Sales Playbook

Complete B2B sales system — from ICP to closed-won. Discovery frameworks, objection handling, pipeline management, forecasting, and deal acceleration. Works for any B2B company.

# B2B Sales Playbook ⚡

**The complete system for running a repeatable, scalable B2B sales operation.**

Not a CRM wrapper. Not a template collection. This is a full sales methodology — from identifying your ideal customer to closing the deal and expanding the account.

---

## Phase 1: Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) & Territory

### ICP Definition Template

```yaml
icp:
  company:
    industry: [SaaS, Fintech, Healthcare, etc.]
    size_employees: [50-500]
    size_revenue: [$5M-$50M ARR]
    geography: [US, UK, DACH, etc.]
    tech_stack: [signals they use tools you integrate with]
    growth_stage: [Series A-C, post-PMF, scaling]
    
  pain_indicators:  # Observable signals, not assumptions
    - hiring_for: [roles that signal the pain you solve]
    - tech_adoption: [recently adopted X tool = need for Y]
    - org_changes: [new VP of X = budget for initiatives]
    - regulatory: [upcoming compliance deadline]
    - public_statements: [earnings call mentions, press releases]
    
  buyer_personas:
    economic_buyer:  # Signs the check
      title_patterns: [VP Sales, CRO, CEO]
      cares_about: [revenue growth, cost reduction, competitive advantage]
      speaks_in: [ROI, board metrics, market share]
      
    champion:  # Fights for you internally
      title_patterns: [Director, Head of, Senior Manager]
      cares_about: [team productivity, career advancement, solving daily pain]
      speaks_in: [workflow, efficiency, team capacity]
      
    technical_evaluator:  # Validates feasibility
      title_patterns: [Engineering Manager, Architect, IT Director]
      cares_about: [integration, security, maintenance burden]
      speaks_in: [APIs, uptime, migration effort]
      
    end_user:  # Uses it daily
      title_patterns: [Individual contributors]
      cares_about: [ease of use, time saved, fewer context switches]
      
  anti-signals:  # DO NOT pursue
    - company_size_under: 20  # too small, long sales cycle for low ACV
    - no_budget_indicator: [startup pre-revenue, recent layoffs >30%]
    - tech_mismatch: [on-prem only, legacy stack incompatible]
    - cultural: [committee-driven decisions with 6+ stakeholders at low ACV]
```

### Territory Planning

**Account Tiering:**

| Tier | Criteria | Accounts | Time Allocation | Touch Frequency |
|------|----------|----------|-----------------|-----------------|
| **Tier 1** | Perfect ICP fit + active pain signals | 20-30 | 50% of time | 2-3x/week |
| **Tier 2** | Good ICP fit, no active signals yet | 50-80 | 30% of time | 1x/week |
| **Tier 3** | Partial fit, worth monitoring | 100-200 | 15% of time | 2x/month |
| **Inbound** | Any qualified inbound | Variable | 5% of time | Respond <1hr |

**Monthly Territory Review:**
1. Re-score all Tier 1 accounts — any demote to Tier 2?
2. Scan Tier 2 for new signals — any promote to Tier 1?
3. Remove dead accounts from Tier 3 (no engagement in 90 days)
4. Add new accounts from prospecting
5. Calculate territory coverage: (accounts with activity / total) — target >80% for Tier 1

---

## Phase 2: Prospecting & Outreach

### Multi-Channel Sequence Framework

**Principle:** No single channel works. Layer them.

**Standard Tier 1 Sequence (14 days):**

| Day | Channel | Action | Goal |
|-----|---------|--------|------|
| 1 | Email | Personalized cold email (see template below) | Open + reply |
| 1 | LinkedIn | View profile + connect (NO pitch in connect msg) | Warm the name |
| 3 | Email | Follow-up with value add (article, insight, data) | Demonstrate expertise |
| 5 | LinkedIn | Comment on their recent post (genuine, not salesy) | Build familiarity |
| 7 | Phone | Cold call (see script below) | Live conversation |
| 7 | Email | Voicemail follow-up email | Multi-touch reinforcement |
| 10 | LinkedIn | Send message referencing your email/call attempts | Channel switch |
| 12 | Email | Breakup email (creates urgency) | Force response |
| 14 | Phone | Final attempt | Last touch |

