Implementing a Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) solution for the buy-side makes sense for most organizations and is often a business priority. However, what if organizations prioritized the sell-side as well? Rather than focusing on risk mitigation and cost savings, a CLM solution for sales accelerates revenue generation in a very visible way.

Sales leaders are often frustrated with contracts reviews, and they need to move contracts faster and more efficiently. CLM improves sales processes by closing deals faster. Along with procurement, reporting on the ROI of your CLM implementation focuses on a faster path to revenue since contracting delays often result in significant revenue losses. To alleviate user concerns about adopting a CLM for sell side contracts, organizations can overcome roadblocks by integrating a CLM into their Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system and use playbooks.

Why Consider Sell-Side CLM To Drive Efficiency and System Adoption?

As noted above, buy-side CLM improves cost savings for many organizations. However, more value is gained from the tool when coupled with sell-side contracting. Automation and process visibility support faster closing of sales agreements, preventing missed quarterly targets.

Delays in contracts reviews often result in significant revenue losses. Stuck sales contracts during the quarter-end crunch lead to missed revenue targets. For example, a fast-growing IT services company missed three quarters due to slow contracts review times, resulting in $1 million to $2 million in lost revenue per quarter.

Data-driven sales teams rely on CRM systems such as Salesforce and MS Dynamics. Some organizations may hesitate to connect a CLM to a CRM due to the complexity of the latter, and challenges with effective system integration, while Legal may express concerns over losing control.

As with buy-side CLM, designing a system in close collaboration with key procurement stakeholders is key. Early in the process, be sure to partner with sales teams to understand their challenges.

Streamline Review With Playbooks 

Playbooks are powerful tools for sales teams dealing with customer paper. Instead of waiting days for legal review, AI clause libraries and negotiation guidance will quickly redline NDAs and MSAs, even when the contract starts from the customer’s template. This accelerates deal cycles while ensuring compliance with company standards and freeing up legal resources for more complex negotiations. The result is a faster contract turnaround, higher sales velocity, and improved customer experience.

AI enables legal teams to build negotiation playbooks without burning out senior counsel or overspending on external firms. This unlocks scalable CLM and empowers sales to close deals faster.

From Missed Targets to Measurable Wins: A CLM Re-Implementation Case Study

An international construction equipment firm struggled with a failed CLM rollout due to a focus on legal-only aspects and a lack of CRM integration. The re-implementation with CRM resulted in higher sales throughput, greater transparency, and data-driven reporting. These key performance metrics are valuable to all organizations, including: 

Percentage of Deals Closed in the Target Quarter 

This metric serves as a direct indicator of sales performance and forecasting accuracy. By tracking the proportion of deals that are successfully closed within the intended quarter, organizations assess how well the sales team is executing against planned targets. A high percentage suggests strong pipeline management and effective deal progression, while a lower figure may point to delays, misaligned priorities, or inefficiencies in the sales process. This insight is critical for quarterly business reviews and supports leadership in making informed decisions about resource allocation, coaching needs, and process improvements.

Sales Team CLM Satisfaction and Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Understanding how the sales team perceives the CLM system is essential for driving adoption and optimizing workflows. The Net Promoter Score (NPS) reflects how likely team members are to recommend the CLM tool to peers. In turn, this signals usability, reliability, and the impact it has on day-to-day operations. A high satisfaction score correlates with faster deal cycles and fewer errors, while a low score reveals pain points such as poor integration, lack of training, or cumbersome approval processes. Regularly measuring this metric ensures that the CLM system evolves in alignment with user needs and business goals.

Time-To-Contracts Reduction

This metric measures efficiency in reducing the time it takes to finalize contracts. By measuring the average time it takes to move from contract initiation to final signature, organizations pinpoint areas where delays occur, whether in legal review, negotiation, or approvals. A reduction in time-to-contract accelerates revenue recognition while enhancing the customer experience by minimizing friction. It’s a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for both legal and sales teams, especially when implementing new technologies or process automation within the CLM system.

Revenue Generated by Legal

Traditionally viewed as a cost center, the legal department’s contribution to revenue is often underappreciated. This metric flips that narrative by attributing revenue to deals where legal played a pivotal role, such as negotiating favorable terms, mitigating risk, or expediting complex agreements. Tracking this impact quantifies the value of legal in driving business outcomes. It also supports budget justification for legal tech investments and fosters stronger collaboration between teams.

Comparison Between Standard and Non-Standard Contracts

This metric supports your team’s understanding of the impact of different types of contracts on the sales process. This includes how deviations from standard templates affect deal velocity, risk exposure, and customer satisfaction. Standard contracts typically streamline the process, requiring fewer approvals and less legal intervention. CLM platforms play a critical role in managing standard contracts by automating workflows, enforcing template consistency, and ensuring compliance with predefined terms. In contrast, non-standard contracts may introduce complexity, delay, and risk. However, they also unlock higher-value deals. By analyzing performance across these contract types, teams refine playbooks, improve negotiation strategies, and determine when customization is worth the trade-off.

CLM Empowers Measurable Wins

These metrics emphasize the importance of customizing the CLM process to fit the needs of your sales team and working closely with them to ensure success.

CLM implementation isn’t just a legal or procurement initiative, it’s a strategic catalyst for accelerating sales. By integrating CLM with CRM systems and aligning with sales workflows, organizations reduce contracts delays, improve time-to-revenue, and unlock measurable performance gains. Whether you’re rethinking your current approach or starting fresh, prioritizing sell-side CLM implementation transforms missed targets into measurable wins and positions your sales team for sustained success.

Learn more about Epiq Contracts Solutions. 
 

Spencer Ellsworth, Director, Contracts Solutions, Epiq
Spencer Ellsworth has spent over 18 years in the technology industry, holding positions in IT/tech support, computer maintenance, technical writing, training, software development, hardware/software implementation, and integration. He currently serves as a Director in the Contract Solutions practice at Epiq, supporting selections and implementations of Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) tools.