If you’re tired of watching sales “processes” die in dusty Google Docs or end up ignored in Salesforce, this guide’s for you. We’re walking through how to actually create and manage sales plays in Prelay—without getting lost in pointless admin or overengineered workflows. This is for sales ops folks, team leads, and anyone who wants sales plays that real reps will actually use.
Let’s get into it.
What’s a Sales Play, Really? (And Why Use Prelay?)
A sales play isn’t magic. It’s just a repeatable path your team can follow for a certain type of deal—think clear steps, key contacts, and resources all in one spot. The problem is, most teams either overcomplicate it (“Let’s make a 15-stage workflow with 30 mandatory approvals!”) or forget to update it after launch.
Prelay exists to make building and running these plays easier—think checklists, roles, docs, and threads, all tied to real deals. But it’s only as good as what you put into it, and how well you keep it up to date.
So let’s walk through how to set up sales plays that work—and avoid the common traps.
Step 1: Get Clear on What You Actually Need
Don’t start by building. Start by asking: what real-world sales motions need a playbook?
- Start with high-impact, high-frequency deals. Is there a common sales motion (e.g., mid-market new logo, renewals, complex deployments) that always trips people up or gets inconsistent results?
- Don’t try to boil the ocean. One or two plays that get used are better than ten that gather dust.
- Talk to actual sellers. Ask: “Where do deals get stuck?” and “What would help here?” Not “What would look great in a process diagram?”
Pro tip: If you can’t explain the value of the play in one sentence (“This helps us close mid-market deals faster by mapping out key stakeholders”), it’s probably too complicated.
Step 2: Map Out the Play—On Paper First
Before you jump into Prelay, sketch the bones of your play:
- List the stages. What are the big milestones? (Discovery, Proposal, Security Review, etc.)
- Who does what? Assign roles to each stage. (AE, SE, Legal, etc.)
- What’s truly required? Cut anything that’s just “nice to have.” Only include steps that actually move deals forward.
- What resources or templates are needed? Gather the docs, templates, or links that will actually help people at each step.
This step keeps you from building a monster workflow that nobody wants to follow.
Step 3: Build the Play in Prelay
Now, log into Prelay and create your first sales play.
3.1 Create a New Play Template
- Go to the Play Templates section.
- Click Create New Play (or whatever your org has it labeled as).
- Give it a name that makes sense to reps (“Mid-Market New Logo Play,” not “Q2 Strategic GTM Process”).
3.2 Add Stages
- Add each stage you mapped out—don’t be tempted to add more “just in case.”
- Write short, clear stage descriptions. Avoid vague instructions like “move deal forward.”
- Set stage owners—who’s responsible? If it’s always a sales engineer, say so.
3.3 Tasks and Checklists
- Under each stage, add tasks. If a step is optional, mark it as such.
- Keep checklists short. If you need a 10-step checklist, that’s a red flag the play is too dense.
- Use the “required/optional” toggles—don’t force people to check boxes they don’t care about.
3.4 Attach Resources
- Upload or link to docs, decks, or templates reps need at each stage.
- If you don’t have a useful resource, don’t add fluff. A blank template doesn’t help anyone.
3.5 Set Up Roles and Collaborators
- Assign default roles (e.g., AE, SE, Legal) to each stage or task.
- Don’t assign every task to “Sales Team”—get specific.
Pro tip: Skip the temptation to “future-proof” too much. It’s easier to add a stage later than to rip one out after the team ignores it.
Step 4: Pilot the Play With a Real Team
Don’t launch to everyone at once. Pick a few reps or teams who’ll give you honest feedback.
- Run a deal through the play, step-by-step.
- Watch for confusion, skipped steps, or workarounds.
- Ask, “Where did this help? Where did it get in the way?”
- Adjust the play in Prelay—cut, reword, or reorder as needed.
What to ignore: Fancy reporting or “play completeness scores” at this stage. Focus on whether the play actually helps close deals.
Step 5: Roll It Out (and Make It the Default)
Once the pilot works, roll out the play to the whole team.
- Set the play as the default for relevant deal types in Prelay.
- Train the team—show them how to launch deals using the play, not just where to find it.
- Keep the instructions dead simple. (“For every new mid-market deal, use this play. Here’s how.”)
- Make it clear which deals should not use this play. More is not always better.
Remember: Even the best sales play is ignored if it feels like busywork.
Step 6: Actually Manage and Update Your Plays
This is where most teams fail. Launching a play is easy—keeping it useful is the real work.
6.1 Schedule Regular Reviews
- Once a quarter (or every two months if things are changing fast), review:
- Are stages or tasks being skipped?
- Are there bottlenecks or confusion?
- Did company priorities shift? (e.g., new product, new compliance needs)
6.2 Get Real Feedback
- Don’t just watch completion metrics. Ask reps and managers:
- “What are you skipping, and why?”
- “Is there a step you wish was in here?”
- If the play isn’t used, there’s a reason. Find it and fix it.
6.3 Update and Communicate Changes
- Edit the play in Prelay—cut the cruft, clarify what’s unclear.
- Announce major changes, but don’t over-communicate tiny tweaks.
- Archive plays that are obsolete. Don’t let clutter pile up.
Pro tip: Only update plays when there’s a real need. Chasing “perfect” just annoys the team.
Step 7: Avoid Common Pitfalls
- Too many plays. If you’re asking reps to pick from five nearly-identical plays, you’ve got too many. Simplify.
- Overcomplicated stages. If a stage has more than 3–5 tasks, it’s probably two stages mashed together.
- Process for process’s sake. If a step doesn’t help close deals or reduce risk, cut it.
- Ignoring adoption. If nobody uses your play, that’s your problem to solve—not theirs.
Step 8: Measure What Matters (But Don’t Drown in Data)
Prelay will give you all sorts of metrics, but focus on the stuff that actually tells you if your play is working:
- Deal velocity: Are deals moving faster with this play?
- Stage completion: Are important steps getting done, or skipped?
- Feedback from the field: Are people complaining, or asking for more plays like this?
Ignore vanity metrics—like how many checkboxes get ticked. Focus on real outcomes.
Keep It Simple, Review Often
Sales plays are meant to help teams close deals—not add layers of red tape. Start small, keep your plays simple, and don’t be afraid to cut steps that aren’t helping. Prelay can make this easier, but only if you keep your plays relevant and up to date.
If you’re ever in doubt, ask your reps: “Is this play making your life easier?” If not, you know what to do.