GTM & Sales Playbook

Core Rule

Revenue solves most startup problems. When in doubt, go sell something — today.

Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)

Define before any outreach:

1. Industry/Vertical: [What kind of company/person?]
2. Size: [Revenue, headcount, or other proxy]
3. Role: [Who is the buyer? Who is the user?]
4. Pain: [What specific problem do they have?]
5. Trigger: [What event makes them ready to buy NOW?]
6. Budget: [What do they currently spend on this problem?]
7. Anti-ICP: [Who should we NOT sell to? Why?]

Write your ICP in one sentence: > "[Title] at [company type] who [trigger event] and struggles with [pain] — they currently [workaround] and spend $[X] on it."

ICP Validation Test

Your ICP is validated when:

• You can name 10 specific people who fit it
• 3+ of them have confirmed the pain in interviews
• At least 1 has paid you money
• You can find more of them through a repeatable channel

If you can't do all four, your ICP needs work.

Go-to-Market Motions

Choose the right motion for your product and stage:

Most startups should start with founder-led sales regardless of long-term motion. You need to hear objections firsthand before designing any other GTM.

Outreach Frameworks

Cold Email (3-Email Sequence)

Email 1 — The Hook

Subject: [Specific result] for [their company type]

Hi [Name],

[1 sentence personal relevance — why them, why now.]

[Company] helps [ICP] [specific outcome] — [one proof point].

Worth a quick call to see if it's a fit?

[Name]

Email 2 — The Value Add (3 days later)

Subject: Re: [original subject]

Wanted to share [relevant resource / insight / case study] in case useful.

Still happy to connect if the moment is right.

Email 3 — The Close (5 days later)

Subject: Re: [original subject]

Last note — didn't want to keep bothering you.

If timing ever works, [calendly link or simple ask].

Either way, rooting for you.

Response Rate Benchmarks

Discovery Call Framework (30 min)

0:00 — Agenda + permission (2 min)
       "I'd like to learn about your situation, share what we do,
        and see if there's a fit. Sound good?"

0:02 — Their situation (8 min)
       "Tell me about [relevant context]."

0:10 — The problem (7 min)
       "What's the hardest part of [topic]?"
       "How much does that cost you?"

0:17 — Current solution (5 min)
       "What are you doing now?"
       "What's not working about that?"

0:22 — The pitch + next step (5 min)
       Position your solution against their specific pain.

0:27 — Close (3 min)
       "Does this make sense to move forward?"
       "What would the next step look like on your end?"

Never pitch before minute 20. Let them describe the pain first. Your solution should feel like the answer to what they just said.

Pricing Strategy

Pricing Rules

• Start higher than you think. It's easier to discount than to raise.
• Anchor on value, not cost. What is the problem worth to them?
• Always offer 3 tiers. Middle tier gets chosen most often.
• Don't negotiate on price — negotiate on scope.
• Test pricing with real offers before building pricing pages.

See also: pricing-strategy.md for full framework including Van Westendorp WTP research, pricing psychology, and stage-specific guidance.

Objection Handling

The pattern: Never defend. Ask a question that redirects to their specific pain. Then connect your solution to that pain.

Pipeline Tracking

Track in a spreadsheet or free CRM (HubSpot):

Name | Company | Stage | Last Contact | Next Action | Deal Size | Close Date | Notes

Stages:

1. Lead (identified)
2. Contacted (reached out)
3. Conversation (had a call)
4. Proposal sent
5. Negotiating
6. Closed Won / Closed Lost

Review pipeline every Friday. Move stale deals to "Closed Lost" after 30 days of no response. Dead pipeline is worse than no pipeline — it creates false confidence.

Closing Techniques

• Assumptive close: "Should I send the agreement today or Monday?"
• Summary close: "Based on what you shared, [X] solves [Y]. Should we move forward?"
• Deadline close: "We have onboarding slots open this month — want to lock one in?"
• Trial close: "If we can solve [objection], is there anything else holding you back?"
• The direct ask: "I'd like to work together. Are you ready to move forward?"

Ask for the close. Explicitly. Every time. Most deals are lost because the founder never asked.

Revenue Goals — Work Backward

Monthly revenue goal:           $[X]
Average deal size:              $[Y]
Deals needed per month:         X ÷ Y = [Z]
Close rate from conversation:   ~20-30%
Conversations needed:           Z × 4 = [W]
Reply rate from outreach:       ~10%
Outreach messages needed:       W × 10 = [MESSAGES/MONTH]

Example: $10K MRR goal. $500 average deal. Need 20 deals. At 25% close rate = 80 conversations. At 10% reply rate = 800 outreach messages per month = ~40/day.

This math tells you exactly how hard you need to work. If the numbers don't pencil, change the deal size, close rate, or channel — not the effort level.

Post-Close: Customer Onboarding

The sale isn't done when they sign — it's done when they get value.

First 48 hours:

• Welcome email with login/access + clear first step
• Personal message from founder (even if automated, make it feel real)
• Schedule a kickoff call within 3 days

First 2 weeks:

• Guide them through the core workflow
• Check in at day 3 and day 7
• Ask: "What's confusing?" (not "How's it going?" — too easy to say "fine")

Day 30:

• Check retention: are they still active?
• Ask for referral: "Who else deals with [problem]?"
• Ask for testimonial if they're happy

See also: customer-templates.md for onboarding, NPS, and retention templates.

> Disclaimer: This playbook provides educational frameworks for sales and go-to-market strategy. Results vary by industry, product, and market. This is not professional business advice.