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Sales Playbook
Sales Planning Manager
<presenter name>
<Email>
<Date>

1
We would like to develop a Sales Playbook to increase the
retention and effectiveness of new hires

Situation

•  Currently, we provide limited sales process training or

roadmaps to members of the Sales Organization
•  Best practices exist throughout the organization, but
have not been documented into a consistent framework
for pursuing business with customers Key Question
•  A variety of sales tools exist, but have not been
effectively integrated to the sales process How can we work to
create and
institutionalize a world-
Complication class Sales Playbook
within the Sales
•  Trend towards sales force working with larger, more Organization?
complex accounts
•  Number of new hires are at all time highs, thus
increasing the need for efficient on-boarding
•  Current on-boarding process is being updated, and the
lack of sales process training has been identified as a
need

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Contents

Where we are and where we should go

How do we get there?

Cost and Benefit

Appendix

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 Key stages are in place but the underlying participants,
activities, and tools, are unclear

Key Stages Solution

Propose Impleme
Identify
The miletones of the d Pending Closed nt
Opportu
sales process have and Sale Win and
nity
been identified Presente Fulfill
d

Do I use the call What should I be

Do I introduce doing to help
Sales Process planner from that
the contract or
training last advance this
Mapping the assessment opportunity to
week?
first? the next stage?
Currently, the
participants, activities
I m new and my
and tools are unclear account is marked When do I engage help
as Pending Sale, from Home Office?
what does that
mean?

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 The lack of a Develop Solution stage in the current sales cycle
indicates the key stages also need refinement

Current Sales Cycle

Identify Develop Pending Closed Implement

Opportunity Solution? Sale Win and Fulfill

Illustration of a more common Sales Cycle

Identify

Implement
Tailor Value
Needs,
Target Develop Proposition Negotiate Maximize
Priorities &
& Select Solution(s) & Prove & Close Value
Opportuniti
Solution
es

Help client Help client Develop, articulate Trade-off value for Reinforce value
determine their develop best & prove offering price
needs & priorities solution(s) Identify & pursue
Differentiate in new value
Understand key meaningful ways creation
decision makers & opportunities
personal wins

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 Effective sales processes document key stages, activities,
participants, tools, and milestones

Identify Identify Identify Identify

Stage

A: Profile account B: Prepare Account Plan C: Verify Account D: Finalize Action Plan
Potential

•  Assess historical & current •  Complete Client Profile in •  Review Discovery •  Update and refine account
relationship with firm account plan Questions plan document
•  Research account s •  Identify key client personnel •  Prepare Discovery meeting •  Determine and prioritize
Activities

financial position, •  Schedule discovery agenda Single Sales Opportunities

competitive landscape, & meetings with key client •  Hold meetings with key •  Update & refine action plan
strategy personnel client personnel •  Review account plan with
•  Make strategic calls for •  Review Client profile with •  Identify Key Business Sales Manager
further discovery Service Center Manager Issues •  Answer unresolved
•  Query other Divisions for •  Perform additional account questions
info research
•  Responsible: Sales •  Responsible: Sales •  Responsible: Sales •  Responsible: Sales
Participants

Professional Professional, Service Professional Professional

•  Resource: AR, Sales Center Manager •  Resource: Sales Manager, •  Resource: Sales Manager,
Reporting, Service Center •  Resource: Sales Manager, Peers Peers, Solutions Group
Team Members Peers, District Manager

•  OneSource •  Sales Knowledge •  Discovery Questions •  Account plan document

•  CRM / SFA Community •  Meeting Agenda •  Guidelines for Single Sales
Tools

•  AR Reports •  Value Proposition Training •  Six Critical Skills Training Opportunities

•  Publicly available financial •  Account plan document •  Key Business Issue Tool •  Guidelines for engaging
reports •  Discovery Questions Solutions Group

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 Each stage in the customer buying process presents an
opportunity to create value

