The Sales Playbook
If you are an early-stage startup leader, CEO or founder this might be not on top of your mind.
Why?
It's time-consuming, doesn't impact (apparently) your revenue and you have limited resources.
Alright makes sense...but what are we talking about? Sales Playbook.
You share information in endless calls with your new hires and your teams.
Then the hours go by. You teach them (or think so) how to sell your product.
Then your team pick up what they want and what they have understood.
Finally, they go on calls and talk to your prospects but they say different things.
They struggle to understand the product and you struggle to understand why.
Now it's too late. They have a target and should be onboarded by now. Too late to go back and study the fundamentals.
They might leave. Start looking for another job. You go back to square one.
I can go on and on...
The main reason for this madness is always the same: there is no Sales Playbook.
Your team need guidance. Guidance comes from a written playbook. Something people can refer to whenever they want or need.
From the beginning, they must understand your company, product, and sales process and study it. They should have a document they can learn from and interact with.
How to Start
It's like a book. How do you start writing a book?
You set time apart. You write one chapter at a time. You revisit and make it better. You are consistent.
Do the same. Start writing the first part and do it in a way that is clear and personal. Not corporate.
How to Structure
It's at the centre of every onboarding, training, and coaching.
Store it online, use tools like Notion or Slite and make it accessible to all companies.
Prepare paragraphs and titles. Each one needs to be addressed. Now or later.
Company Overview
Products & Pricing
Sales Goals & Commissions
Sales Methodology
Sales Process
Ideal Customer Profile
Sales Best Practices
Sales Tools
Key Performance Indicators
Messaging
Resources
How to Maintain
It's a living document. Bookmark it and leave it open on your main screen. Every time there is a change in the process, update it.
Every time there is a new rule or process, update it.
Every time your company launch a new product, update it.
Also, remove the material that is not relevant anymore, and keep it fresh and up to date.
A well-written and maintained sales playbook can make all the difference. It provides clear structure and consistency to your sales process and equips your team with all the tools they need to be successful.
The hours you invest into this will be highly paid back.
