Sales

B2B Sales Skill

Guide founders through designing, executing, and scaling B2B sales—from closing the first deal as a founder-seller to building a repeatable sales engine.

Reference Files

• references/sales-process.md — Stage-by-stage sales process design with exit criteria
• references/cold-outreach.md — Email sequences, call scripts, LinkedIn templates
• references/demo-scripts.md — Demo frameworks and objection handling
• references/proposals-sow.md — Proposal templates, SOW structure, pricing presentation
• references/crm-selection.md — Tool-agnostic CRM guidance with selection criteria
• references/pipeline-forecasting.md — Pipeline stages, metrics, forecasting models

Workflow

Step 1: Diagnose Stage & Sales Motion

Ask: "Where are you in your sales journey?"

Stage	Signals	Focus
Pre-sales	No paying customers, still validating	→ Founder selling, discovery calls
First 10 customers	Closing initial deals, learning process	→ Sales process documentation
10-50 customers	Repeatable motion emerging	→ CRM setup, pipeline management
Scaling	Hiring first sales reps	→ Playbook, forecasting, team

Sales Motion Selection:

Your Product	ACV Range	Recommended Motion
Self-serve tool	< $1K	Product-led, no sales needed
SMB SaaS	$1K-$10K	Founder-led → Inside sales
Mid-market	$10K-$50K	Inside sales → AEs
Enterprise	$50K+	Field sales, solutions engineering

Step 2: Design Sales Process

Use references/sales-process.md for detailed guidance.

Core B2B Sales Stages:

Stage	Goal	Exit Criteria	Typical Duration
Lead	Identify fit	Responded to outreach	1-7 days
Discovery	Understand pain	Pain confirmed, budget exists	1-2 calls
Demo/Evaluation	Show value	Champion engaged, next steps	1-3 weeks
Proposal	Present solution	Proposal reviewed, feedback	1-2 weeks
Negotiation	Agree terms	Verbal commitment	1-4 weeks
Closed Won	Signed deal	Contract executed	—

Stage-Appropriate Methodology:

Situation	Use This Framework
Complex enterprise, multiple stakeholders	MEDDIC (Metrics, Economic Buyer, Decision Criteria, Decision Process, Identify Pain, Champion)
Quick qualification, SMB deals	BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline)
Differentiated product, need to change behavior	Challenger Sale (Teach, Tailor, Take Control)
Relationship-heavy, consultative sales	SPIN Selling (Situation, Problem, Implication, Need-payoff)
Early-stage, still learning	Start simple, add methodology as you scale

Step 3: Build Outreach Engine

Use references/cold-outreach.md for templates.

Outreach Channel Effectiveness (B2B):

Channel	Response Rate	Best For
Warm intro	30-50%	Any deal size, always prioritize
Personalized email	5-15%	Mid-market, enterprise
LinkedIn InMail	10-25%	Decision makers, executives
Cold call	1-3% connect	Enterprise, high ACV
Mass email	1-2%	SMB, volume play

Cold Email Sequence Structure:

Email	Timing	Focus
Email 1	Day 0	Hook + specific value prop
Email 2	Day 3	Social proof or case study
Email 3	Day 7	Different angle + question
Email 4	Day 14	Breakup email

Key Outreach Metrics:

• Open rate target: 40-60%
• Reply rate target: 8-15%
• Meeting book rate: 2-5% of outreach

Step 4: Master the Demo

Use references/demo-scripts.md for frameworks.

Demo Structure (30-45 min):

Phase	Time	Actions
Rapport & Agenda	3 min	Build connection, set expectations
Discovery Recap	5 min	Confirm pain points, goals
Demo	15-20 min	Show 3-4 key workflows, tie to their pain
Social Proof	3 min	Relevant customer stories
Pricing Overview	5 min	If appropriate, or schedule follow-up
Q&A + Next Steps	5-10 min	Handle objections, book next meeting

Demo Principles:

1. Show, don't tell — Live product beats slides
2. Use their words — Reference what they said in discovery
3. 3 features max — Deep on value, not feature tour
4. Leave them wanting more — Don't show everything
5. Always end with next steps — Never leave without commitment

Step 5: Close with Strong Proposals

Use references/proposals-sow.md for templates.

Proposal Structure:

Section	Purpose
Executive Summary	1-page: Problem, solution, ROI, ask
Understanding Your Challenges	Show you listened in discovery
Proposed Solution	How your product solves their problem
Implementation & Timeline	What happens after they sign
Investment & ROI	Pricing with value justification
About Us	Credibility, relevant customers
Next Steps	Clear path to "yes"

Pricing Presentation:

• Always anchor high, then show value
• Present 3 options when possible (Good/Better/Best)
• Tie pricing to outcomes, not features
• Include ROI calculation if possible

Step 6: Set Up Your CRM

Use references/crm-selection.md for detailed guidance.

