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When I think about product differentiation, I think about my trips to the grocery store. If I’m looking for hot chocolate, how do I make the choice? Everything is very similar, so I reach for Ibarra. This Mexican chocolate brand is rich, warm, and has a pinch of spice. It’s different and stands out, so I put it in my cart.

Whether you’re selling sweet beverage mixes or software, your product needs to be distinct from your competitors. Product differentiation is key to communicating a company’s value to consumers. That’s a full-blown strategy that may affect your product offering, pricing, service, and more.

So, how can a differentiation strategy work for your business? Let’s demystify the process.

Table of Contents

• What is product differentiation?
• Types of Product Differentiation
• Vertical Product Differentiation vs. Horizontal Product Differentiation
• Product Differentiation Strategies That Work
• Advantages and Disadvantages of Product Differentiation
• Product Differentiation Examples
• A Product Differentiation Strategy is Key to Success

Product differentiation is a method for companies to make their products stand out and grab consumers’ attention. It’s also known as a product differentiation strategy.

Your strategy should tap into what your brand does best and then communicate those advantages to potential customers. A business’s differentiation strategy depends on its industry, competitive market, and products or services.

Now that you know what product differentiation is, why does having a strategy in place matter? Well…

The Importance of Having a Differentiation Strategy

A product differentiation strategy helps a brand to develop a competitive advantage. And, that can be tough. According to Gila Shapiro, a product marketing manager at Riverside.fm, “the most challenging part of developing a truly distinctive product in my industry is noise.”

There are so many options to choose from that sometimes, consumers face choice overload and decision fatigue.

“Most competitors all claim to be “the best” at everything. Cutting through that requires more than innovation — it demands precision,” Gila says.

That’s why your differentiation strategy matters. You can’t just make new offerings and expect people to come over. You have to communicate your advantage in a way that builds goodwill with customers. Your strategy gives buyers a reason to come back to you again and again.

Businesses that make product differentiation work for them have the following qualities:

• They’re innovative and inventive. New offerings can help products stand out. These brands have a strong research and development team.
• The company has the resources to create high-quality products or services. For example, a company may have a distinctly responsive support team.
• The brand’s marketing and sales strategies communicate the competitive advantage of the product.

If your brand is distinct, your company becomes recognizable. Customers are also more likely to pick your product over a generic or undifferentiated product or service. Think about how Heinz Ketchup. I love the brand’s blend of sweetness and vinegar. Generic brands can’t compare, so I always reach for Heinz.

Apple is another example — and I’m a huge fan! I find Mac computers easy to navigate. Plus, software like Pages and iMovie still come with the computer, something PCs don’t offer. It’s often more money, but I’m too loyal to change.

Types of Product Differentiation

Like every strategy, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. However, there are a few buckets that product differentiation falls into. Keep reading to see where you fit.

Price

If your product is cheaper than competitors, you can attract business. In the best-case scenario, the cheaper option is just as good as the more expensive option (a dupe, if you will). However, sometimes a cheaper product is what you need, even if the quality isn’t top of the line.

A great example? Swinging by a Dunkin’ for coffee. A Dunkin’ iced coffee is usually cheaper than its competitors. It’s not as fancy as Blue Bottle, but when I need a quick caffeine boost, it gets the job done.

Quality and Reliability

Sometimes, price is less important than the quality. You may want something top-of-the-line that will last a life time, pulling you away from lower-caliber offerings. As my dad always says, “But once, cry once.”

When I think about quality, food always presents a great example. Rao’s tomato sauce is expensive. However, the quality of the ingredients and the flavor can’t be beat. Meanwhile, when it comes to reliability, I think about cars. Toyotas and Hondas have a reputation for lasting decades before they break down. When I ask about reliable cars, these two brands always come up.

Features

This category is very straightforward. Offering features that other brands don’t can set your product apart. That can be especially helpful if you have a genuine helpful feature in your bundle that other companies lack.

For example, in the world of CRMs, not every offering complies with HIPPA. So, a health insurance company would be limited to CRMs that allow for this compliance.

Design

Great design — whether that be for a physical or a digital user interface — can attract customers. If your product is easier to use than other options, customers in search of a no-fuss fix will flock your way.

I bought a Breville Bambino, a simple espresso machine that I can have at home. I picked this specific model because it’s easy to use. I can choose between a double and a single shot of espresso. Then I press a button to foam milk. I chose this simple design so I can make great lattes at home easily.

