Sales has a bit of a brand identity issue. It’s often linked to pushy pitches, smooth talkers, and a mystique around the ‘natural’ seller. But in today’s market where buyers are better informed, sales cycles are longer, and budgets face greater scrutiny, charisma alone can’t close deals.
Our recent survey of 100 business leaders across the UK and Ireland confirms what many already suspect: sales has grown more complex. While 83% of leaders acknowledge the value of a structured sales process, the follow through of embedding it is a challenge. Confidence isn’t a vibe. It’s a process. And when you have one that you follow and trust, selling feels natural not forced. Across industries from fintech to tourism, we heard the same story—talented teams working hard, but lacking the structure needed to scale sustainably. That’s where playbooks come in.
Sales isn’t always linear, but that doesn’t mean it should be guesswork.
Only 38% of leaders in our survey have a documented sales process, and two-thirds of those admit it’s not followed consistently. That’s like having an ornate, bone china tea set on display in a cabinet. Nice to look at or to show off to visitors, but less useful when you want a cup of tea…or to know what might work when targeting a new client for a multi-year deal.
The lack of structure shows up in familiar ways:
It’s more than just a process problem—it’s a visibility problem. Many teams do have a process, but it’s buried in onboarding decks or lost in dense ISO documentation. If it’s not easy to access, adapt, and apply, it won’t drive the right action.
This is where the concept of “operational knowledge” versus “tacit knowledge” comes in. In The Knowledge-Creating Company, Nonaka and Takeuchi argue that high-performing organisations actively convert what individuals know into something everyone can use. For sales, that means making your top rep’s instincts visible and repeatable.
A well-crafted ‘playbook’ turns tacit knowledge into team muscle memory. It creates a shared language for what good looks like—not just for onboarding, but for everyday activity. It takes the pressure off memory and gut feeling and builds consistency in both approach and results.
Even when a process exists, it needs reinforcement. Otherwise, it’s just a manual, not a method.
Over half the businesses we surveyed spend less than two hours a month on developing sales skills. Without structured development, confidence stalls, habits regress and promising talent plateaus.
Daniel Kahneman’s work on System 1 and System 2 thinking is helpful here. System 1 is fast, instinctive, and autopilot. But good selling often requires System 2—slower, deliberate thinking. Without coaching, reps default to what feels right or what worked before rather than what works best.
The good news? Coaching doesn’t need to be time-consuming.
With a clear sales playbook, managers have a ready reference—they don’t coach from scratch; they coach from the playbook. Even better, reps can self-serve their own development, revisiting techniques for discovery calls, objection handling, or deal progression when needed.
Gartner research supports this: organisations with well-integrated, dynamic playbooks see stronger alignment, faster onboarding, and better performance over time.
Two hours a month might not sound like much, but with the right tools and habits, it’s more than enough to unlock momentum.
Sales may once have been the domain of the charismatic – where instinct, personality, and gut feeling drove results. But today’s reality is different. A clear, documented process doesn’t just guide activity; it builds alignment. It gives new hires a head start, helps managers coach with purpose, and turns isolated success into a repeatable standard.
But documentation alone isn’t enough. Without regular reinforcement, even the best playbook fades into the background.
That’s why structure and coaching go hand in hand. A visible, living playbook becomes the team’s reference point—used in moments of uncertainty and to stay sharp between formal training. It’s not about rigid control but about building habits that scale.
Top teams don’t leave performance to chance. They define what great looks like, make it accessible, and reinforce it consistently. The playbook becomes more than a process—it becomes the pulse of a team that sells with intention, not just instinct.
If you want to build a clear, structured sales process that drives consistent results and helps your team perform with confidence, get in touch to find out more or take our Sales Playbook Self-Assessment to see where your team stands!
Take the next step and complete our 3 minute diagnostic quiz.