CRM Selection by Stage:

Stage	Recommendation	Why
0-10 customers	Spreadsheet or Notion	Free, flexible, learn your process first
10-50 customers	HubSpot Free/Pipedrive	Easy setup, good for founder-sellers
50-200 customers	HubSpot Paid/Close/Salesforce Essentials	Automation, reporting, team features
200+ customers / Enterprise deals	Salesforce / HubSpot Enterprise	Customization, integrations, scale

CRM Selection Criteria:

Factor	Weight	Questions
Ease of use	High	Will reps actually use it?
Your sales motion	High	Matches inbound vs outbound?
Integrations	Medium	Works with your stack?
Reporting	Medium	Gives insights you need?
Price	Medium	Fits budget as you scale?
Customization	Low (early)	Can grow with you?

Essential CRM Setup:

1. Define pipeline stages (match your sales process)
2. Set required fields per stage
3. Create deal properties (ACV, close date, source)
4. Build basic reports (pipeline, conversion, velocity)
5. Integrate email for activity tracking

Step 7: Manage Pipeline & Forecast

Use references/pipeline-forecasting.md for detailed methods.

Pipeline Health Metrics:

Metric	Formula	Healthy Range
Pipeline Coverage	Pipeline value ÷ Quota	3-4x quota
Win Rate	Won deals ÷ Total deals	20-30% (varies by ACV)
Sales Cycle	Avg days from lead to close	Track by segment
Deal Velocity	(# deals × win rate × ACV) ÷ cycle	Increasing MoM
Stage Conversion	% moving to next stage	Define per stage

Forecasting Methods:

Method	How It Works	Best For
Pipeline-based	Sum of (deal value × probability)	Early-stage, few deals
Historical	Based on past conversion rates	6+ months of data
Weighted pipeline	Stage-based probability weights	Standard approach
Bottoms-up	Rep-level commit + best case	Larger teams

Weekly Pipeline Review:

1. Review each deal in negotiation stage
2. Identify stuck deals (no activity > 14 days)
3. Validate close dates and amounts
4. Update forecast (commit, best case, pipeline)
5. Identify gaps and plan outreach

Decision Checkpoints

When to Hire First Sales Rep

Ready to hire when:

• Founder has closed 10+ deals personally
• Sales cycle is understood and documented
• Win rate is > 20%
• Have 6+ months of pipeline data
• Can articulate what "good" looks like

First hire profile:

• Ideally: Previous startup experience at similar stage
• Avoid: Big company reps who need infrastructure
• Compensation: 50/50 base/commission typical for startups

When to Add Sales Methodology

Start simple, add complexity as needed:

Your Situation	Start With
< $10K ACV, fast cycle	Simple qualification checklist
$10K-$50K ACV	BANT + basic discovery framework
> $50K ACV, multiple stakeholders	MEDDIC
Selling change, not just software	Challenger principles

Deliverables

1. Sales Process Document

• Stages with clear exit criteria
• Key questions for each stage
• Required CRM updates
• Use docx skill for creation

2. Cold Outreach Sequence

• 4-email sequence with templates
• LinkedIn connection message
• Call script for voicemail
• Use docx skill for creation

3. Demo Script

• Discovery recap template
• Demo flow for 3-4 key features
• Objection handling cheat sheet
• Use docx skill for creation

4. Proposal Template

• Customizable Word template
• ROI calculator
• Use docx skill for creation

5. Pipeline Tracker

• Stage-based pipeline view
• Forecast roll-up
• Activity tracking
• Use xlsx skill for creation

6. CRM Recommendation

• Comparison of top options for their stage
• Implementation checklist
• Essential fields and stages

Common Sales Mistakes

Process Mistakes:

1. No defined stages — Deals get stuck, no visibility
2. Skipping discovery — Demo without understanding pain = low close rate
3. Feature dumping — Showing everything instead of solving their problem
4. No mutual action plan — Hoping vs. driving deals forward
5. Single-threaded — Only one contact = deal dies when they leave

Outreach Mistakes:

1. Too much "I/we" — Make it about them, not you
2. No personalization — Generic = ignored
3. Asking for too much — "30 min call" vs. "quick question"
4. Giving up too early — Most responses come after 3+ touches
5. No follow-up system — Leads fall through cracks

Forecasting Mistakes:

1. Hoping vs. knowing — Commit only what you can defend
2. Outdated close dates — Update weekly or forecast is fiction
3. Ignoring stuck deals — If no activity for 2 weeks, it's not real
4. Single best-case scenario — Always have commit/best case/pipeline

Integration with Other Skills

• Use idea-validation skill first if ICP not validated
• Use business-model skill for pricing strategy
• Use go-to-market skill for overall GTM strategy
• Use fundraising skill to pitch sales traction to investors
• Use docx skill for sales collateral
• Use xlsx skill for pipeline and forecast tracking

---

Adapted from Linas Beliūnas's The One-Person Unicorn founder skill set.