There’s a great saying that “good fences make good neighbors.” It applies perfectly to sales and post-sales. Both functions need clearly defined KPIs so that everyone knows exactly what they are accountable for. At the same time they should feel comfortable stepping into each other’s world to provide support when needed. The key is that everyone stays clear on their own metric. That balance of clarity and collaboration only works when you have the right people in the right seats. And it only sticks when the incentives encourage partnership instead of silos.
As a GTM executive I’ve lived both situations. I’ve worked with sales colleagues where we’ve been the best of colleagues and everything clicked and worked where the partnership just didn’t land . The difference was culture. There is truth to the line “culture eats strategy for breakfast.” You can create the best-designed sales to post-sales strategy. But without trust and collaboration it simply will not work.
Here’s what I’ve learned works:
Clear KPIs. Shared Incentives. An example of this would be “Sales owning new business and expansions while Post-sales owning time to value and renewals.” However, shared incentives align behavior. For example part of sales commission linked to successful onboarding could ensure accountability beyond closed won.
Redefine Closed Won. A deal is not really done until the customer is live and on the path to value. Linking compensation to deployment shifts the focus from signing contracts to delivering outcomes.
Overlap Not Drop Off. Think of it as a transition period where both teams are actively involved before one fully steps back. That overlap builds confidence for the customer.
I once had the chance to design this structure from scratch and it worked beautifully. Why. Because the sales and post-sales leaders were genuinely invested in each other’s success.
In the end playbooks, handoff meetings and CRMs all matter. But what really powers a smooth transition is the culture of collaboration at the leadership level. When sales and post-sales see themselves as partners. Not neighbors behind fences. Customers win. And growth compounds.