Hand sales over to delivery
Turn an agreed proposal into a handoff brief that the delivery owner checks and accepts before work starts.
The result
Projects start with agreed scope, owners and open questions in view, rather than surprises in week two.
Why it may matter
When promises live in someone's memory or a sales email, delivery discovers them late. A short accepted brief protects the client relationship and the team's time.
Done when
The next project starts with a handoff brief accepted and dated by the delivery owner, with open questions listed.
A suggestion. Set your own finish line.You will leave with an accepted delivery handoff brief
This is what you produce. The result at the top of the page is what it is for. These fields carry into the next guides:
- Project ID
projectId - Scope source and version
scopeReference - Delivery owner
deliveryOwner - Milestones and dates
milestones - Acceptance criteria
acceptanceCriteria - Payment trigger references
paymentTriggers(optional)
Before you start
Bring:
- The agreed proposal or order
- Approved commitments from sales
- Client contact details and access needs
Tools: A chat AI tool that accepts pasted text or documents. No named products are recommended here; tools you already use are often enough. If you need to look further, see Useful external links.
Steps
Identify the source of truth
No AI neededChoosing which document counts is a business decision.You decideName the agreed document and its version.Output: Scope reference
Extract scope and commitments
AI can helpPulls objectives, deliverables, dates and responsibilities from the authorised documents and cites the section for each.You decideCheck every extracted line against the source.Output: Draft brief
Flag missing or contradictory facts
AI can helpMarks gaps and contradictions. It does not resolve them.You decideDecide what needs confirming with the client.Output: Open questions
Assign the delivery owner
No AI neededThis step is for people.You decideName one owner who confirms they have capacity.Output: Named owner
Confirm readiness and accept
AI can helpCan check that every required field is filled.You decideThe delivery owner accepts the brief, or sends it back with reasons.Output: Accepted brief
Schedule the kickoff
AI can helpDrafts a kickoff agenda from the accepted brief.You decideAgree the agenda and the date with the client.Output: Kickoff booked
Prompt to copy
Paste it into the AI tool you use, replace the parts in square brackets, and read the result before you use any of it.
Turn [approved proposal and authorised notes] into a delivery handoff. Use only supplied facts. Include objectives, deliverables, exclusions, acceptance criteria, dates, responsibilities, dependencies, payment trigger references and unresolved questions. Cite the supplied section supporting each commitment. Mark contradictions or missing terms. Do not resolve a contract ambiguity yourself or invent an agreement.
Template: Delivery handoff brief
| Field | Detail | Source section |
|---|---|---|
| Project ID | ||
| Customer | ||
| Scope source and version | ||
| Intended outcome | ||
| Deliverables | ||
| Not included | ||
| Promised dates | ||
| Acceptance criteria | ||
| Client inputs and access | ||
| Delivery owner | ||
| Risks | ||
| Payment trigger references | ||
| Open questions |
Accepted by: ______ Date: ______
Check before you use it
If any of these fail, the output is still a draft.
- No promise becomes an obligation unless it is in the agreed source.
- Every commitment in the brief cites a source section.
- The delivery owner has confirmed capacity.
- Open questions stay visible until they are answered.
Common mistakes
- Forwarding the sales email and calling it a handoff.
- Letting an AI tool "tidy up" ambiguous terms into firm commitments.
- Starting work before the brief is accepted.
Working alone
Complete the brief before you switch from selling to delivering. It is a note from your sales self to your delivery self.
Working as a team
Hold a short review between sales and delivery. The delivery owner accepts or returns the brief.
Where this guide stops
This brief records what was agreed. It does not interpret contract law. If the agreement is ambiguous or disputed, resolve it with the client, and take contractual questions to a qualified adviser. An AI tool must not decide what a contract means.
Data care
- Only share proposals and client documents with an AI tool your organisation has approved for client data.
Stop and rethink if
- Stop and go back to the client if the brief exposes a disagreement about scope.
Measure it: incomplete starts
Projects that started with missing scope, access or ownership information, out of all projects started in the period.
Baseline first. Look back at your last five projects and count how many hit one of these gaps in the first two weeks.
Use this next
Plan your next step
A short worksheet: result, why it matters to you, baseline, finish line, first action, owner, review date, AI role and human check. Suggestions from this guide are included to get you started.
Help improve this draft
This guide is part of the pilot. Tell us what was useful, what was unclear and what is missing. Your feedback shapes the next version.
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Want help adapting this to your business?
A conversation can help when the guide shows a bigger problem than one template can solve.