Copy of Copy of Chapter 2: Gathering Information --- From Sales Playbooks: The Builder's Toolkit

Goal: Before working on the playbook, it’s smart to first gather a large amount of information that will go into it. A thorough information-gathering plan will result in a strong first version of the playbook. The key is to effectively navigate your organization to get what you need, without creating too much friction inside of your organization.

How It’s Used: The playbook development team will use this element to generate the information that will be used to seed the playbook.

Difficulty: Medium

People + Resources Required:

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????Customer Success????

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????Senior Execs

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Step One: Specific Information You Will Need

You want to be comprehensive in the information you gather because it informs your playbook development process. Additionally, avoid sending multiple requests to the same individual, since that will make your process disorganized and burdensome. Do this work up front.

Pro Tip: Rationale for Some Assets

Board or Investor Presentations: The playbook will be successful if it directly aligns with the goals of the organization at the highest level. Some executives might be hesitant to provide access here, in which case a brief meeting to discuss the company’s goals at the highest level will suffice.

Sales Presentations: Prospect decks and any other type of slide presentations that are used in selling conversations.

Org Chart: Clearly understand all the different teams, anticipated hires, and management structure. With technology that allows for the creation of dynamic playbooks, it will be possible to create tailored playbooks for specific teams and individuals.

Team and Individual Performance: Understanding how each team and individual has recently performed against goals can help inform the scope of the playbook. If there are specific areas where people need to focus to improve, ensure that these elements are addressed early. A playbook that directly contributes to organizational success will be adopted and adhered to.

Methodology: Understand the company’s sales methodology. If you have several (many companies do), understand how different teams use different components of each methodology. Often you will find that the methodology(ies) in place doesn’t match how the sales team actually operates day to day.

Sales Collateral: Gather the sales collateral your salespeople currently successfully use, including case studies, white papers, e-books, ROI calculators, and so on. Also try to understand specifically how these items are used for success. Simply sending an e-mail with a document attached and waiting to see who opens it is not proof of success.

Competitive Intel: Some organizations have strong battlecards, while others might just have a list of competitors and a few talking points. Gather what you have.

Call Recordings: Hearing your salespeople interact with prospects can identify major opportunities for the playbook. Listen to cold calls, discovery calls, demos, proposal presentations, and try to do so across the team. It will take some time, but this intel will provide direction for the playbook and can also identify WIIFM (What’s in It for Me?) motivations for stakeholders, who are often shocked when they hear what salespeople are saying to prospects in the absence of a well-defined playbook.

Pipeline Review and CRM Audit: Identify problems within the pipeline and CRM hygiene (stages, fields, exit criteria, and so on) that can be positively impacted by the playbook.

Step Two: Making the Request

Our guidelines for this process include:

1. Make requests as specific as possible.
2. Offer in-person meetings, video interviews, or joint working sessions in lieu of long “homework assignments.” Your colleagues are busy running their departments or performing in their roles. We have found that many people will not complete a list of requests, and if they do, they won’t put in the effort that you had hoped for.
3. Have a compelling WIIFM motivation. Take every chance possible to highlight how different components of the playbook will directly or indirectly impact each stakeholder in a positive way.
4. Include a reasonable deadline.
5. Gain the endorsement of the playbook’s executive sponsor if that will help drive access and urgency.

Here’s an example of a request to your vice president of marketing:

Jennifer,

I am working on our sales playbook that will help

1. the sales team to align more effectively with the marketing messages your team creates and
2. create consistent conversions on the lead generation campaigns you are running.

Can you help me get access to the marketing collateral we use at trade shows and links to the demo videos we are using online? You might be too busy to go digging, so I can schedule thirty minutes in a conference room to sit down next to you and cycle through what you’ve got if that’s easier. Or, if I should be asking someone else, can you please point me in the right direction?

Alex is hoping to expedite this project, so I’d like to have access to these by next Thursday. Let me know what’s best.

Step Three: Tracking Assets and Following Up

Once you have developed a list of requests and have identified who to send each request to, set a deadline to get everything back. It’s wise to provide a one-week buffer since some people might be on vacation or need an extra nudge to get you what you need, but don’t let this phase of the project drag on, as this work is just beginning.

Keep track of your project assets in a request table, as shown in figure 2.1.

Figure 2.1 Request table

Take Action

????Create a comprehensive list of information you want to collect.

????Identify who has the information you need and how you will ask for it. Include a compelling WIIFM motivation.

????Make sure you have a method to track what has been gathered and to follow up on requests.

Traps to Avoid

• Failure to think through all the information needed to create the playbook will cause inefficiency during playbook development and will frustrate people who are asked multiple follow-up questions over time.
• Don’t urgently interrupt someone’s workflow, as they have other jobs to do. Your failure to plan ahead does not constitute an emergency for them.