Brennan Ward · Deal Desk

Product

Deal Strategy Assistant

A Claude plugin for Deal Desk analysts on Salesforce. Every morning it reads the analyst's covered pipeline, picks the handful of deals that most need deal strategy help, explains what it sees and why it matters, and drafts the first message to the AE.

It is advisory only. It reads Salesforce and never writes to it. It drafts messages and never sends them.

Open the demo briefDemo walkthrough

How the brief works

  1. 1. Read. Pull every open opportunity in the analyst's coverage, with account, contract, case, Chatter, and field history. Optional: Slack, Gmail, meeting notes.
  2. 2. Score. Check each deal against 11 flags. Weight by amount, days to close, and whether Sales has already asked for help.
  3. 3. Pick. Surface up to five. Skip deals that already have a Deal Strategy case. Skip deals that were in yesterday's brief unless a fact changed.
  4. 4. Explain and draft. For each deal: the flags with their source records, why it matters, the recommended next step, and an unsent draft to the AE. The footer lists every check that was skipped and why.

The four skills

deal-desk-setup

Gets a new analyst from “installed” to a correct brief the next morning. The analyst gives a name. Coverage, the deal-support case rule, thresholds, and routing are proposed from Salesforce and confirmed, never typed into a blank form.

daily-deal-brief

Reads the covered pipeline every morning, scores open opportunities against 11 flags, and surfaces up to 5 that need deal strategy today, especially the ones Sales hasn't raised yet. A deal comes back only when a fact changed. Every claim cites its record.

deal-outreach-draft

Writes the first Slack message to the AE: the hook, why it helps the deal, one ask. Three to five sentences, Sales-first, no discount numbers on first touch. Saved as an unsent draft in the AE's DM.

deal-policy-watch

Keeps one sourced policy file current: discount guidance, approval thresholds, promotions with end dates, from the wiki, Slack, and policy-owner email. Conflicts are flagged for the analyst, never resolved by guessing.

The 11 flags

No engagement yetPE ownershipParent / affiliate pricingTax-exempt entityNon-standard askReset or renewal approachingTool consolidationCloud marketplacePartner involvementClose date slippingSignature path mismatch

Requires Salesforce. Optional: Slack, Gmail, a meeting-notes tool. Each missing connector is listed in the brief header with what the brief loses without it.

Demo walkthrough

One run against a fictional Salesforce Developer Edition org, 2026-09-26. 40 open deals reviewed, 5 surfaced. Every name and number is invented.

#DealAEFlagsPriorityWhat the brief recommends
1Halvorsen Energy — Expansion
$450K · closes 2026-09-29		Derek OlsenClose date slipping · No deal strategy engagementHIGHAsk Derek what the budget approval is contingent on. Offer a 90-day ramp on the new hosts so the order form can sign before the full amount is funded.
2Pinecrest Software — Platform New Logo
$330K · closes 2026-10-09		Priya RamanCloud marketplace route · Signature path mismatch · No deal strategy engagementHIGHLine up the marketplace paperwork now: confirm the AWS account ID, the private-offer terms, and who signs. Move the internal target to Sep 30.
3Lakeshore County — Platform New Logo
$410K · closes 2026-10-12		Maya ChenTax-exempt entity · Signature path mismatch · No deal strategy engagementHIGHSend Maya the vendor packet (W-9, insurance certificate, remit-to) and the exemption-certificate request today. Ask procurement whether they need a cooperative purchasing vehicle.
4Brightwater Logistics — Platform Subscription
$640K · closes 2026-10-28		Maya ChenPrivate equity ownership · Affiliate with pricing on file · Multi-year askMEDIUMBefore the 3-year proposal goes out, ask whether Harborline wants pricing that covers other portfolio companies. Structure the multi-year rate as a give against a sponsor-level commitment, not a standalone discount.
5Corvane Financial — Commitment Reset
$1150K · closes 2026-11-03		Priya RamanReset or renewal approaching · Consumption ahead of commitment · No deal strategy engagementMEDIUMPull nine months of usage and model the run rate forward. Bring Priya three reset options (12, 24, 36 months) before the kickoff so the customer's finance team hears a plan, not an overage bill.

Not surfaced: Lumenfield Media — Renewal (a Deal Strategy case is already open). Watching: Oakridge Mutual — Tool Consolidation; Tallis Retail — Expansion.

Sample outreach draft

Written by deal-outreach-draft for deal #4, saved as an unsent draft in the AE's DM.

Hi Maya — noticed Brightwater Logistics is a Harborline Capital Partners portfolio company, and Ridgeway Haulage (also Harborline) has been a customer since 2024. Might be worth asking your contact whether the sponsor wants pricing that covers other portcos, and Ridgeway could be a reference. Happy to help structure it before the proposal goes out. 15 minutes this week?

What it does: leads with the deal, names the fact and its source, offers help before the proposal goes out, and asks for 15 minutes. No discount numbers on first touch.

Architecture

Runtime

  • Claude plugin: four skills (Markdown instructions), three reference files (Salesforce field mapping, flag definitions, brief template).
  • Salesforce via MCP connector, read-only SOQL: Opportunity, Account, Contract, Case, FeedItem, OpportunityFieldHistory, OpportunityTeamMember.
  • Slack via MCP connector: drafts only, never sends.
  • Scheduled run each morning. Output is one screen per deal; an empty day is a valid answer.

Guardrails

  • No writes to Salesforce. No messages sent. No discount numbers in a first-touch draft.
  • Every claim cites a record ID, a Chatter post, or an email. If it can't be cited, it isn't stated.
  • Missing connectors and skipped checks are listed in every brief, not hidden.
  • Policy conflicts are flagged for the analyst, never resolved by guessing.

What it shows

Pitch video

Coming soon. A three-minute walkthrough of one morning's brief.