Location

If your business is brick-and-mortar, location is an important differentiating factor. Your customers want to go to the closest option for, say, groceries or a cup of coffee. That’s why I go to the 99 Ranch by my house instead of the Asian grocery store across town.

Brand Image

There’s a little bit of storytelling that goes into differentiation. You can see this in brand image. If your customers love what you stand for or how you run your business, you can earn their loyalty. For example, Patagonia uses sustainable materials and Fair Trade Certified factories. Because I care about the planet, I’m more likely to shop from the clothing brand.

Customization

While customization can mean adding a name to a product, the concept goes so much further. If people can pick exactly what’s in their plan and choose from a buffet of options, they get a customized experience. Both approaches can help you gain market share.

Think about Spotify’s suggestions and end-of-year Wrapped recap. That’s an offering customized to the listener.

Distribution Channels

Distribution channels are where products are available for customers to purchase. For example, a denim jacket can be sold online, at the brand’s store, and at third-party retailers. Where your product is available can be a differentiating factor. For example, I may be more likely to try a new snack I find at the store than one I gave to buy online.

Post-Sale Support

For certain purchases, customers want guidance even after they’ve swiped their credit card. In these instances, post-sales support is an essential differentiating factor. For example, when I shopped for a web hosting platform, I wanted an option with human customer support to help me get set up.

Vertical Product Differentiation vs. Horizontal Product Differentiation

Product differentiation typically falls within two categories: vertical and horizontal. However, customers may use a mix of the two to determine whether or not to make a purchase.

Vertical Product Differentiation

Vertical product differentiation is based on a measurable attribute like price or quality. For example, a customer may choose a product that ranks highest for quality over other brands. For other customers, price point may be the most important factor, so they choose the least expensive item.

For example, generic vs. branded products at the grocery store. Swanson chicken broth tastes better than the generic brand at Safeway — I can tell when I take a taste of both. But, if I’m making a bigger dish with a little bit of broth, I may opt for the cheaper, generic option.

Horizontal Product Differentiation

Horizontal product differentiation refers to factors that aren’t measurable, such as personal preference. This typically occurs when products or services have roughly the same price point. For example, a customer may choose the chicken sandwich from Shake Shack over Chick-fil-A based on personal preference rather than quality or cost concerns.

Customers may use mixed differentiation when making more involved purchases that combine vertical and horizontal differentiation attributes.

For example, if you want to buy health insurance, you’ll consider vertical differentiation attributes like cost, in-network physicians, and coverage. You may also consider brand recognition and perceived image, which would fall under the horizontal differentiation category.

This decision is a mix of vertical and horizontal product differentiation.

Product Differentiation Strategies That Work

There’s a lot of talk about differentiating a product in a market. But how exactly can businesses make it work? Here are some tried-and-true strategies, including insights from expert product marketing managers.

Use the MAYA principle.

The MAYA principle stands for “Most Advanced, Yet Acceptable.” It is a design principle that guides brands in creating products that balance innovation and user ease of use.

Concerning the MAYA principle, Mia Čomić, a product marketing manager at Learnworlds, says, “If you’re too novel, the customers will tune you out. If you’re too familiar, you won’t captivate their attention. It’s sort of like a Goldilocks’ issue of product development.”

Instead of innovating or adding new features just because everyone else is doing so, you should focus on what those features can do for your users. Ask yourself: Do my users need these features? Does this feature assist them in my product’s typical use case?

Čomić adds, “Innovation can be easily communicated if you center your narrative around what specific features can do for your users. It’s so simple, yet very few companies do it right. But you won’t get far if you innovate just for bragging rights and PR.”

For example, Čomić notes that LearnWorlds made a decision to carefully think through how they would implement AI functionality within the platform. “It was never about having AI just for the sake of it. If innovation is in the service of the users, then my job as a PMM gets a lot easier,” Čomić says.

Focus on your customers.

There will always be noise, and chasing the next new shiny thing might seem exciting. But, instead of doing that, focus on your customers.

This was what Shapiro did with her team.

Shapiro notes, “Instead of joining the noise, we focused entirely on our customers. What inspired our audience? What did they secretly wish for but hadn’t been offered yet? Differentiation, we realized, wasn’t about us — it was about showing them how they could achieve more.”

