CRO · Playbook · Intermediate · Saves 55+ hours
Deal Desk Operations Playbook
A playbook for establishing and running deal desk operations.
What's included
- Deal desk scope and charter
- Approval workflows
- Pricing exception process
- Legal review integration
- SLA management
- Performance metrics
Best used when
- Establishing deal desk function
- Managing complex deals
- Standardizing approvals
- Reducing deal cycle time
The template
The Template
DEAL DESK SCOPE
Deal Desk Charter
DEAL DESK CHARTER
MISSION:
Accelerate deal closure while protecting company interests
through streamlined approvals and pricing optimization.
IN SCOPE:
☐ Non-standard pricing review
☐ Custom terms approval
☐ Legal coordination
☐ Contract generation
☐ Deal structuring
OUT OF SCOPE:
☐ Standard pricing (auto-approved)
☐ Contract negotiation (Sales)
☐ Legal drafting (Legal)
☐ Revenue recognition (Finance)
SLA:
Standard requests: 24 hours
Complex requests: 48 hours
Legal review: 3-5 business days
APPROVAL WORKFLOWS
Approval Matrix
| Discount Level | Approver | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| 0-10% | Auto-approved | Instant |
| 11-20% | Sales Manager | 4 hours |
| 21-30% | Sales Director | 24 hours |
| 31-40% | VP Sales | 24 hours |
| 40%+ | CRO + CEO | 48 hours |
Deal Review Request Form
DEAL REVIEW REQUEST
DEAL INFORMATION:
Opportunity name: _______________
Account: _______________
ACV: $_____
Deal owner: _______________
REQUEST TYPE:
☐ Pricing exception
☐ Non-standard terms
☐ Payment terms
☐ Contract modification
☐ Other: _______________
REQUEST DETAILS:
Standard price: $_____
Requested price: $_____
Discount %: ____%
JUSTIFICATION:
Why is this exception needed?
________________________________
COMPETITIVE SITUATION:
________________________________
CUSTOMER VALUE:
Expansion potential: $_____
Strategic importance: High/Med/Low
SUBMITTED BY: _______________
DATE: _______________
PRICING EXCEPTIONS
Exception Decision Framework
PRICING EXCEPTION CHECKLIST
SHOULD APPROVE WHEN:
☐ Strategic account (top 100)
☐ Multi-year commitment
☐ Expansion commitment
☐ Reference customer
☐ Competitive displacement
SHOULD DECLINE WHEN:
☐ No justification provided
☐ Similar deal done at full price
☐ Creates precedent risk
☐ Margin too thin
CONDITIONAL APPROVAL:
☐ With exec sponsorship
☐ With reference commitment
☐ With case study commitment
☐ With longer term
Exception Tracking
| Month | Requests | Approved | Avg Discount | ARR Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | $ |
SLA MANAGEMENT
Deal Desk SLA Dashboard
DEAL DESK SLA TRACKING
THIS WEEK:
Requests received: _____
Completed on time: _____
SLA compliance: ____%
AVERAGE TURNAROUND:
Pricing requests: _____ hours
Legal coordination: _____ days
Contract generation: _____ hours
BOTTLENECKS:
_______________
_______________
Frequently asked questions
What is the Deal Desk Operations Playbook?
A playbook for establishing and running deal desk operations.
Who is the Deal Desk Operations Playbook for?
It is built for CROs and their teams working on Revenue Operations. The AI coach adapts it to your company, stage, and goals.
How long does the Deal Desk Operations Playbook take to use?
It saves roughly 55+ hours versus building from scratch. Our AI coach can tailor the playbook to your situation in minutes, then hand you a step-by-step plan.
Is the Deal Desk Operations Playbook free?
Yes. You can read the full playbook and start getting coached through it for free. Sign in to save your tailored version and track your next steps.
How does the AI coach help with the Deal Desk Operations Playbook?
The coach teaches you the framework, asks a few questions about your business, tailors the playbook to you, and gives you measurable next steps to execute.