Closing a renewal and expansion plan in a full simulation.
English for Sales and Account Management. Lesson 12.
This final lesson is your capstone work rehearsal. You will complete an end-to-end commercial simulation that brings the course together in one realistic account journey. You start with a short outreach message to re-engage a stakeholder, then move into a renewal and expansion conversation where the client raises concerns about price, value, and delivery risk. You also need to align internally, because legal and delivery have constraints that affect what you can promise.
Across the simulation, you will use the full toolkit: rapport and agenda, discovery-style questioning, confirmation of success metrics, a concise value pitch, objection handling, negotiation with conditions, and a clear close with owners and dates. You will also produce a short written follow-up that documents the agreement and reduces misunderstandings.
By the end, you will have a complete performance you can compare against the mini rubric: clear structure, appropriate tone, strong commercial logic, and confident next steps. You will also finish with a final review of your core reference phrases and patterns so they stay active for real work.
1. Re-engage the stakeholder with a short outreach message.
Today is your capstone rehearsal, so we will treat this like a real account moment with real pressure. You are re-engaging an existing customer about renewal, and you also want to explore a sensible expansion. The key skill in this first step is: re-opening the door in a way that sounds human, relevant, and respectful of their time. Not pushy, not vague.
In a minute, you will read a short account brief. While you read it, decide: what is the single most relevant outcome to mention, and what is the easiest next step to ask for? Remember, at B2 level you want concise sentences, a clear reason for writing, and a low-friction question.
As you write, borrow a couple of the course phrases, especially the calm, professional opener. You are not negotiating yet. You are simply getting the right person back into a conversation, with a clear goal and a clear next step.
Situation: you need to re-open a renewal and expansion conversation.
You are the Account Manager for AulaMetrics (your analytics platform). Your customer, Northstar Logistics, is approaching renewal. There is also a potential expansion: adding 2 additional regions.
The challenge: the main stakeholder has been quiet for a few weeks. If your message is too salesy, you lose trust. If it is too vague, you get ignored.
Your aim in this block.
Write a short outreach message that:
Shows context (why you are writing now).
Mentions a relevant value/outcome (not a long feature list).
Asks for a small next step (a quick call, or a yes/no question).
Keeps the tone calm and credible.
Model language to recycle (adapt it).
Here are a few high-value chunks you can lift directly:
“Thanks for coming back to this. I know you have a lot on.”
“The goal today is to align on renewal, scope, and next steps.”
“Before we discuss numbers, can we confirm what success looks like this year?”
“I want to make sure we are solving the right problem.”
In outreach, keep the “goal” line lighter. You can save the stronger agenda language for the call.
A strong B2 outreach structure (3–6 lines).
Line 1 (warm context): polite opener + why now.
Line 2 (relevance hook): one outcome you know they care about.
Line 3 (easy next step): propose a short call OR ask a specific question.
Line 4 (pressure release): optional softener: “No worries if…”
Example (for inspiration, not copying).
> Hi Maya, thanks for coming back to this. I know you have a lot on. With renewal coming up in October, I wanted to check where you are landing internally.
>
> Since we rolled out the dashboard, you have reduced weekly reporting time and improved visibility across regions. Before we discuss scope or numbers, can we confirm what success looks like for the next 12 months?
>
> Would you be open to a quick 15-minute chat on Thursday or Friday to align on renewal and next steps? No worries if this is not a priority this week.
Notice: short paragraphs, calm tone, and a clear ask.
Practice & Feedback
Write your outreach message to the stakeholder.
Role: You = Account Manager at AulaMetrics. Recipient = Maya Patel, Ops Director at Northstar Logistics.
Length: 70–110 words (around 5–8 short lines).
Include:
a warm, non-pushy opener;
one specific reference to their context (renewal timing and/or value achieved);
one clear next step (propose times or ask a clear question);
an optional softener (e.g., “No worries if…”).
Try to use at least two phrases from the model language on the screen, but adapt them naturally so it sounds like you, not a script.
Account brief: Northstar Logistics (renewal + possible expansion).
Contract renewal date: 30 October (annual)
Current scope: 3 regions using AulaMetrics dashboards
Potential expansion: add 2 regions if adoption improves
Last QBR highlight: reporting time reduced by ~25% in Region A; Region B adoption is slower
Risk: delivery team is stretched in September; new custom integration requests need careful scoping
Key people:
Maya Patel (Ops Director, day-to-day sponsor)
Jon Weber (Procurement)
Elena Rossi (Finance, cares about ROI)
Maya has not replied to your last email for 3 weeks.
