A sales playbook is the repeatable version of what the founder is already doing well. Here's how to write one before hiring reps.
The playbook doesn't exist until the founder has closed 20 deals and can name the pattern. Trying to hire an AE before that is expensive theater.
1) ICP (who buys, who doesn't). 2) Discovery questions (5 that qualify). 3) Common objections and responses. 4) Pricing conversation script. 5) Demo flow (11 minutes, not 45). 6) Handoff to onboarding.
Look at the 5 fastest deals you closed and 5 that stalled. The difference is what you should be asking on the first call. Usually: current tool, spending, decision-maker, timeline, and one "why now" trigger.
Reframe the problem in their words (2 min). Show the specific workflow that solves it (5 min). Show one moment of magic (2 min). Ask what would need to be true to move forward (2 min). Skip the feature tour — it kills more deals than any objection.
The playbook works. Founders have closed 20+ deals with reproducible motion. Pipeline exceeds what founders can handle. The first AE's job is to run the playbook — not invent one.
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