Playbook Overview

This articles covers the basics of Playbooks: an instrumental tool in setting your standards and enforcing it.

Content

1. What is a Playbook?
   
   1. Creating a New Playbook
   2. Duplicating an Existing Playbook
   3. Editing Playbook Details
2. The Components of a Playbook
   
   1. Summary
   2. Next Steps
   3. Resources
   4. Team
   5. Execution
   6. Reports
3. Approving a Playbook
4. Helpful Resources for Playbook Building

What is a Playbook?

A Playbook is a template that can be applied to newly-created Accords.

Playbooks are essential for leaders who are looking to ensure the consistent execution of a GTM strategy.

Creating a New Playbook

In order to create a new Playbook, simply:

1. Log into Accord
2. Select Playbooks in the main navigation bar on the left-hand side of the screen
3. Select Create Playbook on the top-right hand corner of the screen

Duplicating an Existing Playbook

However, rather than building a Playbook from scratch, we strongly recommend taking an existing Playbook and either modifying it or duplicating it to fit your intended purpose.

This way, you're not starting with a blank page, but something that you can iterate on to fit your GTM strategy.

Each newly-created Accord workspace will come with two examples Playbooks by default:

1. Onboarding Playbook (example) - This Playbook is ideal for teams that use Accord to onboard new customers.
2. Sales Playbook (example) - This Playbook is ideal for team that use Accord to collaborate with prospects and new customers on a new business deal.

In order to duplicate one of these Playbooks, simply:

1. Select Playbooks in the main navigation bar on the left-hand side of the screen
2. Click "⋮" next to the Playbook that you want to duplicate
3. Click Duplicate Playbook

Editing Playbook Details

Once you've either created a Playbook or duplicated the Playbook that you want to iterate on, it's important to edit the Playbook details.

Doing this will ensure that all who plan to use the Playbook are clear about what it's intended to accomplish.

In order to edit your new Playbook's details, simply:

1. Select Playbooks in the main navigation bar on the left-hand side of the screen
2. Click "⋮" next to the Playbook that you want to duplicate
3. Click Edit Playbook Details

Playbook Name: This field allows you to name your Playbook. It's important to be descriptive about what the Playbook is meant to accomplish.

Default Accord Name: This field will allow you to select the default Accord Name for all Accords that are created from this Playbook. Once created, the Accord creator will be able to re-name their Accord as necessary.

Select Playbook Logo: You are able to select an emoji as the logo for any Playbook.

The Components of a Playbook

As the Playbook are templates for Accords, it follows a very similar structure to Accords as well.

Summary

The Summary is the landing page of any Accord. It is the first element that will be seen by the customer, and it will act as the Executive Summary of any project facilitated by the Accord.

After reading the Summary, your customer should easily understand why they are working with you, what the desired outcome is, and why they should support the project.

For more information on the Summary page, please refer to this article.

Next Steps

The Next Steps page is the bread and butter of any Playbook.

The Next Steps outlines the Stages and Steps of your GTM motion, and a good Next Steps page will:

1. Be easy to understand for both your members and your customers.
2. Have owners attached to each Step.
3. have each Step accompanied with a description of what it's meant to represent.

For more information on architecting an excellent Next Steps page for your Playbook, please refer to this article.

Resources

The Resources page of your Playbook is the central repository of assets ("known as Resources") that users of the Playbook will need access to.

When an Accord is created from a Playbook, all Resources in the Playbook will automatically be added to the Accord.

For more information on the Resources page, please refer to this article.

Team

The Team page of your Playbook shows the stakeholders (both internal and external) who should be involved in the process that you're looking to enforce.

These stakeholders are typically shown in the form of "Placeholders" - personas that should be identified and/or invited to Accords in order for the process to be executed properly.

For more information on the Team page, please refer to this article.

Execution

The Execution page of your Playbook allows you to set your standards for your GTM process through the use of "Execution Criteria".

By setting Execution Criteria for your Playbook, you can communicate your expectations for what all users of the Playbook should be doing whenever they are using the Playbook.

For more information on Execution Criteria, please refer to this article.

Reports

The Reports page of the Playbook allows you to quantify and measure the impact of your Playbook on your GTM strategy.

Through the dashboards on this page, you'll be able to see how your pipeline was affected by the Accords created through your Playbook, the customer acceptance rate of the Accords created through your Playbook, and much more.

For more information on Reports, please refer to this article.

Approving a Playbook

Once your Playbook has been architected and tested, it's important to approve your Playbook.

Approving a Playbook will attach your personal "stamp of approval" onto the Playbook. It will also prevent any non-admins in your Accord workspace from making any changes to the Playbook.

In order to approve a Playbook, simply:

1. Select Playbooks in the main navigation bar on the left-hand side of the screen
2. Click on the Playbook that you want to approve
3. Select the "⋮" button on the top-right hand corner of the Accord screen
4. Select Approve Playbook

Once you've done so, you will encounter the following message:

Helpful Resources for Playbook Building

Building a Playbook can be a laborious process, but Accord Customer Success Managers are there to guide you through the process.

Aside from your Customer Success Manager, please refer to this helpful guide in building a 10/10 Playbook:

• How to Build a 10/10 Playbook