2. Open the renewal call with rapport and a clear agenda.
Now that you have re-engaged Maya, we move into the live moment: the renewal and expansion call. In this block you are going to listen to a short model call opening. Your job is to notice how the Account Manager sounds structured without being heavy, and how they gain agreement on timing and agenda.
At B2 level, this is where you sound senior: you guide the call, but you do not dominate it. Pay attention to three things in the audio. First, how they acknowledge Maya’s time. Second, how they clearly state the goal of the call. And third, how they create space for Maya to adjust priorities.
After you listen, you will answer a few comprehension questions and then write your own agenda line using the same pattern. Keep it crisp, calm, and easy to follow.
Listening focus: rapport, time check, agenda agreement.
A renewal call is high-stakes, but the opening should feel calm and normal. The purpose of the opening is not to “sell”; it is to create alignment.
You want to sound:
Warm (human, respectful of time)
Clear (what are we doing today?)
Controlled (you guide the structure)
Pattern to copy.
A reliable structure is:
Thanks + time check
“Thanks for making the time today.”
“Before we start, could I quickly check we still have 30 minutes?”
Goal of the call (one sentence)
“The goal today is to align on renewal, scope, and next steps.”
Mini agenda (2–3 items)
“I’d like to confirm what success looks like this year, talk through scope and delivery, and then agree next steps.”
Agreement question
“Does that agenda work for you?”
Flex question
“Where would you like to focus today?”
What to avoid.
If you sound too forceful, you create resistance. Avoid:
Long monologues at the start.
Too many items (“seven things to cover”).
Weak, apologetic language (“Sorry, I just wanted to…”).
Micro-language: diplomatically firm, not blunt.
Compare:
Blunt: “We need to decide today.”
Firm but calm: “It would be helpful to leave today with clear next steps, so it doesn’t drift.”
In the listening, notice how the speaker gets that same effect without sounding aggressive.
Practice & Feedback
Listen to the call opening. Then do two things:
Answer the comprehension questions in your own words (short answers are fine).
Write your own 1–2 sentence agenda for the same call (renewal + possible expansion). Include a time check and an agenda agreement question.
Keep your tone calm and professional. Imagine you are speaking to Maya, who is busy and slightly sceptical. Try to reuse at least two chunks from the lesson phrase bank (for example: “Thanks for making the time…”, “The goal today is…”, “Does that agenda work for you?”).
3. Confirm success metrics and remove ambiguity.
Once the call is open and agreed, your next commercial risk is misunderstanding. At renewal time, people often use vague words like “adoption”, “value”, or “faster”. If you accept those words without checking, you can end up promising the wrong thing, or measuring success in a way the customer does not care about.
In this block we focus on a very specific skill: paraphrasing and confirming success metrics. You will read a short extract from the call, and you’ll see how a good Account Manager repeats the customer’s meaning in clearer language, checks numbers and definitions, and asks for ownership on the customer side.
You do not need to sound uncertain. The trick is to sound curious and precise: ‘Just to make sure I’ve captured this correctly…’ and ‘When you say adoption, how do you measure that internally?’ That kind of language builds trust, especially when money and risk are on the table.
Why this matters in a renewal and expansion.
Renewal conversations go wrong when two people use the same word but mean different things.
“Adoption” could mean: logins, active users, dashboards viewed, or decisions made.
“Faster reporting” could mean: fewer hours per week, fewer people involved, or fewer errors.
“This quarter” could mean: signed by the end of the quarter, or delivered by the end of the quarter.
When you confirm success metrics, you protect both the relationship and the deal.
The B2 confirmation toolkit.
You are aiming for three moves:
Paraphrase the priority + constraint
“So the main priority is X, and the key constraint is Y.”
Define the metric
“When you say adoption, how do you measure that internally?”
Pin down details: numbers, dates, owners
“Roughly what range are you aiming for?”
“Who will be the day-to-day owner on your side?”
Model extract (read it like a script).
Notice how the AM keeps the tone calm, not interrogative. The questions are short and purposeful.
Also notice the softeners:
“Just to make sure…”, “Roughly…”, “When you say…”, “If I understood you correctly…”
Mini-checklist before you move on.
Before you pitch or negotiate, you should be able to state:
What success looks like (metric + target)
The main blocker or constraint
Who owns what (both sides)
The decision timeline (by when do they need confidence?)
If you cannot say these in one minute, you are not ready to discuss price.
Practice & Feedback
Read the call extract carefully. Then write two parts:
Part A (summary): 2–3 sentences starting with “Just to make sure I have captured this correctly…” Summarise Maya’s priorities and constraints in clear language.
Part B (clarifying questions): Write 4 short questions you would ask next to confirm the success metrics and reduce ambiguity. Include at least:
1 question defining a term (e.g., “adoption”);
1 question about a number/target;
1 question about ownership;
1 question about timing/deadline.
