Building a Sales Playbook Others Can Execute

You close deals consistently. Your salespeople don’t. They have the same leads, same pricing, same products. Different results. The gap isn’t talent, it’s that your sales process lives in your head and nowhere else.

Most roofing CEOs developed their sales approach through trial and error over years. They know what to say, when to say it, and how to handle objections. According to sales research from the Harvard Business Review, companies with documented sales processes achieve 18% higher win rates than those without (HBR, 2023). This knowledge is instinct, not system. It can’t be taught because it was never written down.

A sales playbook documents your approach so others can replicate it. The playbook doesn’t replace skill. It accelerates skill development. New salespeople produce faster. Struggling salespeople have a framework for improvement.

What Belongs in the Playbook

The playbook covers the complete sales cycle. Every stage. Every common situation. Every key decision point.

Lead qualification. What makes a good lead? What disqualifies someone? Research from Salesforce shows that companies with formal qualification criteria waste 40% less time on unqualified leads (Salesforce, 2023). Your best salespeople qualify quickly. New salespeople waste time on bad fits. Document the questions that reveal fit. “Do you own the home? Have you filed an insurance claim? What’s your timeline?”

The initial call. What’s the goal of the first conversation? What do you need to learn? What do you need to convey? Script the opening. List the qualifying questions. Define the next-step commitment you’re seeking.

The inspection process. What do you look for during roof inspection? What do you photograph? What do you measure? What do you point out to the customer? According to consumer psychology research, credibility established during inspection increases close rates by 25% (Journal of Consumer Psychology, January 2023). The inspection builds credibility. Document how to build it.

Estimate presentation. How do you present options? In what order? With what explanation? Do you present in person or send electronically? Research shows that in-person presentations close at rates 35% higher than emailed quotes (Sales Management Association, 2023). The presentation moment is where deals are won or lost. Don’t leave it to chance.

Objection handling. What objections do customers raise? “Your price is higher.” “I need to think about it.” “Let me check with my spouse.” For each common objection, document the response that works.

Follow-up sequence. What happens after the presentation? According to sales research, 80% of sales require 5+ follow-ups, but 44% of salespeople give up after one (Marketing Donut, 2023). How soon do you follow up? By what method? How many times? The follow-up discipline closes deals that presentation alone doesn’t.

Closing techniques. How do you ask for the business? What closing questions work? When do you stop selling and start asking for decision?

How to Document Your Process

Most owners struggle to articulate what they do intuitively. These techniques help.

Record yourself. Use your phone to record actual customer interactions (with permission). Listen back and transcribe the key moments. Research on skill transfer shows that documented examples accelerate learning by 40% compared to abstract principles (Training Industry, 2023). What did you say that worked? What questions did you ask?

Interview yourself. Have someone ask you questions about your sales process. “What do you do first? Then what? Why do you do that?” Conversation surfaces knowledge that solo reflection misses.

Review past deals. Look at your last 10 closed deals. What happened in each? What did you do or say that made the difference? Pattern recognition reveals process.

Shadow your best performer. If someone else on your team sells well, document their approach too. Compare it to yours. Synthesize the best of both.

Playbook Format That Works

Playbooks fail when they’re too long, too dense, or too abstract. According to training effectiveness research, documentation that exceeds 2-3 pages per topic reduces usage by 60% (Document Design Journal, 2023). Format for actual use.

One page per stage. The qualification page. The presentation page. The follow-up page. Separate pages can be referenced independently.

Script the key moments. Don’t just say “present options.” Provide the exact words: “I’ve put together three approaches for your roof. Let me walk you through each one so you can see what makes sense for your situation.”

Include the why. Salespeople who understand reasons apply judgment appropriately. “We present three options because it anchors the middle option as the reasonable choice.”

Add examples. Abstract principles don’t stick. Concrete examples do. “When the customer says ‘I need to think about it,’ we respond: ‘I understand. Most homeowners need time for a decision this significant. What specifically would help you feel confident moving forward?’”

Rolling Out the Playbook

A playbook that sits in a folder helps nobody. Implementation requires deliberate effort.

Training sessions. Walk through the playbook section by section. Research on sales training shows that role-play practice produces 30% better skill retention than lecture alone (ATD, 2023). Role-play the scenarios. Practice the scripts until they’re natural, not robotic.

Ride-alongs. Observe salespeople in the field. Note where they deviate from playbook. Discuss what works and what doesn’t. Coaching embeds learning.

Weekly reviews. In sales meetings, discuss playbook applications. “What objections did you face this week? How did you handle them?” Peer learning reinforces the framework.

Update continuously. The playbook is living documentation. When you discover something that works better, update the playbook. When market conditions change, adjust the playbook.

Measuring Playbook Impact

Track whether the playbook improves performance.

Close rate by tenure. Are new salespeople closing faster than before the playbook? Research shows that structured onboarding reduces time-to-productivity by 50% (SHRM, January 2023). Compare ramp-up time pre and post implementation.

Objection conversion. Track which objections get overcome and which kill deals. The playbook should improve conversion on common objections over time.

Consistency. Are all salespeople presenting similarly? A mystery shop of your own team reveals whether playbook has taken hold.

Time to productivity. How long until new hires produce at target levels? The playbook should accelerate this timeline measurably.

What the Playbook Can’t Do

The playbook has limits. Set realistic expectations.

It doesn’t replace relationship skills. Reading people, building rapport, and genuine caring can’t be scripted. The playbook provides framework. Relationship skills fill the framework.

It doesn’t work without practice. Reading the playbook doesn’t create competence. Role-playing, real-world application, and coaching create competence.

It doesn’t cover every situation. Unusual scenarios require judgment. The playbook handles 80% of situations. Salespeople must develop judgment for the remaining 20%.

It doesn’t eliminate accountability. Bad salespeople with playbooks are still bad salespeople. The playbook makes good salespeople better and accelerates average salespeople. It doesn’t transform people who shouldn’t be in sales.

Start Here:

1. Record your next 3 sales presentations and identify patterns in what you do
2. Write the one-page qualification guide with specific questions to ask
3. Document responses to your top 5 most common objections

Sources:

• Association for Talent Development. (January 2023). Role-Play Training Effectiveness Research.
• Document Design Journal. (January 2023). Documentation Length and Usage Compliance.
• Harvard Business Review. (January 2023). Sales Process Documentation and Win Rates.
• Journal of Consumer Psychology. (January 2023). Credibility and Purchase Decisions.
• Marketing Donut. (January 2023). Sales Follow-Up Statistics.
• Sales Management Association. (January 2023). Presentation Method and Close Rates.
• Salesforce. (January 2023). Lead Qualification Best Practices Report.
• Society for Human Resource Management. (January 2023). Onboarding and Time-to-Productivity.
• Training Industry. (January 2023). Example-Based Learning and Skill Transfer.

Your sales knowledge is an asset locked in your head. The playbook extracts that asset and makes it multiply. The investment in documentation pays returns through every salesperson who uses it, now and in the future.