Sales · 15 min

Draft a mutual action plan the customer will actually use

Word or Copilot Chat

Short answer: Give Copilot the customer's target date, the steps both sides need (security review, legal, budget approval, kickoff) and who owns each. Ask for a plan that works backward from the go-live date, with owners on both sides and dependencies. Then review it with the customer, because it only works if they agree to it.

Last checked against Microsoft docs: Oct 21, 2026

Deals rarely die from a no. They die from a slow maybe. A mutual action plan puts both sides' steps on one page with dates, so everyone can see when something slips. Sellers who run deals this way look like partners, and they forecast better too.

A common situation (composite)

They want to go live in March.
Nobody has started the security review.
I only find out about legal when it's already late.

What you get

Data: the target date, the steps on both sides, and who owns each.
Does: builds a dated plan that works backward from go-live.
Output: a one-page plan you can share with the customer.
How often: on every deal past the first demo.

Before you start

Needs: Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat with pasted notes, or Microsoft 365 Copilot to draft from your emails and meetings. Not sure what you have? Start here.
Microsoft's label for this scenario: Microsoft 365 Copilot.
Where: Copilot in Word, or Copilot Chat.
Access: Copilot only uses content you already have permission to open. Use only information your company allows in Copilot.

The steps

Write down the customer's target date and why it matters to them.
List the steps you know about on both sides, even rough ones.
Run the prompt in Word or Copilot Chat.
Run the follow-up to find gaps.
Send it to your main contact as a draft to edit together.

Copy this prompt

Draft a mutual action plan for [customer], working back from a go-live date of [date].
Why that date matters to them: [reason]
Steps I know about: [security review, legal review, budget approval, technical setup, training, kickoff]
Their people: [names and roles]
Our people: [names and roles]

Make a table: Milestone | What has to happen | Owner (them or us, by name) | Due date | Depends on.
Work backward from the go-live date. Mark any date that looks too tight with TIGHT. Don't add steps I didn't list without marking them SUGGESTED.

(Prompt from stuckwithcopilot.com/guides/mutual-action-plan/)

Make it better

Run this next, in the same chat.

What steps do deals like this usually need that aren't in my list? Mark each one SUGGESTED, say who usually owns it, and tell me one question to ask the customer to confirm it.

(Prompt from stuckwithcopilot.com/guides/mutual-action-plan/)

Data tip: use this with your work Copilot, and leave out passwords, payment details and anything your company marks restricted.

What a good result looks like

Every milestone has one owner and one date, the dates work backward from go-live, and anything Copilot added is marked so you can check it with the customer.

If a feature is missing

If you can't use Word with Copilot, run the prompt in Copilot Chat and paste the table into a Word or Excel file to share.

Make it smarter

Keep a short "What it got wrong" note. Paste it above the prompt next time, like "Don't invent dates".

Not sure what to ask? Copy the quick note for your Copilot admin.

Questions people ask

Draft a mutual action plan the customer will actually use?

Give Copilot the customer's target date, the steps both sides need (security review, legal, budget approval, kickoff) and who owns each. Ask for a plan that works backward from the go-live date, with owners on both sides and dependencies. Then review it with the customer, because it only works if they agree to it.

What do I need for this?

Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat with pasted notes, or Microsoft 365 Copilot to draft from your emails and meetings. If you can't use Word with Copilot, run the prompt in Copilot Chat and paste the table into a Word or Excel file to share.

Should I share this with the customer?

Yes, that's the point. Send it as a draft and ask them to fix their side. A plan they've edited is a plan they'll follow.

What if the customer doesn't have a date?

Ask what happens if nothing changes by a certain point. Their answer usually gives you a date worth planning to.

Can Copilot keep the plan updated?

Store it in Word or a Copilot Page, and paste new notes in after each call asking for an updated version with changes marked.

Next step

Try it once, then make it yours.

Run the prompt on one real task this week. Then pick your next workflow.

See the workflow library ↗

Cite or share this guide

Draft a mutual action plan the customer will actually use. Stuck with Copilot. https://stuckwithcopilot.com/guides/mutual-action-plan/ Last checked Oct 21, 2026.

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Where this comes from

Inspired by Microsoft's Copilot scenarios. See the original at Microsoft Copilot adoption (Microsoft 365 Copilot Prompt Pack for Sales). The prompts and steps here are rewritten and expanded by Stuck with Copilot. This site is not affiliated with Microsoft.

Official references

Last checked against Microsoft docs: Oct 21, 2026.