Many margin problems start before the work begins. A seller makes a reasonable promise to close a deal, the delivery team never hears about it, and the first time it surfaces is in a tense client meeting three months later.
Hold the handoff before the signature
The most effective handoff happens while the deal is still in negotiation, not after it closes. Spend 30 minutes with the seller and whoever will lead delivery. Cover three questions:
- What does the client believe they are buying?
- What does success look like to them, in their words?
- Was anything promised that isn't in the written scope?
If delivery can't stand behind the answers, fix the proposal before it is signed.
Document it in one page
Capture the answers in a short handoff brief that travels with the account: key contacts, decision history, success criteria, risks, and commitments. New team members should be able to read it in five minutes and understand the client.
Measure sold versus delivered
Track the difference between the margin you sold and the margin you delivered, deal by deal. When the gap is consistent, you will find a pattern, usually in how certain offerings are scoped or how certain sellers set expectations. That pattern is where the fix lives.
We start by understanding where revenue is stuck, then scope the work to fit.