**Sequence Rules:**
- STOP the sequence the moment they reply (positive OR negative)
- Never send more than 1 email per day to the same person
- Personalization must reference something SPECIFIC (their company, role, recent news)
- If they open but don't reply 3x → they're reading, switch to phone
- If zero engagement after full sequence → move to Tier 3, retry in 90 days

### Cold Email Templates

**Template 1: The Trigger Event**
```
Subject: [Trigger event] → quick thought

[First name],

Saw [specific trigger — new hire, funding, product launch, earnings mention].

When [companies in their situation] hit this stage, [specific problem] usually becomes the bottleneck — [data point or example].

[One sentence on how you solve this, tied to the trigger.]

Worth a 15-min call to see if this applies to [company]?

[Your name]
```

**Template 2: The Peer Reference**
```
Subject: How [similar company] solved [problem]

[First name],

[Similar company in their industry] was dealing with [specific problem] — [quantify: X hours/week, $Y lost, Z% error rate].

They [brief result: cut X by 40%, saved $Y/month, shipped Z days faster].

Happy to share what they did differently — no pitch, just the playbook.

15 min this week?

[Your name]
```

**Template 3: The Breakup**
```
Subject: Closing the loop

[First name],

I've reached out a few times about [problem/topic] — I'll assume the timing isn't right.

If [problem] becomes a priority later, I'm here. 

Deleting your reminder from my CRM now.

[Your name]
```

**Why breakup emails work:** 30-40% reply rate. People respond to loss aversion. "Deleting your reminder" creates fear of losing access.

### Cold Call Script

**Opening (first 10 seconds decide everything):**
```
"Hi [Name], this is [You] from [Company]. 
Did I catch you at an okay time?"

[If yes:]
"I'll be brief. I noticed [trigger/signal] and wanted to ask —
are you currently dealing with [specific problem]?"

[If they confirm the problem:]
"Got it. What's that costing you right now — in time, money, or headaches?"

[Let them talk. Take notes. Ask follow-up questions.]

"That's exactly what we help with. [One sentence proof point.]
Would it make sense to set up 20 minutes this week to dig into this properly?"
```

**Common cold call responses + rebuttals:**

| They Say | You Say |
|----------|---------|
| "Not interested" | "Totally fair — can I ask, is it because [problem] isn't a priority, or you've already solved it?" |
| "Send me an email" | "Happy to — what specifically would be most useful to include? That way I don't waste your time." |
| "We already have a solution" | "Good — how's it working? Most companies I talk to have something in place but still have gaps in [specific area]." |
| "Bad timing" | "When would be better? I can put a reminder in for [suggested date]." |
| "How did you get my number?" | "LinkedIn / your website. I know cold calls aren't fun — I'll keep it under 2 minutes." |

---

## Phase 3: Discovery — The Most Important Meeting

### MEDDPICC Qualification Framework

Score each element 1-3 (1=unknown, 2=partially known, 3=fully confirmed):

```yaml
deal_qualification:
  metrics:  # Quantifiable impact they care about
    score: [1-3]
    detail: "[What numbers matter? Revenue increase, cost reduction, time saved?]"
    source: "[Who told you? Validated how?]"
    
  economic_buyer:  # Person with budget authority
    score: [1-3]
    name: "[Name and title]"
    access: "[Have you spoken to them directly?]"
    priority: "[Is this in their top 3 priorities?]"
    
  decision_criteria:  # How they'll evaluate options
    score: [1-3]
    technical: "[Integration, security, performance requirements]"
    business: "[ROI threshold, payback period, risk tolerance]"
    political: "[Internal politics, competing priorities]"
    
  decision_process:  # How they'll make the decision
    score: [1-3]
    steps: "[What happens between now and signed contract?]"
    timeline: "[When do they need to decide? Hard deadline?]"
    stakeholders: "[Who's involved?