Customer Buying Process

Recognize Evaluate Resolve

Purchase Implement
Needs Options Concerns

Transactional Buyer
Customer has fully Customer is aware Customer has few Seller can help Customer knows
defined needs & of options & relevant issues or concerns make purchase how to use product
problems decision criteria cheap & painless

Consultative Buyer
Seller can create Design customized Counsel customers Help make Advise & problem
value by helping solutions & help & help resolve purchase easy & solve rollout issues
customers define make informed concerns painless
needs choices

Adapted from Rethinking the Sales Force , Neil Rackham & John De Vincentis

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A well-designed sales process links the customer
decision-making process with fundamental selling steps

Situational Awareness
1 •  Do we have a problem or opportunity?
Understand •  How large is it?
Cognition •  Does it justify action?
Thinking •  What does the utopian solution look like?

Generate Alternative Solutions

2 •  What are my options?
•  What decision criteria should we use?
Generate
Divergent •  What are the risks?
Thinking •  What if it goes wrong?

3 Select Best Solution

•  Which option best meets our criteria?
Select Best
Convergent •  Can we trust these people?
Thinking •  Did we make the right decision?
•  Are we getting value from this decision?
Adapted from J. P. Guilford s The Nature of Human Intelligence •  How quickly will we see results?

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Sales force tools must be integrated into a sales process
and aligned with the value proposition

Understand needs,
priorities, personal Account
wins , profile
•  Thought provoking, not bureaucratic Profiling tool

Tailor complete value

offering to align with account •  Easy starting point Value Demo Solution
tool Selection Tool
profile and needs •  Comprehensive

Work collaboratively with •  Disciplined

Support resources to build Deal Building
•  Comprehensive Plan
deal scenarios
•  Recognizes market conditions

Negotiate and help •  Transparent tradeoffs Market Market

customer make appropriate
•  Apples vs. oranges Offereing Offereing
tradeoffs Scenario A Scenario B
•  Alignment with their needs

Relentlessly reinforce
value being delivered, drive •  Insight, not data Account
Review Tool
performance, and entrench •  Actively help them comply
relationship

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A newly defined sales process would be assembled into a
Playbook and presented in multi-media

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Contents

Where we are and where we should go

How do we get there?

Cost and Benefit

Appendix

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Field Sales Teams will be involved in the development of the Sales
Playbook so this does not happen

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It is important that we understand what we want to accomplish
by institutionalizing the Sales Playbook

The clear intention is NOT to… …but rather to…

•  Add structure to an often black box and

inconsistently applied practice

•  Add yet more bureaucracy

•  Increase clarity and transparency for all
and hassle involved in customer relationship
management

•  Teach us how to sell

•  Act as a thought stimulator and guide
•  Template of the week
•  Provide an anchor around which to
coach, plan for call advances , develop
enablers, and execute the our selling
model

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The Sales Playbook can be developed in six weeks and ready for
launch at the Annual Company Meeting

Phase I Phase II Phase III

Assess Buying Process Construct Sales Gain Commitment to
and Best Practices Playbook Rollout Plan
2 weeks 3 weeks 1 week
Key Activities: Key Activities: Key Activities:
•  Conduct immersion interviews •  Consolidate research and •  Develop preliminary rollout plan
with stakeholders to identify interviews into preliminary Sales
needs & requirements •  Revise rollout plan with Core
Playbook blueprint Team
•  Review current sales process
materials, tools, & customer •  Refine Sales Playbook through 2 •  Meet with Steering Committee to
research working sessions gain approval for rollout plan
•  Conduct 1-on-1 interviews with •  Identify any change management
top performers to uncover challenges Deliverables:
customer buying process and
sales process best practices •  Rollout plan; including activities,
Deliverables: timeline, & responsibilities
•  Final Sales Playbook content •  Identify requirements for possible
Deliverables:
integration to Knowledge
•  Proposed Sales Playbook Community
template / format
•  Summary of immersion insights

