If you’re selling to big companies, you already know deals don’t move themselves. You’re juggling documents, timelines, stakeholder lists, and a never-ending stream of emails. Most “deal room” tools claim to make things easier, but a lot of them just add another layer of hassle. This guide is for anyone who’s actually tasked with setting up and running custom deal rooms for enterprise clients using Buyerassist—and needs a real, step-by-step playbook that skips the fluff.
Let’s be honest: Buyerassist can be powerful, but only if you set it up to match how your team sells and how your buyers actually work. Here’s how to do it without getting lost in the weeds.
Step 1: Know What a Custom Deal Room Actually Is (and Isn’t)
Before you start clicking around, it’s worth defining what you really need. In Buyerassist, a deal room is just a shared online workspace for you and your customer. It’s meant to organize documents, action items, and conversations in one place—so everyone can see what’s happening, what’s next, and (hopefully) avoid the endless back-and-forth.
What it’s good for: - Sharing assets (proposals, contracts, demos) with buyers - Tracking action items and deadlines - Keeping all communications about a deal in one spot - Showing buyers “what’s next” and who’s responsible
What it’s not good for: - Replacing your CRM (keep using Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.—this is a complement, not a replacement) - Deep analytics (Buyerassist reports are helpful but not a BI tool) - Automating bad sales processes (if your team isn’t aligned, a deal room won’t fix that)
Step 2: Map Your Buyer’s Journey (Before You Touch the Tool)
Custom deal rooms work best if they actually reflect how your buyers want to buy—not just how you want to sell. If you skip this, you’ll end up with a Frankenstein’s monster of tabs and checklists nobody uses.
Do this first: - List out each step your typical buyer takes (“Demo requested,” “Security review,” “Legal redlines,” etc.) - Note who’s involved at each stage—your side and theirs - Identify what assets or info buyers need at each step
Pro tip: Talk to your last 2-3 enterprise customers. Ask what slowed them down and what helped. Build your deal room around those real bottlenecks.
Step 3: Set Up Your Buyerassist Workspace
Log into Buyerassist and head to your main dashboard. If you’re doing this for the first time, keep it simple—don’t try to automate everything or force every feature into your process.
Create a new deal room: 1. Click “Create Deal Room” (or similar button—Buyerassist changes UI sometimes, so look for anything labeled “New Room” or “+”). 2. Give your room a clear name. Use the client’s real name, not a code (“Acme Corp Q2 Security Platform” beats “DEAL-00291”). 3. Assign internal owners. Make sure someone on your team is the primary point of contact.
Templates: Use or Ignore? - Buyerassist comes with templates for deal rooms. They’re fine for ideas, but don’t be afraid to start from scratch. - Most templates are too generic for real enterprise deals. You’ll save time by customizing up front.
Step 4: Build Out the Deal Room Structure
This is where most people overcomplicate things. Focus on what your buyers care about—clear steps, clear documents, clear owners.
Core sections to include: - Welcome/Overview: Short intro, summary of what’s in the room, and how to use it. (Don’t write a novel—2-3 lines is enough.) - Timeline & Next Steps: Visual tracker or checklist with key milestones (e.g., “Demo scheduled,” “PO sent,” “Contract review”). - Document Library: Upload only what’s relevant. Group files by topic (Legal, Security, Pricing, etc.). - Action Items: Assign tasks with deadlines. Make sure both sides can see who owns what. - Key Contacts: List everyone involved, with roles and preferred contact info.
Optional add-ons: - Q&A or Discussion thread: Useful if buyers like to ask questions inside the room. - Custom tabs for specific needs: (e.g., integration checklists, onboarding plans)
What to skip: - Overly granular task lists (“Email sent to Jane at 2:01 PM”) - Embedding endless product videos nobody watches - Forcing buyers to log in just to view a PDF—make access simple
Step 5: Invite Your Buyer (and Make It Easy)
No matter how slick your deal room is, buyers won’t use it if access is a pain. Buyerassist lets you invite users with email links—make sure you: - Double-check their emails (typos kill momentum) - Send a short, direct note explaining why you’re using the deal room (“This is where we’ll keep all key docs and next steps in one place so nothing slips”) - Set permissions thoughtfully—don’t give buyers admin rights unless you want things deleted
Caution: Some large companies block unfamiliar platforms or links. Always have a backup plan (e.g., email docs if needed), and don’t force the issue if their IT team pushes back.
Step 6: Customize and Iterate as the Deal Progresses
Things change in every deal. The best deal rooms aren’t set-it-and-forget-it—they evolve as new info comes in.
What to do: - Update timelines and action items in real time (don’t let the room get stale) - Add new sections or documents when buyers ask (“Can you add a security FAQ?”—just do it) - Remove clutter. If an asset or checklist is no longer relevant, archive it.
Avoid: - Using the deal room as a dumping ground for every file—keep it tight - Copy-pasting the same structure for every client (customize based on what this buyer actually needs)
Step 7: Track Engagement Without Getting Creepy
Buyerassist gives you visibility into what’s been viewed, downloaded, or ignored. Use this info to help—not to micromanage.
Good uses: - Spotting when buyers are stuck (“They haven’t opened the contract—maybe legal is holding things up”) - Nudging when needed (“Just wanted to check if you had a chance to review the security doc in the deal room”)
What not to do: - Calling out buyers for not clicking every link (“I saw you didn’t open the demo video—did you not like it?” is a great way to annoy people) - Using analytics as your only signal—sometimes buyers download everything at once and go silent for a reason
Step 8: Closing Out the Deal Room
Once the deal is closed (won or lost), wrap up the room so it doesn’t become a zombie workspace.
How to close cleanly: - Archive important documents for compliance - Remove access for external users - Send a quick thank you note—“Thanks for working with us in this deal room. If you need anything else, just reach out.”
If you’re moving into onboarding, you can clone or repurpose the deal room to keep the transition smooth.
Pro Tips and Honest Lessons Learned
- Less is more: Don’t create a deal room just because you can. Use it for deals that are big, complex, or have lots of stakeholders.
- Get buyer buy-in early: If your champion inside the buyer’s org isn’t on board, adoption will be dead on arrival.
- Keep it human: Automations are fine, but deals close because of people, not checklists.
- Be ready for pushback: Some buyers will never use your deal room. Don’t force it—just keep your process flexible.
Wrapping Up: Start Simple, Iterate Often
The best custom deal rooms are the simplest ones that actually get used. Don’t aim for perfection on day one. Set up something basic, see where buyers engage (or don’t), and tweak as you go. If you keep the process anchored on what actually helps your buyers move forward, you’ll save everyone time—and close more deals.
Now, go set up your first deal room, keep it straightforward, and don’t let the tool get in the way of the relationship.