Sales SOP
A Sales SOP is a documented set of step-by-step instructions that standardizes how sales teams perform activities like prospecting, lead qualification, closing deals, and customer follow-up.
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What is a Sales SOP?
A sales SOP (standard operating procedure) is essentially a written guide that spells out how your team should handle specific sales activities. These sales procedures cover everything from cold calling and lead qualification to closing deals and following up with customers. When everyone on the team follows the same documented process, you tend to see more predictable results and new hires get up to speed faster.
Here's the thing about sales procedures: they take the guesswork out of daily work. Rather than having each rep figure out their own approach, the whole team relies on methods that have actually been tested and refined. Prospects get a consistent experience no matter which salesperson they happen to talk to.
From a sales leadership perspective, SOPs give you something concrete to work with for training and coaching. They make it easier to spot what's working, spread those wins across the team, and adjust quickly when your market or product shifts.
Key Characteristics of Sales SOPs
- Consistent Customer Experience: Prospects get the same quality of communication and follow-up from any rep, which builds trust and tends to improve conversion rates.
- Quicker Onboarding: New sales reps can start producing sooner when they have clear documentation showing how to handle leads, run demos, and address objections.
- Trackable Processes: When steps are documented, you can actually see where deals get stuck, find bottlenecks, and use real data to improve your sales cycle.
- Room to Grow: As your team expands, SOPs help maintain quality. What works with five reps can still work with fifty.
- CRM Alignment: Sales SOPs usually spell out what information to capture, when to update records, and how to move opportunities through your pipeline stages.
Sales SOP Examples
Example 1: Lead Qualification SOP
Consider a B2B software company that documents their MQL handoff process. Their SOP lays out the exact acceptance criteria, which CRM fields need updating, a five-minute response window, and the template for initial outreach. Every SDR follows these same steps, so qualified leads don't slip through the cracks.
Example 2: Cold Calling SOP
Another team might create a cold calling SOP covering prospect research, script customization, handling objections, and logging calls. The procedure requires reps to record outcomes in the CRM within ten minutes and schedule follow-ups based on how the call went.
Sales SOP vs Sales Playbook
Both documents guide sales activities, but they work at different levels.
| Aspect | Sales SOP | Sales Playbook |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Step-by-step task execution | Strategic guidance and best practices |
| Scope | Single activity or process | Entire sales methodology |
| Detail | Prescriptive steps | Flexible recommendations |
| When to use | Performing specific tasks (e.g., qualifying a lead) | Understanding overall approach and positioning |
You might think of SOPs as the tactical pieces that live inside a broader playbook. The playbook explains your sales philosophy and general approach; the SOPs detail exactly how to execute each part. Both contribute to better process documentation across your sales organization.
How Glitter AI Helps with Sales SOPs
Glitter AI makes building sales SOPs surprisingly quick. Sales managers can record their screen while walking through a process, like qualifying a lead in the CRM or putting together a proposal. Glitter then automatically generates step-by-step documentation complete with screenshots and clear instructions.
What's nice about this approach is that it captures real workflows, not some idealized version of how things should work. When processes change, updating the SOP takes minutes rather than hours. Teams can share interactive guides that reps follow while actually working, turning documentation into practical on-the-job training.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a sales SOP?
A sales SOP (standard operating procedure) is a documented set of step-by-step instructions that defines how sales activities should be performed. It standardizes processes like lead qualification, cold calling, demos, and closing so the entire sales team works consistently.
What are examples of sales SOPs?
Common sales SOP examples include lead qualification procedures, cold calling scripts with follow-up requirements, demo preparation checklists, proposal creation processes, and customer handoff procedures. Each one documents specific steps, timing, and expected outcomes.
Why are sales SOPs important?
Sales SOPs improve consistency, cut down onboarding time for new reps, help every prospect get a quality experience, and make it possible to measure and refine sales processes. They allow teams to scale without losing quality.
How do you create a sales SOP?
Start by picking a specific sales activity to document, then outline each step, add timing requirements and expected outcomes, and test it with your team. Tools like Glitter AI can speed this up by recording screen demonstrations and generating documentation automatically.
What is the difference between a sales SOP and a sales playbook?
A sales SOP gives you prescriptive step-by-step instructions for a particular task, while a sales playbook provides broader strategic guidance for your overall sales approach. SOPs are tactical; playbooks are strategic.
What should be included in a sales SOP?
A solid sales SOP includes the procedure title, its purpose, scope, detailed step-by-step instructions, timing requirements, which CRM fields to update, expected outcomes, and some troubleshooting tips for common issues.
How often should sales SOPs be updated?
Review and update sales SOPs whenever processes change, you adopt new tools, or performance data points to improvement opportunities. Many organizations check their sales SOPs quarterly or after major product or market shifts.
Who is responsible for creating sales SOPs?
Sales managers usually take the lead on SOP creation, often collaborating with top-performing reps to document what actually works. Sales operations teams may own the ongoing documentation and keep SOPs current and accessible.
How do sales SOPs improve team performance?
Sales SOPs boost performance by removing guesswork, cutting down on errors, speeding up new hire ramp time, and making sure every rep uses proven methods. They also create a solid foundation for coaching and ongoing improvement.
Can sales SOPs be used for training?
Absolutely. New reps can follow documented procedures while learning, which reduces the need for constant shadowing and one-on-one coaching. Interactive SOPs built with tools like Glitter AI provide hands-on guidance during actual work.
Turn any process into a step-by-step guide