Hupspot Sales Playbook Guide
A structured sales playbook inspired by Hubspot-style processes can turn scattered selling efforts into a clear, repeatable system your whole team can trust. Using the Lessonly example, this guide walks through how to document winning plays, align your reps, and scale consistent performance.
The framework below follows the same practical approach showcased in the original Lessonly sales playbook on the HubSpot blog, but adapts it into a simple step-by-step tutorial you can model for your own team.
Why Your Team Needs a Hubspot-Style Sales Playbook
Before you build anything, it helps to understand what a strong, Hubspot-inspired playbook actually solves inside a revenue team.
- New reps ramp faster because they have examples, talk tracks, and process steps in one place.
- Everyone follows the same process, so managers can coach to a clear standard.
- Leaders get visibility into how top performers actually run deals.
- Training becomes repeatable instead of one-off, ad-hoc shadowing.
The Lessonly playbook highlighted on the HubSpot blog is a strong model because it documents real, in-the-field behavior instead of theoretical advice. Your goal is to do the same for your own environment.
Step 1: Define the Purpose of Your Hubspot-Inspired Playbook
A useful playbook starts with a tight purpose statement. This mirrors the clarity found in the Lessonly example.
Answer these questions:
- Who is this playbook for? (e.g., new account executives, SDRs, account managers)
- Which part of the sales process does it cover? (e.g., demo, discovery, renewal, expansion)
- What outcome should a rep achieve by following it?
Write a short description at the top of your document so every rep knows what they are looking at and when to use it.
Step 2: Map the Stages of Your Sales Process
The Lessonly sales team breaks its work into clear stages that are easy to follow and coach. Do the same by listing each stage of your process from first touch to closed-won.
- Identify your stages (for example: Prospecting, Discovery, Demo, Evaluation, Proposal, Close).
- Define the goal of each stage in one or two sentences.
- Capture stage exit criteria: what must be true before a deal can move forward?
Place these stages at the front of your playbook. That way, reps can immediately see where they are and what comes next.
Step 3: Document Core Plays the Hubspot Way
In the HubSpot article about Lessonly, each core play focuses on a specific conversation or outcome, not just a task list. For every major stage, capture at least one concrete play.
Hubspot Discovery Call Play
Use the Lessonly example as a pattern for designing an effective discovery conversation:
- Objective: Understand the prospect’s situation, pain, and goals.
- Agenda: A short script for opening, confirming time, and aligning expectations.
- Key questions: 8–12 open-ended questions that uncover current tools, challenges, and success metrics.
- Red flags: Signals that the opportunity is not a fit.
- Next step: What you should aim to schedule or deliver before ending the call.
Hubspot Demo Call Play
The Lessonly team treats the demo as a tailored story, not a feature tour. Build your own demo play using that approach:
- Objective: Show how your solution solves the specific problems uncovered in discovery.
- Structure: Intro, recap of pain, focused walkthrough, and clear wrap-up.
- Proof points: Customer examples, numbers, or case snippets mapped to each major feature.
- Engagement prompts: Questions to keep prospects talking, not just watching.
- Clear CTA: What you ask for at the end (trial, proposal, stakeholder meeting, and so on).
Step 4: Capture Real-World Examples and Talk Tracks
One reason the Lessonly playbook resonates is that it includes concrete examples from actual calls and emails. Instead of generic best practices, you see what their team really says and sends.
Add similar artifacts to your own playbook:
- Email templates for first outreach, follow-up, and re-engagement.
- Call scripts and snippets you have heard top reps use successfully.
- Recorded call moments (if available) with notes explaining why they worked.
- Objection-handling responses tied to your top five objections.
Keep these short and specific. Reps should be able to copy, adapt, and use them in minutes.
Step 5: Align Training with Your Hubspot-Style Playbook
The original Lessonly playbook is designed to work hand in hand with training. When you run onboarding or coaching, the playbook should be the central reference point, not an extra attachment nobody opens.
- Use it in onboarding: Have new hires walk through each play, then role-play with a manager.
- Review it in team meetings: Pick one section each week and refine it together.
- Tie metrics to plays: For example, track conversion rate of discovery calls that follow the full agenda vs. those that do not.
This helps the playbook stay current and ensures it evolves with your sales motion.
Step 6: Keep Your Hubspot Playbook Living and Dynamic
A static document quickly becomes outdated. The Lessonly approach, as showcased on the HubSpot blog, is to treat the playbook as a living system.
To keep yours fresh:
- Assign ownership: Name one person or a small committee to maintain it.
- Review quarterly: Update talk tracks, examples, and stages based on what is working now.
- Collect feedback: Ask reps where the playbook helps and where it slows them down.
- Archive old versions: Keep a simple change log so people know what changed and why.
When your team sees that the content reflects current reality, they are more likely to adopt it.
Tools and Resources to Support Your Sales Playbook
Several tools and resources can complement a Hubspot-style playbook approach:
- Original Lessonly sales playbook article on HubSpot for reference and inspiration.
- Enablement and training platforms for hosting lessons, quizzes, and role-plays.
- Shared drives or internal wikis for storing templates, recordings, and slides.
- Consulting and optimization partners such as Consultevo for help aligning process, technology, and documentation.
Putting Your Hubspot-Style Playbook into Action
You do not need to launch a perfect manual on day one. Start by creating just one or two core plays, like a discovery call and a demo, modeled on the structure from the Lessonly example on the HubSpot blog.
- Clarify the purpose of each play.
- Outline the stage, objectives, and success criteria.
- Add talk tracks, examples, and templates.
- Test with a few reps and refine based on results.
- Roll out to the broader team with training sessions.
Over time, you will build a comprehensive, Hubspot-inspired sales playbook that shortens ramp time, improves consistency, and gives leaders a concrete framework for coaching and growth.
Need Help With Hubspot?
If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your Hubspot , work with ConsultEvo, a team who has a decade of Hubspot experience.
“`
