If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve been tasked with building a sales playbook for your company. Congrats on the responsibility! It’s a big undertaking, but don’t worry, you’ve got this.
We’re going to cover a lot of content in this article, so here is an overview:
- Before you begin
- Define your target market
- Define your value proposition
- Develop sales script and messaging
- Create a sales process map
- Define your key performance indicators (KPI’s)
- Outline your sales training and onboarding program
- Create a territory and quota plan
- Establish sales enablement resources
Let’s dive in!
Before you begin building your sales playbook
Before you start pounding out those pages, there are a few key questions you should ask yourself and your team in order to get the most comprehensive and effective sales playbook possible.
If you’re fortunate enough to already have customers, the answers to these questions will inform the information that you’ll look to include in your sales playbook.
- How are you feeling about your current sales strategy? Is it working for you or do you feel like you need to try something different?
- Can you tell me about a recent sales call or meeting that went really well? What made it successful?
- On the flip side, can you tell me about a sales call or meeting that didn’t go as well as you’d hoped? What could you have done differently?
- How do you handle objections from potential clients? Do you have any go-to techniques or strategies?
- How do you prioritize your sales leads? What factors do you consider when deciding which ones to focus on first?
- How do you build rapport with potential clients? Do you have any tips or tricks for quickly establishing a connection?
- How do you handle difficult or unreasonable clients? Do you have any strategies for diffusing tense situations or finding common ground?
- How do you stay up-to-date on your industry and the products or services you’re selling? Do you have any go-to sources for staying informed?
- How do you track your progress and measure your success as a salesperson? What metrics do you use to gauge your performance?
- Can you tell me about a particularly challenging sales opportunity that you worked on and how you eventually closed the deal?
- How do you build and maintain relationships with your clients over the long-term? Do you have any tips for keeping in touch and staying top-of-mind with your network?
- How do you prepare for sales meetings or calls? Do you have a specific process or routine that you follow?
- How do you ensure that you’re meeting your sales targets and quotas? Do you have any strategies for staying on track and hitting your numbers?
- Can you tell me about a time when you had to pivot your sales strategy mid-pitch? How did you adapt and what was the outcome?
- What are our company’s core values and how do they influence the way we sell?
Answering these questions will give you a great foundation for your sales playbook. You might also want to check out these “10 Questions Every Sales Manager Should Ask Their Reps” article for more inspo.
With that in the bank, let’s get the good stuff; actually building your sales playbook!
Define your target market
Okay, so if you want to write a top-notch sales playbook that’s going to help your team close more deals and make more moolah, the first thing you need to do is get to know your ideal customers like the back of your hand. I’m talking about understanding their needs, pain points, and everything else that makes them tick. By really getting to know your ideal customers, you’ll be able to tailor your sales approach and messaging to better meet their needs and speak directly to their wants and desires. And let’s be real, who doesn’t love feeling like they’re being talked to directly? It’s like when someone remembers your coffee order at the local cafe – it just feels good, ya know? So take some time to get to know your ideal customers and you’ll be well on your way to building a killer sales playbook.
Define your product or service value proposition
If you’re going to convince your potential customers to buy from you, you need to be crystal clear on what makes your product or service worth their time and money. This is where your value proposition comes in. A value proposition is essentially a statement that outlines the unique benefits and value that your product or service offers to customers. It’s essentially your elevator pitch, but in written form. So, it’s important to spend some time thinking about what sets your product or service apart from the competition and how it can solve your customers’ problems or meet their needs in a way that others can’t.
Once you have a clear and compelling value proposition, you’ll be able to use it as a guiding force in your sales messaging and strategy, and will become the backbone of your sales playbook.
Develop your sales script and messaging
Having a clear and consistent sales script and messaging is key to effectively communicating your value proposition and closing deals. Your sales script should outline the main points you want to cover during a sales call or presentation. This should include basic things like introducing yourself and your company, as well as highlighting the benefits of your product or service. As you elevate your team, think about addressing any objections or concerns the prospect may have and include those too.
Crafting a compelling and persuasive sales script takes time and practice, but it’s well worth the effort. A good script will help you win more business, but it will help you close deals more efficiently too. So don’t skimp on this step! Take the time to really nail down your sales script and messaging, and you’ll see the payoff in your results.
Create a sales process map
Your sales process map is the step-by-step guide for how you and your team will approach sales from start to finish. It should include everything from how you generate leads and make initial contact with prospects, to how you close the deal and follow up with customers post-purchase.
By developing a clear and concise sales process map, you can ensure that your team is on the same page and working towards the same goals in the same ways. Plus, it can help you identify any bottlenecks or areas for improvement in your sales process. So don’t skimp on this step – it’s crucial to the success of your sales playbook!
Define your key performance indicators (KPI’s)
Your key performance indicators (KPIs) are the metrics you use to measure the success of your sales team. These could include things like the number of deals closed, the value of those deals, the number of new customers acquired, or the percentage of deals won versus lost. By defining your KPIs, you can track the progress of your sales team and identify areas for improvement. You can also use your KPIs to set goals and incentives for your team, helping to drive motivation and improve performance.
As you develop your sales playbook, it’s important to take the time to think about what your most important KPIs are and how you will track them. This will help you stay focused on the metrics that matter most to your business and ensure that your sales team is aligned with your overall goals.
Outline your sales training and onboarding program
It’s time to get nerdy and define your sales training and onboarding program! This is where you’ll outline all the steps new reps need to take to get up to speed and become experts at selling your product or service. Don’t forget to include any asynchronous video training materials you’ve recorded with the help of www.re-view.ai – these can be super helpful for reps to reference as they’re learning the ropes.
And don’t be afraid to get creative with your training program. Consider using gamification or role-playing to make things more interactive and engaging for your reps. The more invested reps are in the training process, the more likely they are to retain the information and put it into action on the job.
Create a territory and quota plan
If your company is on the larger side, it’s important to have a well-defined territory and quota plan in place. This helps to ensure that your sales team is targeting the right customers and that they have clear goals to work towards.
A territory and quota plan can be created by mapping out your target geographies and dividing it into regions or territories. Each territory should then have specific quotas or goals that the sales reps in that region are responsible for hitting. This can help to keep your sales team focused, and ensure that your company is hitting its revenue goals. As always, it’s important to regularly review and adjust your plan to ensure that it’s still in line with your company’s goals and needs as you grow.
Establish sales enablement resources
As a sales manager, it’s important to make sure your team has the resources they need to be successful. This includes things like sales collateral, case studies, product demos, and other materials that can help your reps sell more effectively. By establishing a sales enablement program, you can ensure that your reps always have the right resources at their fingertips and can quickly and easily access the information they need to close deals. A great way to do this is to create a central repository of sales enablement resources that your reps can access anytime, anywhere. Tools like Showpad and Highspot make it easy to create and manage a sales enablement library, so be sure to check them out if you’re looking to step up your sales enablement game.
What’s the summary of building a sales playbook?
Building a sales playbook may seem like a daunting task, but with the right plan and a lot of hard work, you’ll be able to put together a comprehensive guide that will help your sales team succeed. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and don’t be afraid to pivot if you find that certain strategies or tactics aren’t working. And remember, always be willing to try new things and stay open to learning – after all, that’s what sales is all about.
Happy selling!