#process

Maintain clean, actionable CRM data. Required fields for contacts: name, email, phone, company, title, lead source. For opportunities: amount, close date, stage, next steps, MEDDIC scores. Daily habits: 1. Log all activities immediately (calls, emails, meetings). 2. Update opportunity stage after every touch. 3. Add notes with key takeaways. 4. Set clear next steps and due dates. Weekly: 1. Update close dates for slipping deals. 2. Archive dead opportunities. 3. Merge duplicate contacts. 4. Enrich data (add missing phone numbers, job titles). Monthly: validation reports (missing data, stale opportunities over 90 days untouched). Automation: Zapier to enrich from LinkedIn, PersistIQ for bounce detection. Clean data enables: accurate forecasting, effective reporting, team collaboration. Manager spot-checks 10 records weekly.

Run efficient, outcome-driven sales meetings. Pre-meeting (24 hours before): send agenda email. 'Looking forward to our call. My understanding is we'll cover: 1. [Agenda item]. 2. [item]. 3. [item]. I'll share [specific outcome]. Please let me know if you'd like to add anything.' Meeting structure: 1. Rapport (2 mins): genuine small talk, reference something personal from LinkedIn. 2. Agenda alignment (1 min): 'I have us for 30 minutes to discuss X, Y, Z. Sound good?' 3. Discovery or demo (20 mins): bulk of meeting. 4. Questions (5 mins): open floor, address concerns. 5. Next steps (2 mins): 'Based on this, what are the next steps?' Schedule next meeting before hanging up. Post-meeting (1 hour after): send recap email with action items, links discussed, calendar hold for next meeting. Use meeting note template in CRM for consistency.

Create comprehensive sales playbook for consistency. Sections: 1. ICP and Buyer Personas (who we sell to, pain points, motivations). 2. Value Propositions (core message, differentiation per persona). 3. Sales Process (stages, exit criteria, average time per stage). 4. Methodology (MEDDIC, Challenger, SPIN - which we use). 5. Prospecting (channels, scripts, templates, cadences). 6. Discovery Questions (by persona, problem area). 7. Demo Guidelines (structure, key features to show, customization tips). 8. Objection Handling (top 10 objections, proven responses). 9. Closing Techniques (negotiation tactics, discount policies). 10. Tools and Resources (CRM, sales engagement, enablement content). 11. Metrics and KPIs (what we measure, targets). Format: living Wiki or PDF, searchable, visual (screenshots, flowcharts). Ownership: sales ops maintains, reps contribute. Update: quarterly reviews. Usage: onboarding (week 1 reading), certification (test knowledge), ongoing reference.

Create an escalation handling process. Protocol: 1. Recognize when escalation is needed. 2. Acknowledge customer's request calmly. 3. Summarize the issue for supervisor. 4. Set expectations for callback/transfer time. 5. Ensure smooth handoff with context. 6. Brief supervisor on customer emotion and history. 7. Follow up after supervisor interaction. 8. Document escalation reason for training. Handle with professionalism and urgency.