eol-internal-enablement

Build an internal enablement pack before the announcement date: a support FAQ organized by what customers ask, sales talking points with an honest comparison table, objection handling using Acknowledge-Reframe-Offer, and a named escalation ladder. Set an enablement-complete date that precedes the announcement.

Organize it by the six questions customers always ask: what is happening, what it means for them, their options, their data, their contract, and when support ends. Keep answers to one or two honest, specific sentences, and include the escalation path with named owners at the end.

Use the Acknowledge-Reframe-Offer pattern: validate the frustration, give the honest reason or genuine upside, then offer a concrete pre-approved accommodation. Cover the five predictable objections, including recent renewals, missing features, churn threats, trust concerns, and exception requests.

Enablement must be complete before the announcement date, never the same morning. If the two dates are not separated on the plan, they collapse in practice and Support learns about the sunset from angry customers instead of from the prepared materials.

Level 1 produces only a support FAQ for feature deprecations. Level 2, the default, adds sales talking points, objection handling, and an escalation playbook for commercial products. Level 3 adds channel partner briefs and training outlines for revenue-critical or regulated products.