Sales Process Playbook vs Sales Messaging Playbook
A common mistake is viewing sales playbooks as primarily about what to do – defining sales processes, planning disciples that will enable a “specific play” or help a new sales person get on-boarded. Many sales playbooks heavily emphasize “What to Know” and “What to Do” like a tactical sports playbook. That is good information, however, focusing solely on process only partially equips salespeople for their daily activities.
Salespeople crave content and tools beyond “What to do.” They are looking for the “What to Say” and “What to Show” – content and tools that help answer these questions:
What do I need to know about the industry? The solution? The customer or specific audience?
What’s the ideal talk track?
How do I differentiate and share insights that will increase my credibility and influence the customer?
What do I show during the customer meeting? A whiteboard? Slides? Infographic? Video?
What’s missing in a typical sales process playbook is messaging. Marketing teams appreciate the consistency created across the sales team when Sales Playbooks include guidance on “What to Say” and “What to Show,” and individual salespeople appreciate being equipped with practical content that they can use in their next meeting.
To read more on how to create your next Sales Playbook, read "What Is a Sales Playbook"