Keep the tone warm and precise. Use phrases from the screen where you can.
Call extract: confirming what success means.
Maya (Client): Look, we are happy overall, but adoption is inconsistent. Region A is fine, Region B is not really using it. And Finance keeps asking what the ROI actually is.
Alex (AM): That makes sense. Just to make sure I have captured this correctly, the main priority is consistent adoption across all regions, and the key constraint is you need a clearer ROI story for Finance. Is that fair?
Maya: Yes. And we also need to be careful with delivery. Last time the integration work took longer than expected.
Alex: Understood. When you say adoption, how do you measure that internally? Is it weekly active users, dashboards viewed, or something else?
Maya: It is more about teams actually using it in weekly operations meetings.
Alex: Got it. And who would be the day-to-day owner on your side to drive that change in Region B?
4. Handle price and risk concerns with conditions.
Now we reach the emotional centre of the call: objections. In this scenario, Maya is concerned about three things at once: price, value, and delivery risk. If you respond defensively, you lose trust. If you offer a discount too quickly, you lose commercial logic and you still may not win the deal.
So your job is to follow a calm sequence: acknowledge the concern, explore what is behind it, respond with a reframe or an option, and then check. You will listen to a short section where Maya pushes back, and you will notice how the Account Manager keeps control through questions and conditional language.
After that, you will do a chat-style simulation. I will give you Maya’s messages. You reply as Alex, one message at a time, using conditions and trade-offs. Remember a key line from today: ‘If we can agree X, would you be able to commit to Y?’ That turns pressure into structure.
Objection moment: keep it calm and commercial.
When a client says, “It’s too expensive” or “We’re worried about delivery”, they are not necessarily rejecting you. They are testing whether you understand their reality and whether you can manage risk.
The structure to follow (repeatable under pressure).
1) Acknowledge
“I understand the concern.”
“I completely understand why you would raise that.”
2) Explore (diagnose the real driver)
“Can I ask what is behind it?”
“Is it the overall budget, or the timing of the spend?”
“What are you comparing it to?”
3) Respond (reframe + options + conditions)
Value reframe: “If we reduce reporting time by X, the ROI comes from…”
Risk transparency: “From our side, we need to be clear about what we can and cannot include.”
Options: “We can offer two options, depending on your priorities.”
Conditions: “If we can agree X, would you be able to commit to Y?”
4) Check
“How does that land with you?”
“Would that address the concern?”
High-impact phrases to reuse today.
“I understand the concern. Can I ask what is behind it?”
“From our side, we need to be clear about what we can and cannot include.”
“Would it help if we phased it, rather than doing everything at once?”
Mini warning.
Do not jump straight to discount language. If the real issue is delivery risk, a discount does not solve it. You need to tie price to scope, timing, and risk.
In the chat activity below, aim for short, calm messages. One idea per message is enough.
Practice & Feedback
You will do a chat-style simulation.
Role: You are Alex (Account Manager). I will be Maya (Client).
Task: Reply to Maya’s 5 chat messages below. Write your responses as:
Alex 1: …
Alex 2: …
Alex 3: …
Alex 4: …
Alex 5: …
Aim: Use the sequence acknowledge → explore → respond → check, and use at least three phrases from today’s chunk bank (for example: “I understand the concern…”, “If we can agree X…”, “From our side, we need to be clear…”, “Let me summarise where we are landing.”).
Keep each Alex message to 1–3 sentences. Stay calm, not defensive. Offer options or conditions instead of quick concessions.
5. Align internally with legal and delivery constraints.
A strong commercial conversation is not only about what you say to the client. It is also about what you can actually deliver. In this scenario, you have two internal constraints: Legal has limits on the wording you can use in the contract, and Delivery has limited capacity in September. If you promise too much on the call, you create a future escalation.
So in this block we step behind the scenes. You will read a short internal thread, and your goal is to write a crisp internal update that helps Legal and Delivery help you. This is a different tone from client communication: still polite, but more direct, more operational, and more specific.
Think of your internal message as a tool to reduce risk. You want to summarise the customer need, the decision timeline, and the exact questions you need answered. Good internal alignment makes your external negotiation faster and calmer.
Why internal alignment is part of closing.
In complex renewals, the client hears one voice: yours. That means you need clarity internally before you offer options externally.
If Legal and Delivery are not aligned, you risk:
promising dates you cannot meet;
agreeing to clauses you cannot sign;
offering a “custom” scope without capacity;
losing trust when you later walk things back.
The internal update structure (simple and repeatable).
A good internal message has four parts:
1) Context in one sentence
Who is the customer and what is the commercial moment?
