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      How to Write a 10/10 Step

      This article outlines how to write an exceptional Accord Step.

      Overview

      1. What is a Step?
      2. What makes a great Step?
      3. Crafting a Step Title
      4. Mastering a Step Description 

      What is a Step?

      The main Object on the Next Steps page is the Step, which symbolizes a key task in the Sales or Success process. 

      Examples include: signing an order form, completing a product demo, or hosting a kick-off meeting.

      Each Step is grouped under a Stage. Think of a Stage as a chapter in the Sales or Success process, like Evaluation, Onboarding, or Contracting. 

      It's advised to keep the number of steps in a playbook between 9 to 15, and 3 to 5 per Stage. Your role is to select the crucial steps in the go-to-market journey to lead your AEs, CSMs, and Customers towards success.

      Your team will add additional steps once the Accord is live and shared with a customer. Try to start with a rough framework to guide the process.

      image1

      What Makes a Great Step?

      The main focus on the Next Steps page is the Step, which symbolizes a key task in the Sales or Success process. 

      Examples include: signing an order form, completing a product demo, or hosting a kick-off meeting. 

      Each Step is grouped under a Stage. Think of a Stage as a chapter in the Sales or Success process, like Evaluation, Onboarding, or Contracting. 

      It's advised to keep the number of steps in a playbook between 9 to 15, and 3 to 5 per Stage. Your role is to select the crucial steps in the go-to-market journey to lead your AEs, CSMs, and Customers towards success.

      Crafting a Step Title

      Great Steps have clear and concise titles. 

      When looking at the Next Steps page, all Step titles are visible. Ideally a reader can roughly understand what each step means without having to open each Step to read the full description. 

      Length

      A concise step title is 2 to 3 words (6 max). 

      Clarity 

      A clear step title leaves little room for misinterpretation. It should ideally include a verb or refer to a commonly understood concept. 

      Examples

      • Complete Order Form
        • This title starts with the verb, “complete”. 
        • It then ends with the focus, which is an order form. 
        • The step’s purpose is completing an order form. 
      • Product Demo 
        • It is clear that this step represents a product demo. 
        • These are typically live meetings where a solution provider will demonstrates how a product works. 
      • Approval from Leadership
        • Short and to-the-point. 
        • This step will need a short description to fully understand what is meant by it, but it sets up the description and primes the reader.
      • Kick-off Meeting
        • It is clear that this step represents a meeting commencing the start of something. 
        • Because of how clear the understanding is, the step title does not need a verb. 
      • Send Leadership Support Message
        • This title starts with the verb, “send”. 
        • The Step description will be important for this Step because many readers might not know what a leadership support message is.

      Mastering a Step Description 

      Great Step Descriptions are short and have a goal. 

      The description should be 1 sentence (2 max) and the goal should be no longer than a sentence.

      Your Step may be easy for you to understand, but your AEs and Customers will need a step description to understand exactly how to complete the desired action.

      Examples

      Step Title:

      Complete Order Form


      Step Description:

      Complete agreement in DocuSign. 


      Goal: Finalize commercial terms.

       

      Step Title:

      Product Demo


      Step Description:

      60-minute meeting to review Accord’s Deal Execution Platform.


      Goal: Help ((AccountName)) understand if it makes sense to evaluate Accord. 

       

      Step Title:

      Approval from Leadership


      Step Description:

      60-minute meeting with ((AccountName))’s Leadership team to present business case and answer questions. 


      Goal: Get leadership approval for the project. 

       

      Step Title:

      Send Leadership Support Message


      Step Description:

      Send short message to your team showing leadership's support for the rollout of ((your company's name)).

      See Attached Resources for a templatized message. 


      Goal      : Help ((AccountName)) understand if it makes sense to evaluate Accord. 

       

      Step Title:

      Kick-off Meeting


      Step Description:

      30-minute meeting to kick-off ((AccountName))’s onboarding journey. We’ll confirm goals, go-live date, and grant access to our platform. 


      Goal: kick-off the onboarding process. 

      Notifications 

      A well written Step makes email notifications more useful. Below you will see an example of an email notification, with a clearly written Step title and description.

      image2-1

       

      Additional 

      There’s a lot more you can do with a step; add an agenda, placeholder, resource and tasks.

      Start with focusing on Step Titles and Descriptions, since they can negatively impact the overall effectiveness of the Accord playbook if not done right.