As project managers, we’re usually brought in after the deal is signed—once the scope is defined, the timeline is ticking, and delivery is underway. But there’s real value in getting involved before the kickoff. By collaborating with the nurture (or pre-sales) team during the sales cycle, we can help shape realistic commitments, build trust early, and set our future projects up for success.
Here are a few tips I’ve found useful when working alongside the nurture team:
1️⃣ Be a Translator of Possibility to Practicality
Sales teams are optimistic by nature—they focus on possibilities and solutions. Your role is to ground those possibilities in reality. Without killing the deal, help the nurture team understand what’s feasible based on capacity, complexity, and resource constraints.
💡 Tip: Offer high-level effort estimates or risk flags early to ensure customer expectations are aligned with delivery capabilities.
2️⃣ Provide Delivery Intelligence
The nurture team is focused on building the relationship and identifying needs. You bring knowledge of delivery processes, timelines, and past performance that can help build credibility with the client.
💡 Tip: Share past project examples or use a “lessons learned” brief to support their case and reassure the customer that we know how to deliver.
3️⃣ Help Shape a “Project-Ready” Deal
When deals are scoped without delivery input, they can become vague or misaligned with how the project will actually run. Involving a PM can ensure the proposal includes a realistic kickoff date, governance model, change management approach, and success criteria.
💡 Tip: Offer a lightweight “pre-kickoff checklist” that outlines what the project team will need once the deal closes—this saves time later.
4️⃣ Build Trust Early with the Client
If you’re able to meet the client before project start, it creates continuity. You’re no longer a stranger who appears after the contract is signed—you’re someone who already understands the goals and concerns.
💡 Tip: Join nurture-stage meetings as a “future delivery lead” to introduce project discipline early and establish rapport.
5️⃣ Create Feedback Loops Between Sales and Delivery
After projects close, take time to share what worked—and what didn’t—with the nurture team. This feedback loop helps improve deal quality over time and ensures that what’s being promised is closer to what can be delivered.
💡 Tip: Set up a quarterly review between project leads and nurture teams to align on trends, friction points, and emerging opportunities.
🧭 Final Thought
The best project outcomes often begin long before the project starts. By partnering with the nurture team during the deal phase, project managers can reduce risk, improve client experience, and build delivery success from day one.
🔗 Have you collaborated with your sales or nurture team? What strategies have helped you align?
#ProjectManagement #SalesEnablement #PreSales #DeliveryExcellence #PMTips #CrossFunctionalCollaboration
