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.

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How It Works

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    HANDOFF BUILDER                                │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  HANDOFF TYPES                                                   │
│  1. SDR → AE — Lead context and qualification notes              │
│  2. Sales → CS — Full deal context and customer expectations     │
│  3. AE → SE — Technical requirements for demo/POC               │
│  4. Sales → Implementation — Scope, timeline, requirements       │
│  5. CS → Sales — Expansion signals and customer context          │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  SUPERCHARGED (when you connect your tools)                      │
│  + ~~CRM: Full deal data, contacts, company, and notes           │
│  + ~~CRM: Deal timeline and stage progression history            │
│  + ~~CRM: Associated contacts with roles and titles              │
│  + ~~conversation intelligence (Gong): Key call transcripts      │
│  + ~~conversation intelligence (Gong): Discovery insights        │
│  + ~~conversation intelligence (Gong): Objections raised         │
│  + ~~data enrichment (ZoomInfo): Company and contact profiles    │
│  + ~~data enrichment (LinkedIn): Stakeholder backgrounds         │
│  + ~~chat: Internal deal discussions and context                 │
│  + ~~calendar/email: Meeting history and correspondence          │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

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Execution Flow

Step 0: Automatic Data Pull (Before Asking the User Anything)

CRITICAL: Before asking for deal context, auto-populate the handoff from connected tools. A data-rich handoff is dramatically better than a form the rep fills out from memory.

CRM Data Pull

Check if you have access to CRM tools (look for tools containing search_crm_objects, get_crm_objects, or similar).

If CRM tools ARE available:

1. Find the deal. Search deals for the company/deal name the user mentioned.
   • Properties: dealname, amount, dealstage, closedate, createdate, pipeline, hubspot_owner_id, dealtype, description, closed_won_reason, notes_last_contacted, num_notes
2. Pull ALL contacts. Get every contact associated with the deal.
   • Properties: firstname, lastname, jobtitle, email, phone, company, lifecyclestage
   • Map roles: champion, economic buyer, technical lead, executive sponsor, potential blocker
3. Pull company. Get full company profile.
   • Properties: name, domain, industry, numberofemployees, annualrevenue, description, about_us, founded_year, country
4. Pull deal timeline. Calculate days from createdate to closedate, note stage progression.
5. Check for other deals. Search for any additional deals with this company (prior products, expansions).

Gong Data Pull

Check if you have access to Gong tools (look for tools prefixed with gong_).

If Gong tools ARE available:

1. Find all calls for this deal. Use gong_search_calls with the company name and deal date range.
2. Pull key transcripts. Use gong_get_transcript on:
   • Discovery call → customer's stated pain and goals (in their words)
   • Demo/presentation → features shown and reactions
   • Negotiation call → concerns raised, objections handled, commitments made
3. Extract for the handoff:
   • Customer's own words about expectations and success criteria
   • Objections raised and how they were resolved
   • Competitor mentions and why the customer chose you
   • Technical requirements discussed
   • Timeline commitments made
4. Pull call analytics. Use gong_get_call_details for topic coverage across the deal.

Sales Intelligence Data Pull

ZoomInfo (if available):

1. Get company profile. Use zoominfo_search_company for the customer company.
   • Company context, tech stack, org structure → feeds technical and stakeholder sections
2. Get org chart. Use zoominfo_get_org_chart for the customer.
   • Reporting relationships → helps CS identify additional stakeholders

LinkedIn (if available):

1. Get stakeholder profiles. Use linkedin_get_profile for key contacts.
   • Background, tenure, career path → helps CS build relationships

Chat Data Pull

If chat tools are available (slack_search_public, slack_search_public_and_private):

1. Search for the deal/company name in sales and deal-room channels
2. Surface: internal discussions about risks, competitive dynamics, pricing decisions, special terms
3. Look for any commitments made informally that should be documented

Calendar/Email Data Pull

If calendar/email tools are available:

1. Search for the meeting history with the customer — complete engagement timeline
2. Check for materials exchanged (SOWs, proposals, technical docs)
3. Pull any follow-up commitments or action items from recent correspondence

Present What You Found

"I auto-populated the handoff for [Company]: $[X] deal closed [date]. Per CRM, [N] contacts mapped across [roles]. Per Gong, I pulled transcripts from [N] calls — customer's key expectations: [summary]. [If ZoomInfo:] Company profile and org chart loaded. [If Slack:] Found [N] relevant internal discussions. The handoff document is [X]% pre-filled — just need your qualitative input on a few sections..."

Step 1: Gather Remaining Context

After the auto-pull, ask ONLY for what the tools couldn't provide:

• Handoff type — SDR→AE, Sales→CS, AE→SE, or Sales→Implementation?
• Receiving person — Who's taking ownership?
• Qualitative context — Political dynamics, informal commitments, relationship nuances
• Known risks — Things that could go wrong that aren't in the data

Step 2: Generate the Handoff Document

Build using ALL evidence. Pre-fill every section possible from tool data. Cite sources: "Per CRM:", "Per Gong (discovery call):", "Per ZoomInfo:", "Per Slack:", "Per Email:". Flag any sections where data is missing and user input is needed.

Step 3: Score and Store

• Score the handoff on completeness (target: 80%+ from tool data alone)
• Store handoff context in memory/deal-patterns.md
• Log in memory/changelog.md

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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.

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Handoff Quality Score

Every handoff gets scored on completeness:

Section	Weight	Score
Customer context	20%	[Complete / Partial / Missing]
Expectations & success criteria	25%	[Score]
Risk flags	15%	[Score]
Technical requirements	15%	[Score]
Relationship context	15%	[Score]
Action items	10%	[Score]

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

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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