Want to Deliver a Record-Breaking Year? Get Other Departments on Board

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During Q4, we’ve shared advice for building a better business plan for next year. But even the most visionary leader with the most complete plan can’t accomplish their goals without internal partnerships. In sales organizations, we rely heavily on other departments like accounting, HR, legal, and IT to get our work done, close deals quickly, and deliver.

So I think it’s worth taking the time to intentionally plan and develop those internal partnerships now, before the new year begins.

Making a successful business plan is all about setting clear expectations and getting everyone on board. Here’s how to include other departments in your planning (and executing!) process so that everyone wins.


Know Who You Need

First, consider the scenarios that typically require getting help, input, or time from another department.

Let’s say you’re counting on a big deal to hit your quota.

Ask yourself:

  • Will there be any red-lines?

  • Will you need any technical resources?

  • Will an external partner be involved?

  • Will your customer need a temporary credit bump to get the deal in?

  • Will your order processing team be able to process an order by year end?

  • Will you need any approvals for non standard requests? 

If the answer to any of these questions is Yes, it’s essential that your legal department, tech support team, operations leader, etc. each know you’re depending on them! You’ll also need to know if they have the capacity and approvals to get the deal done in the timeframe you need.

Make Your Handshakes Now

You should have a clear communication plan to disseminate information, but you also need what I think of as “handshakes.” Talk to your counterparts in other departments and make agreements about who will do what and when.

Think about your priorities and challenges and the other person’s situation. For example, if I know that legal is usually backed up the last 2 weeks of a quarter, then they might need me to bring them my special requests earlier, more like a month before the quarter ends.

This sounds simple, but it's often overlooked. I’ve seen each of the scenarios below play out badly. Each of them could have been prevented by regular checkpoints with clear communication and shared expectations.

  • Sales expects the legal team to get the contract signed, but legal is backed up.  

    • BUT if sales kept legal informed throughout the sales cycle, they could have worked on a mutually agreeable timeline.

  • Sales expects tech support to step in, but all the tech resources are committed.

    • BUT, if sales had a regular cadence with tech support, a resource plan could have been mapped out well in advance.

  • Sales expects partners to step in, but the partner doesn’t have enough resources (e.g., credit, legal bandwidth, or technical bench) to close the deal this quarter. 

    • BUT, if sales had a standing pipeline and deal review process, both teams would have had a clear set of roles and responsibilities, and there would have been no surprises.

  • Sales expects special pricing, terms, financing, or credit to process or close a deal, but the internal team doesn’t have capacity, capability, or authority to accommodate 

    • BUT, if there were regular checkpoints, resources could have been allocated and approvals requested with enough advance notice to meet non-standard terms.

Transform Your Organization

Regular communication between departments drives alignment, role clarity, and positive outcomes for customers. Other benefits include:

  • Uncover any potential issues well ahead of time. Flag those issues early enough to roll out contingency plans and allocate resources differently. 

  • Eliminate finger pointing and disappointment (or worse).  When all parties agree to milestones / timelines, it’s clear who does what , when

  • Demonstrate mutual empathy. You don’t want to be the person known for doling out  one-sided demands. Instead, recognize that both parties have obligations, deadlines, and their own priorities.

If you’re already communicating with the partners and departments you need to rely on, then congratulations! If not, you can start any time. When you’re making your business plan for next year, remember to:

  • Share your strategy with all dependent departments and stakeholders

  • Ask for their support. What will you need from other departments? Ask for their feedback, concerns, and adjustments when you ask for their support. 

  • Set up a regular review process to review milestones — both leading and lagging indicators.

  • Celebrate successes. Support groups should feel like part of the “win”. A note of thanks to them and the support team boss will be highly appreciated.

A successful year always feels sweeter when it’s accomplished as a team.