So, what can you do to focus on your audience or customers? Here are Shapiro’s top three recommendations.

• Dig into their emotional needs. Beyond features, explore what would make your audience feel confident and capable. How could you help them create something extraordinary? Frame every message around what your audience would gain and not what you’re selling.
• Be simple and clear. Focus on the one promise you can deliver better than anyone else. Then, communicate it in a way that cuts through the clutter. Instead of a laundry list of features, answer their most pressing question: “How will this help the customer succeed?”
• Continuously refine your message. Your messaging shouldn’t be static. Instead, treat it as a live conversation, testing what resonates, listening to feedback, and adjusting quickly. When something clicks, lean in harder. When it doesn’t, pivot.

Sure enough, this strategy helps Riverside.fm differentiate its products in the market. But it does way more than that. The strategy has helped them build connections with their audience. Now, users feel Riverside.fm is a product made just for them.

A resource like the HubSpot Product Marketing Kit provides critical support for teams executing these customer-focused strategies. This resource offers templates, guides, and frameworks that enable product marketing teams to research customer needs across channels.

Consolidate services.

While it’s vital to focus on a particular feature that makes you stand out, sometimes what you’re known for is that your product is a one-in-all solution. All of the strategies work together. Listening to or focusing on your customers often reveals that they don’t want to deal with software bloat. They want a tool that provides all they need in one place.

Bolaji Anifowose used this strategy as a PMM at Simpu.

He says, “During my time at Simpu, we operated in a crowded market for customer communication tools. To differentiate, we focused on creating a product that combined marketing (email and SMS) and support (chat, text, email, and social media) into one seamless platform.”

According to Anifowose, many competitors offered marketing and support tools as standalone solutions. However, Simpu identified the frustration early-stage companies and SMBs faced when juggling multiple disconnected platforms.

He continues, “Our solution was tailored specifically for these businesses, which often couldn’t afford enterprise-level tools or the inefficiencies of managing separate systems.”

You can tell whether you need to consolidate services and products by adopting a customer-centric approach. This approach involves conducting extensive customer interviews to understand their pain points. You can then prioritize features that alleviate these challenges.

Challenge the status quo.

Challenging the status quo as a product differentiation strategy is one of my favorite approaches because it’s bold. It’s about addressing inefficiencies and unmet needs in an existing market. Often, it feels like rooting for the underdog who sees things differently and takes on established giants.

It’s a strategy Dollar Shave Club used to stand out in a market dominated by overly complicated products. It was how Apple disrupted the tech industry and how Tesla did the same in the electric vehicle market.

Of course, you cannot challenge the status quo with an inferior product. Your product needs to be on par and, in many cases, better than what is already available to customers.

What I find especially powerful about this strategy is the storytelling. It’s not just about saying, “We’re different.” It’s about showing why the old way isn’t working and how the new way makes life better for people like me. That authenticity and sense of purpose make me more loyal to those brands.

Challenging the status quo is a high-risk, high-reward move. When executed correctly, it can result in strong customer loyalty and even a cult-like following.

Use design and style.

Sounds pretty simple, right? Well, it’s not. Most companies create outstanding products that hide behind boring designs. You can differentiate your product by making it beautiful and memorable. Great design can elevate even the most mundane items and turn them into something exciting.

Consider Happy Socks’ example. They make socks — products don’t get much more boring than that. However, by using bold colors and quirky patterns, they turned a simple, everyday product into a fun statement piece.

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These designs communicate without words and spark a connection between products and the market. Whenever I buy something because of its design, it feels more like a personal experience than a transaction.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Product Differentiation

Before pursuing a product differentiation strategy, it’s best to review its advantages and disadvantages. This knowledge can help you know where to lean in and which pitfalls to avoid.

Advantages of Product Differentiation

• Product differentiation will give your prospective customers added value. This value can come directly from the product, service, or brand perception.
• Every time people see your products on store shelves or in an online ad, they‘ll know exactly what your brand represents. Plus, they’ll be more likely to choose your product over the competition.
• With product differentiation, companies can compete in areas other than price. They can innovate in style, quality, features, etc. It’s up to the business to decide which area of differentiation will work best for their target markets.

