What should go into a sales playbook if we’ve never had one before?

For your first Sales Playbook, just start with what’s already working

A sales playbook doesn’t have to be a 100-page manual. If you’ve never had one before, think of it as a living guide that helps your team sell the way you do—without guessing.

Here’s what to include in a first version:

1. Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)
   Who you’re targeting, what problems they have, and why they’ll care.
2. Core Pain Points & Triggers
   What problems make buyers take action? What events open the door?
3. Discovery Call Blueprint
   A structured way to uncover pain, quantify impact, and build trust. (Example: 8-step guide from How to Run the Perfect Discovery Call: The 8-Step Blueprint Used by Elite B2B Sales Teams)
4. Talk Tracks & Objection Responses
   What you say when a prospect asks, “Why now?” or “How are you different?”
5. Email & Demo Templates
   What you send pre-call, post-call, and during follow-ups.
6. Deal Stages & CRM Checklist
   What each stage means and what actions must be completed.

“A playbook turns founder intuition into a system others can scale.”
— Michael Schiltz - The GTM Engine

Pro tip: Don’t overthink it. Just write down what you’ve said in your last 10 sales calls. That’s your v1.

Refine as you go—and let your next hire improve it.

Once your playbook is refined and proven, consider whether your company needs dedicated leadership to scale it across sales, marketing, and customer success. The Chief Commercial Officer role often emerges when startups need someone to unify revenue operations around consistent processes like these. A strong CCO ensures your playbook becomes the foundation for predictable growth, not just a document that sits unused.