stephenrogan/save-play-designer

Save Play Designer

Designs a structured intervention plan for an at-risk account. A save play is not "try harder" -- it is a specific, time-bound plan that addresses the root cause of the risk with targeted actions, defined ownership, and measurable success criteria.

How to Use

Provide:

• Account name, ARR, renewal date (days remaining)
• Why the account is at risk (the specific risk drivers, not just "at risk")
• How long the risk has been present
• What has been tried so far (if anything)
• Stakeholder landscape (who you know, relationship strength, coverage gaps)
• The customer's stated concerns (if they have told you)
• What you believe is actually driving the risk (which may differ from what they said)
• Your commercial authority (what you can offer: discounts, credits, extended terms)

Save Play Framework

Step 1: Diagnose the Root Cause

The intervention must match the cause. A product-fit save play on a relationship problem wastes time.

| Root Cause Category | Indicators | Save Play Focus | |--------------------|-----------|----------------| | Product fit | Customer's use case has evolved beyond what the product serves. Feature gaps are blocking critical workflows | Product: address the gap (roadmap, workaround, custom solution) or be honest that the fit is no longer there | | Value gap | No measurable ROI. Customer cannot justify the investment. CFO asking "what do we get for this?" | Value: build and present the ROI case urgently. Show them what they are getting that they may not be measuring | | Service failure | History of unresolved issues, SLA breaches, support frustration | Service: fix the outstanding issues. Assign a dedicated resource. Rebuild trust through accountable follow-through | | Relationship erosion | Champion departed, contacts disengaged, single-threaded, no executive coverage | Relationship: multi-thread immediately. Build new relationships. Executive engagement if warranted | | Competitive displacement | Active evaluation of alternatives, competitor demos completed, pricing comparison in progress | Competitive: understand what triggered the evaluation. Address the root need, not the competitor | | Commercial friction | Pricing perceived as too high, discount expected, budget cut affecting vendor spend | Commercial: establish value before discussing price. Explore flexible terms if budget is genuinely constrained | | Customer-side change | Reorg, new leadership, strategy pivot, acquisition | Adapt: understand the new context. Reposition the value proposition for the new reality |

Step 2: Design the Intervention

For the identified root cause, build a phased response:

Phase 1: Stabilise (Week 1)

• Acknowledge the situation. Contact the customer directly -- do not wait for the scheduled touchpoint
• Gather intelligence. What do they actually want? What would change their mind? What is their timeline?
• Stop the bleeding. If there is an unresolved issue, fix it or commit to a specific resolution timeline

Phase 2: Address (Weeks 2-4)

• Execute the root cause intervention (see table above)
• Engage the decision-maker (if not already engaged)
• Present evidence of progress or commitment (do not wait until everything is fixed -- show movement)

Phase 3: Rebuild (Weeks 4-8)

• Demonstrate sustained improvement
• Rebuild the value narrative
• Secure the renewal commitment (verbal, then contractual)

Step 3: Assign Actions

| Action | Owner | Deadline | Purpose | |--------|-------|----------|---------| | [specific action] | [named person] | [date] | [how this addresses the root cause] |

Rules:

• Every action connects to the root cause. If an action does not address the diagnosed issue, remove it
• Every action has a named owner and a specific date
• Include actions from the customer's side. "Tom to provide feedback on the proposed resolution by March 21" is a tracked commitment
• Include escalation actions if needed. "CSM manager to request executive outreach from VP CS by March 14"

Step 4: Define Success Criteria

| Criteria | Metric | Target | Timeline | |----------|--------|--------|----------| | Customer re-engagement | Response to outreach, meeting scheduled | Customer actively engaged in the save conversation | Week 1 | | Root cause addressed | Depends on the cause (issue resolved, value presented, relationship rebuilt) | Customer acknowledges progress | Week 4 | | Renewal commitment | Verbal or written confirmation of intent to renew | Customer commits to renewal (verbal minimum) | Week 6-8 |

Step 5: Define the Walk-Away Point

Not every account is saveable. Define in advance what constitutes a walk-away:

• The customer explicitly declines to engage in the save conversation
• The root cause is a fundamental product fit issue with no resolution on the roadmap
• The cost of the save (discount, dedicated resource, executive time) exceeds the account's long-term value
• The customer has signed with a competitor

The walk-away is not failure. It is the recognition that some resources are better spent on accounts where the intervention can succeed. A graceful exit preserves the relationship for a potential return.

Output Format

## Save Play: [Account Name]
**ARR:** EUR [amount] | **Risk Level:** [High/Critical] | **Renewal:** [date] ([days])
**Created:** [date] | **Owner:** [CSM name]

### Root Cause
[Diagnosis with evidence]

### Intervention Plan
**Phase 1: Stabilise (Week 1)**
[Actions with owners and dates]

**Phase 2: Address (Weeks 2-4)**
[Actions with owners and dates]

**Phase 3: Rebuild (Weeks 4-8)**
[Actions with owners and dates]

### Success Criteria
[Table with metrics and targets]

### Walk-Away Criteria
[Defined conditions for disengaging]

### Review Cadence
Weekly status check: [day]
Manager review: [date]
Decision point: [date]

Quality Gates

• Is the root cause diagnosed, not assumed? "They are at risk" is not a diagnosis. "Champion departed 30 days ago, no replacement identified, economic buyer unengaged, and usage is declining" is a diagnosis
• Does the intervention match the root cause? A save play that focuses on product demos when the root cause is relationship erosion addresses the wrong problem
• Is the timeline realistic given the renewal date? A 12-week save play on an account renewing in 4 weeks is too slow
• Is there a walk-away point defined? Save plays without an exit criteria become resource sinks. Know when to stop
• Are the success criteria measurable? "Things improve" is not a success criterion. "Customer re-engages and verbally commits to renewal by Week 6" is

Principles

• Speed is the most important variable in a save play. The longer a risk persists without intervention, the harder it is to reverse. A decent save play executed today outperforms a perfect save play executed in two weeks
• The customer must be part of the save. A save play that happens entirely behind the scenes (internal escalation, product fixes, value reports) without engaging the customer directly is not a save play. It is hope. Talk to them
• Match the intensity of the response to the value of the account. A EUR 10k account does not warrant a 6-week save play with executive engagement and commercial concessions. A EUR 200k account does
• Sometimes the save is a conversation, not a project. Many at-risk accounts can be stabilised with a single honest conversation: "I know things have not been perfect. Here is what we are doing about it. What else would you need to feel confident going forward?" Do not over-engineer what can be resolved with directness