Disadvantages of Product Differentiation

• A differentiation strategy doesn‘t necessarily guarantee that consumers will see the value that distinguishes your product from other standard options. For example, if your product is more expensive because of its quality and the consumer doesn’t see the added value, they’ll choose the cheaper option.
• As consumers become savvier and technology and products advance, your product’s differentiation might no longer provide value to customers. You should consider how long your differentiation strategy will last and whether it will need to be modified at a later date.
• Pursuing a differentiation strategy means investing resources in developing a product that sets itself apart. This can burden R&D teams, product manufacturers, and your profit margins. These effects are felt more by smaller businesses that have few employees and limited resources.

Product Differentiation Examples

1. Trader Joe’s

Main Competitors: Whole Foods, Kroger, Sprouts

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[alt text] example of product differentiation: Trader Joe’s

Trader Joe‘s has earned a dedicated following among shoppers thanks to the brand’s friendliness and unique items. I mean, who can resist those Hawaiian shirts, free samples, and friendly banter?

Trader Joe‘s sets itself above the competition by leveraging its friendly service and combining it with unique, often seasonal, items. Its stores’ compact footprint and handwritten signs advertising the day‘s deals make shoppers feel like they’re in a local establishment rather than a national chain.

Most of all, Trader Joe‘s delivers high-quality items shoppers can’t get anywhere else, all at a budget-friendly cost.

2. Airstream

Main competitors: Fleetwood, Jayco, Winnebago

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[alt text] Product Differentiation Example: Airstream

Airstream RVs have a retro mystique. They’re silver, streamlined, and highly recognizable on the road. The company sets its RVs apart from the competition by focusing on quality — which increases the product’s value over time. Higher quality means lower maintenance costs and higher resale value.

Plus, they’re known to last for generations. According to the company’s site, “Since the 1930s, Airstreams have been handed down from generation to generation, passed on to family members, friends, or new adventurers.”

Airstream’s brand is further developed through its heritage, which builds trust with potential customers and highlights its success over the years. With the tagline “Live Riveted,” Airstream inspires people to travel with an RV.

3. Billie

Main Competitors: Flamingo, Harry’s, Dollar Shave Club

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Billie differentiates itself from typical direct-to-consumer body care brands by focusing on women first. The brand combats the pink tax, provides premium products, and makes the future brighter for all women. This strategy has helped the company realize monumental success and develop a recognizable brand with a positive reputation.

Billie’s co-founder, Georgina Gooley, said in an interview with Columbia Women’s Business Society, “We knew right away that we wanted to create a brand that put women first in a category that had always considered them an afterthought. Our goal is to create a little bit of magic in the mundane and make an everyday routine more enjoyable (and a lot more affordable!).”

By positioning itself as a champion of women of all sizes, shades, and grooming habits, Billie has carved out a niche in direct-to-consumer personal care.

4. Fabletics

Main Competitors: Lululemon, Athleta (by Gap)

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Like Billie, Fabletics positioned its brand toward women of all sizes and backgrounds for its direct-to-consumer activewear brand. With Kate Hudson at the helm, Fabletics offers quality, stylish clothes on par with competitors like Lululemon, minus the elitism.

The company often partners with celebrities and athletes for each of its campaigns, including Kevin Hart, to launch its new menswear line. Additionally, they’ve partnered with Lizzo to launch her new size-inclusive shapewear line, YITTY.

Each month, Fabletics rolls out a new collection of styles, separating it from the competition and ensuring that consumers always have fresh looks to try.

5. Nike

Main competitors: Under Armour, Adidas, Reebok International

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What separates Nike from the competition is its branding. The company positions itself as innovative and creates high-quality sports apparel and shoes.

The company partners with high-profile athletes, including Serena Williams, Michael Jordan, Cristiano Ronaldo, and others, to wear and promote Nike apparel. Such partnerships attract new (and returning) customers because many aspire to be like their favorite athletes.

Nike also creates new and innovative product lines. These offerings create buzz and excitement. Promotions pique the interest of new customers and keep existing customers returning for more.

6. Lush

Main competitors: The Body Shop, Origins, Sephora

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Lush stands out from other cosmetic brands because it focuses on fresh, handmade cosmetics — something most generic cosmetic brands don’t often do.

Messaging is another area where Lush stands out from the crowd. Their target customer values social responsibility, and the company takes it to heart. All the products are made using natural, vegetarian ingredients, reusable and recyclable packaging, and without animal testing.

Each visit to a Lush store offers a unique experience. You can test out products and have your questions answered by friendly store associates. Each aspect of Lush’s differentiation strategy makes it a recognizable and well-loved brand.

