The Two Plans Framework (Process Plan + Agreement Plan)
Remove confusion with a process plan and alleviate fear with an agreement plan
The Two Plans Framework addresses the gap between a customer's interest in your brand and their willingness to commit money. Even after a customer likes and trusts a brand, making a purchase feels risky. Miller uses the metaphor of a rushing creek: the customer wants what is on the other side, but they can hear a waterfall downstream. Without stepping stones, they will not cross.
There are two types of plans that serve as stepping stones. The process plan clarifies the steps a customer must take to buy or use a product, removing confusion. The agreement plan is a list of commitments the brand makes to alleviate the customer's fears. Both can be combined, and both should be given a name that increases perceived value (e.g., 'The Easy Installation Plan' or 'Our Quality Guarantee').
Process plans should have three to six steps. They can be pre-purchase steps (Schedule an appointment, Allow us to create a customized plan, Execute the plan together), post-purchase steps (Download the software, Integrate your database, Revolutionize your customer interaction), or a combination of both. Agreement plans work like CarMax's four-point promise: no haggling, quality certification, and no-commission salespeople.
- Customers trust a guide who has a plan.
- Process plans eliminate confusion; agreement plans eliminate fear.
- Even obvious steps must be spelled out, because what is obvious to you is not obvious to your customer.
- Having more than six steps may add confusion rather than reduce it; simplify into phases if needed.
- Naming your plan increases its perceived value and makes it memorable.
- Identify Customer Confusion PointsMap the customer's journey and identify where they might hesitate due to uncertainty about what to do next. These are the spots where you are losing potential buyers.Pro tipAsk your sales team what questions customers most frequently ask before making a purchase. These questions reveal the confusion points your plan must address.
- Create a Process Plan (3-6 Steps)Write out three to six clear, simple steps that guide the customer from interest to purchase and/or from purchase to successful use. Each step should be actionable and concrete. Examples: (1) Schedule an appointment, (2) Allow us to create a customized plan, (3) Execute the plan together.Pro tipCombine pre-purchase and post-purchase steps when helpful: (1) Test-drive a car, (2) Purchase the car, (3) Enjoy free maintenance for life.WarningIf your process has more than six steps, group them into phases. Bombarding customers with too many steps decreases buying.
- Create an Agreement PlanList every fear your customer might have about doing business with you, then create a counter-commitment for each fear. Package these commitments into a named agreement such as 'Our Customer Satisfaction Agreement' or 'Our Quality Guarantee.'Pro tipAgreement plans can also express shared values with customers, like Whole Foods's commitment to socially and environmentally responsible sourcing.WarningAgreement plans often work in the background; they do not need to be on your home page but should be accessible as customers get to know you.
- Name Your PlansGive each plan a title that increases perceived value. 'The Easy Installation Plan,' 'The World's Best Night's Sleep Plan,' or 'Our Quality Guarantee' all frame the plan as something substantial and valuable in the customer's mind.Pro tipA titled plan feels like a proprietary system rather than a generic set of instructions, which increases trust and perceived expertise.
CarMax created a four-point agreement addressing every fear customers have about buying used cars: no haggling over price, quality certification for every vehicle, no commission-based sales pressure, and a renewal process to ensure reliability.
A garage storage company was losing sales because customers hovered over the Buy Now button wondering if the system would work for their space, how hard it would be to install, and whether it would sit unopened in boxes. The company added three simple steps: (1) Measure your space, (2) Order the items that fit, (3) Install in minutes using basic tools.
Miller observed that in nearly every movie, the guide gives the hero a plan. Rocky has a training regimen. Tommy Boy has a national sales trip. Without a plan, the hero wanders and the story stalls. He applied this to business after seeing that even when customers loved a brand, they would not buy because the path to purchase was unclear. He found that spelling out three to six simple steps dramatically increased conversion rates, even when the steps seemed painfully obvious to the business owner.
The agreement plan concept was inspired by CarMax's strategy of resolving the internal fear of used-car shopping by making explicit promises, and by Newt Gingrich's 'Contract with America,' which turned standard talking points into a list-based agreement that galvanized voter action.