Why Every Early-Stage Startup Needs a Sales Playbook (Even If You Think You Don’t)
I was talking to a founder I started working with, and I said:
"We should start writing your first playbook".
He looked at me and said:
"This soon?!".
If you're a founder, CEO, or early-stage sales leader, I know what's going through your head:
"A playbook? Seriously? I've product bugs, investors to email, and another thousand priorities - I don't have time for a fancy document."
I get it.
Writing a playbook feels slow, and on paper, it doesn't add revenue.
But here's the truth: The cost of not having a playbook is bigger than you think.
The Hidden Price of "We'll Just Figure It Out"
When you hire someone new, you jump on call after call, explaining the same story over and over again.
You cover the product, the buyer, the demo, the pricing, and the objections.
You think they've got it. They nod. They smile.
Then they hop on their prospect call and - boom - five different reps give five different pitches.
One stresses features, another tries to build value, and a third forgets pricing altogether.
Prospects leave confused. Your new reps get discouraged. You wonder why closing deals feels like a game of chance.
Repeat that cycle three or four times in a row, and suddenly your sales culture starts shivering.
A Playbook = Guidance on Demand
A playbook fixes that.
It's the single source of truth your team can open anytime:
Who we are
What we sell (and why it matters)
Who we sell to
How do we talk about price
How we run discovery, demo, and close
How do we follow up and expand
No more "I'll ping my founder" mid-call.
No more Slack threads at 7 p.m. begging for the correct deck.
An updated playbook is the single stop for clarity and truth.
How to Start
Think of it like writing a book - but a short, tactical one.
Block one hour this week.
Grab a blank Notion page (or Google Docs) and create four starter sections:
Company & Product Story – Why you built this, in plain language.
Ideal Customer Profile – The buyer's job title, pain points, and tech stack.
Sales Process – From First Touch to Signed Contract: A Step-by-Step Guide.
Messaging Cheat Sheet – One-liners, talk tracks, and pricing FAQs.
Hit "Save." Congrats - you have a playbook draft.
Next week, add a fifth section.
The following week, refine a paragraph.
How to Structure It
Store it online. A dusty PDF in Dropbox is invisible. Notion wikis or Google Sites stay searchable and easy to update.
Use clear headers. Company Overview → Product & Pricing → Sales Goals → Methodology → Process → ICP → Best Practices → Tools → KPIs → Messaging → Resources.
Write like you talk. Skip the corporate fluff. If you'd say it over coffee, write it that way.
Embed real examples. Paste screenshots of winning emails, demo snippets, and objection responses that closed deals. Reps love concrete templates.
How to Keep It Alive
A playbook is a living document. Bookmark it in your browser.
Anytime you change a step in the funnel, tweak an email template, or launch a new product tier, update the playbook the same day.
Outdated info kills trust. Even better: ask your team to keep it updated!
Monthly reminder: "Anyone added a new success story or objection? Drop it here."
Quarterly review: Archive tactics or features that no longer work.
The ROI You Can't Afford to Miss
Will a playbook add €1 million ARR overnight? Probably not. But here's what it will do:
Cut onboarding time.
Reduce deal slipping by ensuring reps follow the same process.
Free the founder from repeating yourself thirteen times a week.
Keep top performers longer because they have a clear path and a well-defined playbook to guide new hires.
Final Thought
Early-stage startups rise or fall on speed and clarity.
A well-written, always-evolving sales playbook provides both.
Spend the time once, reap the benefits every single day.
Your future hires - and your future revenue - will thank you.
See you next week, folks!
– Matteo
