Mastering Modern Selling MMS #123 - The Custom Sales Playbook: From Chaos to Consistency with Lee Salz
In this episode of Mastering Modern Selling, Lee Salz, sales strategist and author, joins Tom Burton and Brandon Lee to discuss the importance of a structured sales playbook.
He challenges the belief that hiring "great salespeople" is enough, emphasizing that success depends on having the right system, not just talent. Without a structured playbook, even top performers can struggle.
Lee shares a framework for building a custom sales playbook, helping organizations reduce chaos, improve consistency, and drive scalable sales success.
1. The Myth of "Great Salespeople"
- Talent alone isn’t enough—sales success requires structure.
- Companies often lose sales due to inconsistency, not lack of skill.
2. The Four Foundational Elements of a Custom Sales Playbook
a. Decision Influencer Analysis
- Sales teams must understand who their buyers are and what keeps them up at night.
- Using tools like AI, reps can research their prospect’s goals, challenges, and priorities to create more relevant outreach.
b. Competitor Analysis
- A simple “why we win” vs. “why they win” analysis helps sales teams prepare for competitive deals.
- Price should not be the main differentiator—companies win when they clearly articulate unique value.
c. Differentiators Framework
- Sales teams should define clear, compelling differentiators and align them with customer pain points.
- The playbook must include how to position these differentiators in conversations to make them meaningful.
d. Target Client Profile
- Instead of an ideal client profile (which is often unrealistic), focus on who will perceive meaningful value in what you sell.
- Sales reps should spend their time targeting the right buyers, not just any prospect.
3. The Execution Plan: Structuring the Sales Process
- A strong sales playbook goes beyond foundational elements and maps out the step-by-step process reps should follow.
- This includes:
- Prospecting & Outreach: Using a mix of email, phone, and LinkedIn with structured messaging templates.
- First Meetings: Shifting from a discovery mindset to a consultative approach where reps provide immediate value.
4. Using Emotion and Storytelling in Sales
- Buyers make decisions emotionally first and justify them with logic.
- Salespeople should document success stories and use them in sales conversations to make solutions feel real and relatable.
Lee emphasizes that hiring better salespeople isn’t the answer—building better systems is. A structured playbook provides consistency, improves execution, and increases revenue.
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