2) What the client wants (scope + success metrics)
Use plain language. Avoid vague words.
3) Constraints and risks (what might go wrong)
Be transparent. Do not blame.
4) Your asks (clear questions + deadline)
What do you need from Legal and Delivery, and by when?
Helpful phrases for internal alignment.
You can reuse some of the same B2 chunks, adapted:
“From our side, we need to be clear about what we can and cannot include.”
“At the moment, we cannot commit to that date with confidence.” (for internal reality-checking)
“So the next steps are…” (to drive action)
What ‘good’ looks like.
A strong internal message is easy to scan. It prevents misunderstandings because it includes:
numbers (price range, start date window);
owners;
decisions needed;
trade-offs (scope vs timeline).
In the task below, write as if you are posting in Slack or Teams to your Legal and Delivery colleagues.
Practice & Feedback
Read the internal thread, then write one internal message (Slack/Teams style) to align Legal and Delivery.
Role: You are Alex (AM). Audience: Priya (Legal) and Tom (Delivery Lead).
Length: 120–170 words.
Include:
a 1-sentence context (renewal + expansion, decision timing);
what the client is asking for (scope + success metrics + concerns);
your current constraint/risk (capacity in September + contract wording);
3 clear questions you need answered (label them Q1/Q2/Q3);
a deadline for internal feedback (e.g., “by EOD Wednesday”).
Keep it operational and specific. You are trying to avoid overpromising on the client call.
Internal thread (Slack).
Alex (AM): Northstar renewal is due 30 Oct. Expansion to 2 regions possible if we can de-risk delivery. Client is worried about integration delays.
Tom (Delivery): September is tight. We can start discovery, but full integration build might slip unless scope is controlled.
Priya (Legal): Also, careful with any ‘guaranteed outcomes’ language. We can commit to process and service levels, not business results.
Alex (AM): Understood. Client wants more ROI clarity for Finance and a realistic plan for Region B adoption.
Tom (Delivery): If we phase it, we can do Region B enablement first and push integration work into October.
Priya (Legal): For the renewal addendum, we can include a delivery plan appendix, but we need exact wording on timelines and dependencies.
6. Close with a written recap and confirmed next steps.
We finish the capstone with the part that protects the deal after the call: the written follow-up. A strong recap email does three jobs. It confirms what was decided, it documents conditions and constraints so nobody is surprised later, and it creates forward motion with owners and dates.
In your email you will sound calm and decisive. You are not asking ten open questions. You are making it easy for Maya and Procurement to say yes, or to correct one specific detail. Use signposting like ‘As agreed’ and ‘Next steps’. Be very careful with delivery commitments: if you have constraints, name them transparently and tie them to dependencies.
In the task, you will write the full recap: renewal direction, expansion option, the phased delivery approach, and actions for Northstar and for you. This is your final performance for the mini rubric: clear structure, appropriate tone, strong commercial logic, and confident next steps.
Capstone output: a renewal and expansion recap email.
This is the moment where professionals stand out. Anyone can have a good call. Strong AMs lock in the outcome in writing.
Mini rubric (what ‘good’ looks like).
Your follow-up should score well on these four criteria:
Clear structure: easy to scan; headings or clear sections.
Appropriate tone: warm, calm, and diplomatically firm.
Strong commercial logic: scope, conditions, and trade-offs are explicit.
Confident next steps: actions, owners, and dates are clear.
Recommended email structure.
Subject line: Renewal and expansion alignment + next steps
Opening (2 lines): thank them + purpose.
“Thanks again for your time today.”
“As agreed, here is a quick recap of the main points.”
Summary (3–5 bullets or short paragraphs): what you aligned on.
Use phrases like:
“Let me summarise where we are landing.”
“Before we discuss numbers, can we confirm what success looks like this year?” (You can reference that you confirmed it.)
Options / conditions (short, explicit):
“If we can agree X, would you be able to commit to Y?”
“From our side, we need to be clear about what we can and cannot include.”
Next steps (actions + owners + dates):
“So the next steps are: A by Tuesday, B by Friday, and C next week.”
Close (one clear question):
Ask for a specific confirmation.
“Could you confirm whether you prefer Option A or Option B?”
Language to avoid (legal and delivery risk).
Avoid absolute promises like “guarantee ROI” or “we will deliver by 15 Sept” if it depends on the client.
Better:
“Subject to X, we can…”
“Our current plan is…, with the key dependency being…”
Your content for this scenario.
You are writing to Maya (and cc Jon in Procurement). You aligned on:
renewal direction (continue);
success metrics for the year;
a phased plan to reduce delivery risk;
an expansion path to two extra regions if adoption improves;
