The first thing that the business analyst should do before a future state is proposed to key stakeholders is to hold a kickoff meeting to set expectations with the project team. A kickoff meeting is an important step in initiating a Salesforce project, as it helps to establish the project vision, goals, scope, roles, responsibilities, communication plan, and success criteria. A kickoff meeting also helps to build rapport and trust among the project team members, as well as identify any potential risks or issues that may affect the project delivery.
References:
https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/salesforce-business-analyst-certification-prep/project-initi