If you’re managing a sales team or running a sales process, you’ve probably heard about playbooks—those step-by-step guides reps are supposed to follow on calls. Sometimes they work; sometimes they’re just another doc nobody uses. The trick is making playbooks actually useful, not just another checkbox. That’s where Demodesk comes in.
This guide is for sales managers, enablement folks, or anyone trying to help a sales team close more deals, faster, and with less confusion. I’ll walk you through setting up custom playbooks in Demodesk that reps actually want to use. No fluff—just what you need to get started, what to skip, and a few honest tips from the trenches.
Why Bother With Playbooks in Demodesk?
Before you start building, let’s get real: Playbooks aren’t magic. Done right, they save time, boost consistency, and help new reps ramp faster. Done wrong, they’re just another thing clogging up your workflow.
Demodesk puts playbooks right inside the meeting, so reps have context and talking points at their fingertips—without juggling tabs or hunting for docs. That’s the main draw. But if your playbook is 10 pages of “corporate speak,” nobody’s going to read it.
Bottom line: Focus on actionable, in-the-moment guidance. Skip the bloat.
Step 1: Get Clear on What You Actually Need
Don’t start building yet. Step back and ask:
- What’s the goal of this playbook? (Discovery call, demo, objection handling, etc.)
- Who’s going to use it? (Seasoned reps? New hires? Both?)
- What’s actually tripping people up in calls? (Is it missing info? Forgetting key questions? Awkward transitions?)
If you don’t know, ask your team. You’ll save hours by not building stuff nobody wants.
Pro Tip: The best playbooks fit on one screen. If reps have to scroll endlessly, you’ve lost them.
Step 2: Map Out Your Playbook Structure
Before you touch Demodesk, sketch out the bones. Use sticky notes, a doc, whatever.
Typical playbook sections:
- Introduction: Quick context, not an essay.
- Agenda: Bulleted, not full sentences.
- Key Questions: The stuff you must ask.
- Product Points: Only what matters for this call.
- Objection Handling: Real-world answers, not “overcome with value.”
- Next Steps: Clear, simple asks.
Don’t try to cover every scenario. Focus on the 80% of calls that follow a pattern.
Step 3: Build Your Playbook in Demodesk
Now you’re ready to use Demodesk’s playbook builder. Here’s how to do it without getting lost in the weeds.
3.1. Access the Playbook Editor
- Log in to Demodesk.
- Go to “Playbooks” in your dashboard.
- Click “Create Playbook.”
3.2. Add and Organize Slides
Demodesk playbooks are made of slides. Each slide is a moment in your call—think of it like a cue card.
- Title each slide clearly. (“Intro,” “Discovery Questions,” etc.)
- Keep slides short. Aim for 3–5 slides max, unless you run two-hour calls (please don’t).
- Use bullet points or checklists. No one wants to read paragraphs on a call.
What works: - Checklists for must-ask questions. - Quick “cheat sheet” for objection handling.
What doesn’t: - Slides packed with tiny text. - Slides that try to cover every possible objection or tangent.
3.3. Add Speaker Notes and Templates
For each slide, you can add:
- Speaker notes: Short prompts, not scripts. Example: “Ask how they’re handling this process now.”
- Templates: Drop in agenda templates or intro lines, but keep them editable—no one likes sounding like a robot.
Ignore: The urge to script every word. Reps will skip it or sound fake.
3.4. Embed Content (Optionally)
You can drop in PDFs, slides, or even live product demos.
- Only add what reps will actually show.
- Don’t overload each slide—if you’re embedding six decks, your playbook’s too complex.
Step 4: Set Up Playbook Triggers
One of Demodesk’s strengths is launching the right playbook automatically. No hunting for the right doc.
- Map playbooks to meeting types. For example, “Discovery Call” playbook pops up for discovery meetings.
- Test it. Book a dummy meeting and make sure the playbook appears as expected.
Warning: If you go wild and trigger every playbook for every meeting, it’ll annoy reps fast.
Step 5: Roll It Out—But Keep It Simple
Resist the urge to run a 90-minute training. Instead:
- Show your team how to access and use the playbook in Demodesk.
- Ask for honest feedback after a week—what’s helpful, what’s clutter?
- Make quick tweaks based on real usage, not theory.
Pro Tip: If possible, shadow a few live calls and see how the playbook’s actually used (or ignored).
Step 6: Review, Trim, and Improve
The first version won’t be perfect. That’s fine.
- Check analytics in Demodesk: Who’s using the playbook? Where do reps drop off?
- Ask reps directly: What’s useful? What’s just noise?
- Trim ruthlessly: Remove anything not referenced in calls.
What to ignore: Fancy formatting or “brand voice.” Focus on making it easier for reps to do their job.
Real-World Tips (From People Who’ve Been Burned)
- Keep it live. Playbooks should be easy to update. If you’re waiting for design or approvals, it’ll never happen.
- Don’t cover every edge case. Focus on the most common scenarios. Outliers can be handled by experienced reps.
- Don’t force usage. If reps find a playbook genuinely helpful, they’ll use it. If not, figure out why.
- Get buy-in by including top reps. The best playbooks often come from your team’s real calls and objections.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Custom playbooks in Demodesk can save your team a ton of time—if you keep them short, useful, and easy to update. Don’t overthink it. Start with the basics, watch how your team uses them, and make changes as you go. The best playbooks are the ones reps actually use, not the ones that win awards for formatting.
Less is more. Keep it simple, listen to feedback, and tweak as you learn. That’s how you actually enable sales.