Prep a renewal conversation with risk and expansion signals
intermediateClaude SonnetSalesCustomer Successsalesrenewalcustomer-successaccount-managementexpansion
Use case
Use this before a renewal conversation when you have usage data and meeting notes but need a sharp read on health, risk, and expansion path. Most CSMs walk into renewal calls without a clear hypothesis on whether the account is at risk or ready to expand. This prompt forces both reads and gives you an agenda that earns the meeting.
The prompt
You are a senior customer success leader prepping an account team for a renewal conversation. Synthesize the inputs below into a renewal prep brief. Account context: - Company:{{company_name}}- Current ARR:{{current_arr}}- Renewal date:{{renewal_date}}- Original use case:{{original_use_case}}- Usage data summary:{{usage_data}}(active users, feature adoption, trend over last 90 days) - Recent sentiment signals:{{sentiment_signals}}(support tickets, NPS, executive comments, exec changes) - Last 3 meeting notes summary:{{meeting_notes}}- Known competitive presence:{{competitive_presence}}- Expansion hypothesis we are exploring:{{expansion_hypothesis}}Output the brief in this structure: 1. Health read — single grade (green, yellow, red) with 2 to 3 sentences justifying it. Be honest. If signals conflict, say so. 2. Top 3 risk flags — what would cause this renewal to fail or downgrade. For each, name the signal and the mitigation move available before the call. 3. Expansion hypothesis test — restate the expansion idea and list the 2 to 3 specific things we need to learn in this call to validate or kill it. 4. Stakeholder map — who is on the call, what do we know about each, what is their likely posture (advocate, neutral, skeptic, blocker). 5. Proposed agenda — 30 to 45 minutes. Lead with their priorities, not ours. Reserve the last 10 minutes for the renewal and expansion conversation. 6. The 3 questions we most need to ask, with the reasoning for each. Rules: - Do not assume green health unless usage and sentiment both support it - If usage is declining, name it in the health read — do not bury it - Expansion talk does not belong in the first 20 minutes of a renewal call - If you are missing data, mark [unknown] rather than guessing
Variables
{{{{company_name}}}}Replace with your {{company name}}{{{{current_arr}}}}Replace with your {{current arr}}{{{{renewal_date}}}}Replace with your {{renewal date}}{{{{original_use_case}}}}Replace with your {{original use case}}{{{{usage_data}}}}Replace with your {{usage data}}{{{{sentiment_signals}}}}Replace with your {{sentiment signals}}{{{{meeting_notes}}}}Replace with your {{meeting notes}}{{{{competitive_presence}}}}Replace with your {{competitive presence}}{{{{expansion_hypothesis}}}}Replace with your {{expansion hypothesis}}
Example
Input
company_name: Northstar Robotics current_arr: $240K renewal_date: 6 weeks out original_use_case: warehouse fleet monitoring for 3 facilities usage_data: weekly active users up 18% over 90 days, but feature adoption flat — only 2 of 6 modules in active use, 1 facility went dark 30 days ago sentiment_signals: NPS dropped from 9 to 6 last quarter, 2 P1 tickets in last 60 days both resolved, original champion was promoted away from the team meeting_notes: new operations lead has not been on a call yet, finance flagged budget pressure for next fiscal year, ops team mentioned considering a competitor for the next 2 facilities planned competitive_presence: Helix Analytics in active conversation for the 2 new facilities expansion_hypothesis: expand from 3 facilities to 5 with multi-site dashboard module
Output
Health: Yellow. Active usage is up but feature adoption is shallow, the original champion is gone, and one facility has been dark for 30 days. Sentiment dropped (NPS 9 to 6) and a competitor is in conversation for the planned facilities. Renewal will likely close, but at risk of downgrade or flat — not expansion — unless we re-anchor on value with the new operations lead. Top 3 risk flags: 1. Champion change — the new operations lead has not been on a call. Mitigation: ask the account contact to broker a 30-minute intro call before the renewal conversation. 2. Facility dark for 30 days — usage signal that could become a billing dispute. Mitigation: pull the access logs, identify the cause, have a clear answer before the call. 3. Competitor in conversation for new facilities — they are in market, we are not yet positioned. Mitigation: prepare a multi-site comparison anchored on what they already have working. Expansion hypothesis test: Hypothesis: expand from 3 facilities to 5 with the multi-site dashboard module. We need to learn: - Is the new operations lead the decision maker for the 2 new facilities, or is it shared with finance? - What is the timing on the 2 new facilities going live? - What is Helix's pitch and where are they ahead or behind us? Stakeholder map: - New operations lead (unknown posture): likely neutral, needs re-onboarding to value story - Finance contact (likely skeptic): flagged budget pressure, needs ROI framing - Original champion's replacement on the ops team (likely advocate but limited authority): keep close, use as internal informant - [unknown] whether procurement will be on this call Proposed agenda (45 min): - 0-5: their priorities for the next 12 months, in their words - 5-20: where we are delivering value today, anchored on the 2 active modules and the 18% usage growth - 20-30: what is not working — the dark facility, the modules they are not using, anything else - 30-40: the 2 new facilities — listen, do not pitch - 40-45: renewal mechanics and the multi-site expansion idea, framed as exploration not ask Top 3 questions: 1. "What does success in the next 12 months look like for your team?" — establishes the new lead's priorities, which we do not know. 2. "The 2 new facilities — how are you thinking about the tooling decision, and what timeline?" — directly tests the competitive risk. 3. "Of the 6 modules in your contract, which 2 are pulling the most weight, and what would you change about the others?" — surfaces the shallow adoption issue and lets them lead.
Tips for best results
- 1Renewal call agendas should always lead with the customer's priorities, not your renewal ask. The renewal closes more reliably when they feel heard first.
- 2Champion change is the single biggest renewal risk signal. Treat any champion change as yellow until proven otherwise.
- 3If usage is declining, you cannot pitch expansion. Stabilize first.
- 4A dark facility, low feature adoption, and dropping NPS are the trio that predicts downgrade. If you see all three, expect a hard renewal.
- 5Always have an answer ready for 'why is one of our facilities not using this' before the call. Walking into that question cold is the worst place to be.
Related prompts
Write a cold outbound email to a VP of Sales
intermediateGenerate a revenue-focused cold email to a sales leader that speaks their language: quota, pipeline, and rep productivity.
Salesoutboundemailcold-outreach
Draft a mutual action plan for a live deal
advancedDraft a mutual action plan (MAP) tailored to deal stage with milestones, owners on both sides, dates, dependencies, and a clear path to signature.
Salessalesmutual-action-plandeal-management
Synthesize a deal review prep narrative
intermediateGenerate a forecast-call-ready deal review narrative covering where the deal stands, what has been tested, what is at risk, and the specific ask from leadership.
Salessalesdeal-reviewforecasting
Need help implementing this prompt in your workflow?
Book a call