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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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