escalation-framework
Use to govern executive involvement, cross-functional response, and risk resolution for at-risk renewals.
When & Why to Use This Skill
The Renewal Escalation Framework skill is a strategic tool designed for Customer Success and Sales teams to manage high-risk account renewals effectively. It provides a structured methodology for governing executive involvement, coordinating cross-functional responses across Product, Finance, and Legal departments, and resolving critical blockers to ensure revenue retention and long-term customer health.
Use Cases
- High-Risk Account Recovery: Systematically manage 'red' or 'yellow' accounts approaching renewal by defining clear escalation tiers and required response times to prevent churn.
- Cross-Functional Negotiation Support: Coordinate complex negotiations involving multiple stakeholders to resolve legal, financial, or technical blockers in high-stakes contracts.
- Executive Briefing and Engagement: Streamline the involvement of leadership by providing structured briefing documents, talking points, and clear decision-making authority for concessions.
- Operational Post-Mortems: Conduct post-escalation reviews to capture key learnings, update internal playbooks, and ensure all commitments made during the escalation are fulfilled.
| name | escalation-framework |
|---|---|
| description | Use to govern executive involvement, cross-functional response, and risk |
Renewal Escalation Framework Skill
When to Use
- Managing red/yellow accounts approaching renewal with unresolved blockers.
- Coordinating cross-functional support (product, finance, legal, exec) on high-stakes negotiations.
- Documenting escalation paths to ensure clarity on ownership and timelines.
Framework
- Tier Definitions – outline criteria for green/yellow/red escalations and required response times.
- Stakeholder Matrix – assign owners (CSM, AE, exec sponsor, product, finance, legal) per tier.
- Communication Protocols – define templates, meeting cadences, and status update requirements.
- Decision Authority – specify who can approve concessions, roadmap commitments, or contract terms.
- Post-Escalation Review – capture learnings, update playbooks, and track commitments.
Templates
- Escalation intake form (issue, impact, requested support, deadline).
- Executive briefing doc with talking points, risks, and desired outcomes.
- Resolution tracker to log actions, owners, and next check-ins.
Tips
- Pair with
renewal-playbooksto ensure escalations tie back to structured plays. - Keep approval matrices accessible so field teams know who to engage.
- Review escalations monthly to ensure commitments are fulfilled.