M&A Field Integration: What CEOs & CROs Need to Know

Dear CEOs and CROs, 

Having been in the trenches of M&A myself, both as a seller through 13 transactions and as a revenue leader through 5, I've seen firsthand what works and, more importantly, what doesn't.  I'm writing this letter to share some critical insights that I believe can significantly impact the success of your integrations, specifically concerning your field teams (sales, customer success, account management).  These are the things I wish every CEO and CRO knew before the deal closes.

Enablement: Not an Afterthought, a Day One Priority

One of the biggest mistakes I see is bringing enablement into the integration process too late.  While I understand the need for secrecy during the initial stages, excluding enablement leadership is a critical oversight. The moment the M&A is announced, your field teams are on the front lines, fielding a barrage of questions from concerned customers.  Simply directing them to the press release isn't enough. Customers deserve – and frankly, expect – more. They want to know how this impacts their support, product, pricing, and overall relationship.

At a minimum, your teams need pre-prepared answers to the most frequently asked customer questions.  But to truly excel, you need to be proactive, not reactive.  Consider these essentials for day one readiness:

• Shared Customer & Prospect Visibility:  Your teams must have access to a combined list of customers and prospects.  Imagine the embarrassment of a salesperson being unaware that their prospect is already a customer of the other company.  This information needs to be readily accessible, ideally through an enablement platform with AI-powered search capabilities, rather than scattered across spreadsheets or inaccessible CRMs.  This allows your teams to identify shared accounts and understand potential pricing/contract implications immediately.

• Ready-to-Use Content: Equip your teams with readily available resources, such as collateral on the other company's products, quick overview decks, or even short videos explaining the merger's impact.  Digital sales rooms, pre-populated with relevant information and personalized videos from leadership, are a game-changer in this context.

• Centralized Resource Hub: Create a single, easily accessible location within your content management system or enablement platform where teams from both organizations can find all necessary resources – shared account lists, messaging guidelines, FAQs, digital sales rooms, etc.  This avoids confusion and ensures everyone has access to the most up-to-date information.

Keeping Your Teams Focused and Motivated

M&A transactions create uncertainty, and uncertainty breeds distraction.  Your field teams are worried about their jobs, their compensation, and their future.  Addressing these concerns head-on is crucial to maintain momentum and prevent deals from stalling.

• Comp Plan Clarity:  Within the first week, address the topic of compensation plans and spiffs.  While full integration might be months away, provide clear guidelines on incentives for cross-selling or bringing in the acquired company's products.  Define clear criteria for these spiffs to drive desired interactions and ensure fairness.

• Sales Engineer Enablement: Your sales engineers are critical for navigating the technical complexities of integration.  Invest in providing them with in-depth knowledge of the integration roadmap and timelines.  Certify them on this information, and consider using AI-powered role-playing tools to ensure consistent and accurate communication, especially regarding compliance.

• Team Integration Transparency:  Be as transparent as possible about the timeline for team integration.  Even if you don't have all the answers, communicating what you do know (e.g., "We don't anticipate integrating teams for at least six months") can alleviate anxiety and keep your teams focused on their current responsibilities.

• Open Communication Channels: Establish a dedicated communication channel (e.g., a Teams or Slack channel) where field teams can ask questions and receive timely responses from key stakeholders. This fosters transparency and ensures that emerging questions are addressed quickly and efficiently.

In Conclusion

M&A integrations are complex, but by prioritizing enablement, addressing team concerns, and fostering open communication, you can significantly increase your chances of a successful outcome.  Don't underestimate the impact these factors have on your field teams and, ultimately, your revenue.  Investing in these areas upfront will pay dividends in the long run.

Sincerely,

Kelly Lewis

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