HERO

AI sales playbook

One-line value: A practical end‑to‑end playbook for using AI across prospecting, outreach, qualification, follow‑up, and CRM hygiene.

When to use: Use this page when you need to execute this workflow in one focused session.

QUICK RESULT

If you only do one thing → complete the first checklist pass and publish one usable draft/output today.

ACTION CHECKLIST

• [ ] Clarify the exact output and success metric before starting.
• [ ] Gather required inputs from one trusted source only.
• [ ] Execute the workflow in sequence without adding side tasks.
• [ ] Run one quality check and fix the highest-risk issue first.
• [ ] Save the final result with a short reuse note.

EXAMPLE / DEMO

Before: Notes are scattered and decisions are unclear.

After: Inputs are structured, steps are executed, and the output is ready to use immediately.

WHY IT WORKS

• Converts vague intent into an explicit sequence.
• Emphasizes shipping one validated result fast.
• Creates repeatability for future runs.

NEXT ACTION

• Run this checklist on one live task now; keep scope to a single measurable outcome.

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Source notes (kept for context)

Why a playbook matters

Most teams experiment with AI in isolated tasks.

A playbook connects tasks into a repeatable flow.

Typical fragmentation:

• research done in one tool
• outreach drafted somewhere else
• CRM updated inconsistently
• follow‑ups forgotten

A playbook solves coordination.

Core pipeline

The minimum AI‑assisted pipeline:

1. lead discovery
2. prospect research
3. qualification
4. outreach
5. follow‑up
6. CRM hygiene

Each stage has a clear output.

Lead discovery

Goal: find companies matching ICP.

Common signals:

• hiring patterns
• product launches
• funding events
• tech stack changes

AI helps summarise signals quickly.

Prospect research

Focus only on:

• company context
• role relevance
• probable pain point
• reachable channel

See also:

• /posts/2026-03-12-minimum-viable-prospect-research/

Qualification

Use a small scoring model:

• ICP fit
• pain relevance
• contact quality
• urgency signals

Routing decisions:

• pursue
• nurture
• skip

Outreach

Angle before personalization.

Reference:

• /posts/2026-03-12-outreach-angle-before-personalization/

Follow‑up

Most deals die here.

Reference:

• /posts/2026-03-12-follow-up-without-being-annoying/

CRM hygiene

Capture only operational facts:

• last action
• next action
• stage
• note

This keeps the system usable.

Related

• /posts/2026-03-12-build-ai-sales-system-from-zero/
• /hubs/ai-for-sales/