Glossary/Customer intent

Commitment (in a sales conversation)

Something a person agrees to do next, stated clearly enough that both sides would describe it the same way afterward.

Use this definition in team training or when clarifying a sales note.

Definition

A commitment is an agreement inside a conversation, and it can come from either side. The customer commits when they agree to a video call on Thursday at six with a named rep. The rep commits when they promise a written quote by the end of the day, or a call the moment the paperwork comes back.

Soft agreement is not commitment. A customer saying they will probably call back this weekend and a rep saying they will get back to you both sound cooperative, and neither creates an obligation anyone can check. A commitment has an owner, a time and a specific thing being done.

Why it matters

Most follow-up failures start as a commitment nobody wrote down. If you review conversations for commitments made in both directions, you get two lists worth having: what customers agreed to, which tells you where the next meetings are, and what your team promised, which tells you what is about to go wrong if nobody keeps it.

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