business, and a team that can scale together.
Need Help Aligning Sales and Delivery?
At Sonnett and Company, we help businesses build integrated sales-to-ops processes that drive clarity, consistency, and performance—on both sides of the handoff. Let’s connect and make your sales process work for the whole business.