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 Roles & responsibilities will be led by the Project
Management Team (PMT)

Steering Committee
Role
•  Name, Title
•  Name, Title •  Approve recommendations
•  Facilitate access to people/resources
•  Name, Title •  Champion project

Subject Matter Experts Core Team Project Mgmt Team (PMT)

•  Name, Title •  Name, Title •  Name, Title

•  Name, Title •  Name, Title •  Name, Title
•  Name, Title •  Name, Title •  Name, Title
•  Name, Title •  Name, Title •  Name, Title
•  Name, Title •  Name, Title •  Name, Title
•  Name, Title •  Name, Title •  Name, Title
Role Role Role
•  Describe customer buying •  Attend project work sessions •  Integrate best practices into
process •  Develop & endorse recommendation
•  Share best practices recommendations •  Facilitate meetings
•  Provide point expertise •  Prepare rollout plan •  Provide point expertise

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Key meetings are crucial to achieving a very tight timeframe

Meeting Objectives Participants Format & Timing

Core Team Kickoff •  Introduce project plan & objectives Core Team 2-hour meeting or
•  Discuss characteristics of a good sales PMT conference call
process May 5
Immersion Interviews •  Uncover customer buying process SMEs 1-on-1 interviews with
•  Capture selling process best practices & Select Core Team PMT
improvement ideas members 1-2 hours, in person or
•  Assess variability & change management over phone
challenges Weeks of 5/8 – 5/22
Core Team •  Agree to high-level sales stages as a full team Core Team 1-day meeting in Dallas
Worksession 1 •  In breakout groups, refine sales process steps PMT May 18 or 19

Core Team •  Review & refine integrated Sales Playbook Core Team 1-day meeting in Dallas
Worksession 2 proposal PMT Week of 5/29 or 6/5
•  Develop Rollout Plan
Recommendations •  Present Sales Playbook & rollout plan to Steering Committee ½-day meeting in Dallas
Meeting Steering Committee Core Team Week of 6/5 or 6/12
•  Gain support for next steps PMT

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Contents

Where we are and where we should go

How do we get there?

Cost and Benefit

Appendix

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Total cost for this project is XXXX,XX

Project-
Project Costs
hours
Activity xxx xxxx,xx
Activity xxx xxxx,xx
Activity xxx xxxx,xx
Activity xx xxxx,xx
Activity xxx xxxx,xx
Activity xxx xxxxx,xx
Activity xxx xxxxx,xx
Activity xxxx xxxxxx,xx
Activity xx xxx,xx
Activity xx xxxx,xx
Activity xxx xxxx,xx
Total xxxx xxxxxx,xx

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 An effective Sales Process will provide benefits to multiple
constituents

•  More effective use of time •  Improved responsiveness

to client needs
•  Improved pipeline productivity
•  Development of unique
•  Less confusion over roles solutions
•  Better team communication •  Consensus on the best
solution
•  Targeted tools and sales aids
•  Consistency and clarity of
•  More knowledge sharing message
•  Enables better decision-making

•  Foundation for sales training •  Increased earnings

•  Guidance for new sales reps

•  Establishes consistent language

(improves clarity)

•  Help prioritize and address sales

force needs

•  Improved pipeline assessment

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Contents

Where we are and where we should go

How do we get there?

Cost and Benefit

Appendix

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Coaching Tools will need to be developed that coincide with
each step of the Sales Playbook

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eBrochures will be used to gain client interest early in the
sales cycle

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Developing Client Questionnaires will ensure a consultative
approach is taken

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A clear Analysis Grid will allow a Sales Rep to transfer information
gathered into a high value solution

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Proposal Templates must be standardized and aligned to the
Analysis Grid

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Sales Presentations will need to present the value
proposition in simple terms

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Business Review Presentations reinforce value provided for the
client throughout the sales cycle

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Email Templates make sure we are sending a consistent
message to our clients all the time

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