Sales teams love talking about playbooks, but most of them end up gathering dust in Google Drive. If you want your reps actually using playbooks—and seeing results—you need more than a pretty PDF. You need a process that puts your playbook where reps work, makes it easy to follow, and shows you what’s really happening. This guide is for sales leaders, managers, and ops folks who want practical steps for creating, rolling out, and tracking sales playbooks inside Momentum.
Let’s skip the hype and get into the real work.
Why Playbooks Fail (And What Actually Works)
Before you start, it’s worth being honest: most sales playbooks flop because they’re too complicated, they live outside the sales workflow, or nobody tracks if reps use them. If you want your playbook to make a difference, here’s what actually matters:
- Keep it short: Reps won’t read a 50-page doc.
- Make it actionable: Focus on what reps should do at each stage.
- Put it in the workflow: Don’t make people hunt for info.
- Track usage: If you can’t measure it, you don’t know if it’s working.
Momentum is built for this kind of stuff. Instead of another static PDF, you can build playbooks that live inside your CRM, trigger at the right time, and actually give you data on what’s followed.
Step 1: Decide What to Systematize
First, don’t try to boil the ocean. Choose one process where consistency will actually move the needle—like running discovery calls, managing handoffs, or handling renewals.
Ask yourself: - Where are deals getting stuck? - What do top reps do differently? - What’s costing us time or deals?
Pro Tip:
If you’re not sure, listen to a few call recordings or ask your best rep to walk you through their process. Start with the highest-impact, repeatable motion.
Step 2: Map Out the Playbook (On Paper First)
Before you touch Momentum, sketch out your process. This keeps you from over-complicating things once you’re in the tool.
- List the key stages or triggers (e.g., “Discovery Call Scheduled,” “Proposal Sent”).
- For each stage, jot down:
- The actions reps should take (e.g., “Send pre-call agenda”).
- Any resources they need (templates, links, questions).
- The outcomes you expect (e.g., “Next meeting booked”).
What to skip:
Don’t write a novel. You want a checklist, not a textbook. If you can’t fit it on one page, it’s probably too much.
Step 3: Build Your Playbook in Momentum
Now it’s time to move your playbook into Momentum.
3.1. Set Up Your Triggers
Momentum works best when playbooks pop up at the right moment. Think about what should kick off each playbook:
- A certain field updates in your CRM (e.g., stage moves to “Discovery”)
- A meeting gets booked
- A deal hits a certain value
Go into Momentum and create an automation or workflow for your trigger. Test it once to make sure it fires when you expect.
3.2. Add Action Items and Resources
For each trigger: - Add clear, check-off tasks: Keep them short and specific (“Send follow-up email using template X”). - Link to resources directly: Don’t make reps dig. If there’s a template, link it. If there’s a checklist, paste it in. - Use Momentum’s notes or templates: If you have key discovery questions, put them right in the playbook step.
What to ignore:
Don’t overload with “nice-to-haves.” If a step doesn’t move the deal forward, cut it.
3.3. Assign Owners and Deadlines
- Assign each action to a specific rep (owner) or role.
- If timing matters, set deadlines or due dates.
This isn’t about micromanaging—it’s about clarity. Reps should always know: what’s next, who does it, and by when.
Step 4: Roll Out the Playbook (and Actually Train on It)
Just building a playbook won’t change behavior. Plan a quick rollout:
- Demo the playbook live. Walk through a real deal, show how steps appear, and answer questions.
- Explain why each step matters (not just “because I said so”).
- Ask for feedback: Is anything confusing? What’s missing? What feels like busywork?
Pro Tip:
Spot check a few deals in the first week. If reps are skipping steps, find out why—maybe a step doesn’t make sense or isn’t needed.
Step 5: Track Usage and Results
Here’s where most teams drop the ball: they set up a playbook, but never check if it’s being used or if it actually helps.
5.1. Monitor Adoption
Momentum lets you see: - Which reps are completing playbook steps - Which steps are most often skipped - How long steps take
If certain steps are always skipped, ask why. Is it unnecessary? Too hard to find? Not clear?
5.2. Track Impact on Deals
Tie playbook usage to sales outcomes: - Are deals with full playbook usage closing faster? - Are win rates improving in stages where the playbook is followed? - Are there fewer mistakes or dropped balls?
If you don’t see a difference, don’t be afraid to tweak—or even scrap—a playbook that isn’t helping.
Step 6: Iterate (and Keep It Simple)
Don’t treat your playbook as set in stone. Every quarter or so, check: - Are steps still relevant? - Has the process changed? - Are reps finding workarounds?
Trim the fat, keep what works, and update based on feedback and results. Most importantly, don’t add steps just because you can. The simpler the playbook, the more likely your team will actually use it.
What to Ignore (Unless You Want to Waste Time)
- Over-automation: If you automate every detail, reps will tune out. Focus on the biggest levers.
- Tracking for the sake of tracking: Only track what you’ll actually use to coach or improve.
- “Best practices” that don’t fit your team: What works for Salesforce or HubSpot might not work for you. Start with your own process, not someone else’s template.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Lean, Keep It Live
The best playbooks are living, breathing tools—not museum pieces. Start small, put your playbook in the flow of work, and make it dead simple to follow. Use Momentum to track what’s actually happening so you can adjust as you go. No playbook is perfect out of the gate, so focus on learning and improving—one step at a time.