If your sales team keeps winging it, you probably already know: results are all over the place. Sales playbooks are supposed to fix that, but most end up sitting untouched in Google Docs or Notion. If you’re ready to actually make playbooks part of how your team sells (and tracks if they’re working), this guide’s for you. We’ll walk through setting up, rolling out, and tracking playbooks inside Aisalescoach—warts and all.
Why bother with sales playbooks?
Let’s get the obvious out of the way. A playbook isn’t magic. It won’t turn a mediocre rep into a quota crusher overnight. But, real talk: when you bake good habits into your team’s workflow, you get more predictable results and less wasted time. Playbooks help with:
- Consistency: New reps don’t have to guess at next steps.
- Speed: No digging for email templates or call guides.
- Accountability: You can see who’s following the process—and who’s not.
- Learning: Track which tactics actually work so you can double down.
But a playbook only matters if people actually use it. That’s where Aisalescoach comes in.
Step 1: Get clear on what a “playbook” actually means for your team
Before you start clicking around in any tool, this part matters most. “Playbook” gets thrown around a lot, but in practice, it can mean:
- A 40-page PDF no one reads
- A checklist for each deal stage
- A series of email/call templates and talk tracks
Pro tip: Don’t overthink it. Start with the must-haves—what actions, questions, or messaging should every rep use at each stage of your sales process?
Write these down. Keep it to one page per stage if you can. The simpler, the better.
Step 2: Map out your sales process (and avoid overcomplicating it)
Now, break your process into real stages—ideally, the same ones you use in your CRM. For most B2B teams, that’s something like:
- Prospecting
- Discovery
- Demo/Presentation
- Proposal
- Negotiation/Close
For each stage, jot down:
- Key actions (e.g., “Send intro email,” “Book discovery call”)
- Questions to ask
- Red flags to watch for
- Templates or scripts
What to skip: Don’t try to map every single scenario or exception. You’ll never finish, and your team will ignore it.
Step 3: Build your playbook in Aisalescoach
Alright, now open up Aisalescoach. Here’s how to get your playbook in the system:
- Create a new playbook.
- Give it a clear name (“2024 Outbound Playbook” beats “General Sales Stuff”).
- Add stages to match your sales process.
- Don’t add more than you need. You can always tweak later.
- For each stage, add steps, templates, and scripts.
- Paste in your action checklists.
- Add links to docs or collateral if needed.
- Drop in email templates and call scripts right where reps will use them.
Aisalescoach lets you organize these visually—helpful, but don’t get lost making it pretty. Focus on usability over aesthetics.
Honest take: Most sales tools let you add way too much detail. Resist the urge to over-document. If a step isn’t critical for 80% of deals, leave it out.
Step 4: Roll it out to your team (and actually get buy-in)
No playbook survives first contact with the sales floor if you just email the team a link. Here’s what works better:
- Demo it live: Spend 15 minutes in your next team meeting walking through how to use the playbook inside Aisalescoach.
- Show how it saves time: Reps care about hitting quota and not wasting time. Point out how templates and checklists make their lives easier.
- Ask for feedback, but don’t let it drag on: Give folks a week to poke holes or suggest edits, then lock it in.
What doesn’t work: Mandating use without explaining why, or building a playbook in a vacuum with no input from top reps.
Step 5: Make playbooks part of your real sales workflow
If your playbook lives in a vacuum, it’ll collect dust. Here’s how to keep it front and center:
- Integrate with your CRM: Link Aisalescoach playbook stages to your CRM deal stages, if possible. This way, reps see the right steps when they move a deal forward.
- Use playbook steps as call agendas: Instead of “winging it,” use the playbook for call prep and live on calls.
- Reference playbooks in coaching: When reviewing deals, pull up the playbook and ask, “Did we hit all the key actions here?”
Pro tip: Start meetings by spotlighting a playbook win or challenge. It keeps the playbook real, not theoretical.
Step 6: Track usage and results (the part most teams skip)
Here’s where most playbooks go to die: no one checks if they’re being used, or if they actually work. Aisalescoach helps, but you have to look at the data:
- Usage tracking: See which reps open and check off playbook steps. If someone’s always skipping the “Discovery Questions” and their close rate stinks, connect the dots.
- Template performance: Track which emails/scripts get replies or move deals forward.
- Deal outcomes: Compare win rates for deals where the playbook was followed vs. skipped.
Caution: Don’t turn this into a policing tool. Use the data to spot where the playbook needs work or where reps need coaching—not to micromanage.
Step 7: Iterate, don’t “set and forget”
The best sales teams update their playbooks every quarter or so, based on what’s actually working. That means:
- Dropping steps no one uses (or that don’t help)
- Updating scripts/templates that get ignored
- Adding new top-performer tactics
Ask your team: “What step in the playbook feels pointless?” and “What’s missing that would actually help?”
What to ignore: Fancy “AI suggestions” that don’t fit your sales motion. Use what works for your buyers and team, not what’s trending.
Pitfalls to watch out for
Let’s be honest, here’s what doesn’t work:
- Over-building: The more bloated your playbook, the less anyone will use it.
- Treating it as a box-checking exercise: If reps just tick boxes to please the boss, you’re missing the point.
- Never updating: If your playbook still says “Send fax” anywhere, you’ve got a problem.
- Making it homework: Playbooks should save time, not add busywork.
Keep it simple, keep it real
If you take one thing away, it’s this: The best sales playbooks are short, sharp, and actually used. Build only what your team needs, roll it out live, and check if it’s working. Don’t be afraid to cut what isn’t. The goal isn’t a perfect manual—it’s a tool that helps your team sell better, together.
Go build, test, and tweak. That’s how playbooks move the needle.