For even more product differentiation examples, check out these companies that brilliantly differentiated themselves from the competition.

A Product Differentiation Strategy is Key to Success

A well-planned product differentiation strategy can set your business and brand apart from competitors and make it memorable. It’s about giving your customers a reason to choose you in a sea of competitors.

Whether through bold design, innovative features, or challenging the norms of your industry, differentiation creates value that resonates on a deeper level. For me, the best strategies are the ones that feel personal and authentic. I want something that solves real problems and sparks joy.

If you want to know the secret to honing confidence as an entrepreneur, here it is: Starting a successful business isn’t just about having a groundbreaking idea, the perfect timing, all the resources in the world, or even a whole lot of money. It’s also about having the right mindset to navigate the highs, the lows, and the inevitable plot twists.

The way you think, adapt, and push through challenges does determine whether you’ll thrive or throw in the towel. That said, how you cultivate your entrepreneurial mindset is based on a plethora of things; those factors will shift as you grow your business. In this post, I’ll break down what it really means to think like an entrepreneur, how you can channel your potential (without the fluff), and I’ll offer some inspiration to hopefully motivate you to lean into your entrepreneurial mindset way more this year.

Table of Contents:

• What is an entrepreneurial mindset?
• Entrepreneurial Mindset Characteristics
• Employee vs. Entrepreneur Mindset
• How to Develop the Entrepreneurial Mindset
• Entrepreneurial Mindset Quotes
• Entrepreneurial Mindset Examples
• Anyone Can Have An Entrepreneurial Mindset

To start, I think it’s worth clearing up a misconception you’re likely already forming: That the entrepreneur mindset is entirely specific to hard-boiled entrepreneurs. This, my dear reader, is entirely wrong.

Here’s my rebuttle: Anyone (yes, even you) can demonstrate it. Even if you haven’t quite figured out every moving part of your business yet. Even if you haven’t written down every detail about how you’ll make your ideas tangible. Whether you’re an employee looking to start taking that passion project you had seriously or a freelancer that’s ready to turn your talents into something bigger, embracing your entrepreneurial mindset will empower you to:

• Think creatively
• Solve problems proactively
• Seize opportunities

At its core, an entrepreneurial mindset is about fostering a solution-oriented approach to challenges, no matter how difficult they are. Even more so, honing your entrepreneurial mindset means developing strategies to take on whatever comes your way and building a tolerance for pushing through setbacks. After all, success isn’t about never failing; it’s about how you get back up.

If you’re interested in cultivating this way of thinking, check out the following section for a breakdown of the key characteristics you can expect to develop as you progress.

Entrepreneurial Mindset Characteristics

Locking into your entrepreneurial mindset starts with embracing a growth-oriented perspective. Before you even think about solidifying a business strategy or securing a grant, you’ve got to train your mind to see things differently. By differently, I mean reframing your attitude around encountering the hard stuff as you navigate your journey toward becoming an entrepreneur.

No one starts with all the answers on how to do this, but I’ll tell you one thing: You can shift your mindset by making little changes, starting with how you think. Check out a list of characteristics I put together to help you establish a strong foundation and confidently tackle challenges:

1. Self-Drive

As an entrepreneur, you should aim to be self-driven. Why? Because you’re solely responsible for your business’s success. You need to motivate yourself and push through obstacles without anyone telling you what to do and when to do it.

The great thing about self-drive is that it can look like anything, from staying focused on your goal (as entrepreneurship can require long hours, hard work, and dedication) to seeking new opportunities and learning experiences. Being self-driven allows you to take initiative and make decisions that will move your business forward, even when uncertain.

2. Flexibility

As an entrepreneur, you have to be open-minded about approaching your work … it comes with the territory if you will. Whether it be willing to pivot when necessary, working with diverse groups of people, or listening to critiques, you’ve got to be willing to adapt, learn, and evolve based on new information and feedback.

By staying flexible, you can adapt to change and take advantage of opportunities as they arise, instead of letting them pass by.

3. Creativity

To think like an entrepreneur means you have to get creative. Many people like the sound of running their own business but need more creativity to develop the solutions and strategies required to gain and retain a customer base.

Plus, even if you’re not serving a “creative” industry, your choices — from your supply chain to your marketing — can capture your target audience’s attention. Everything you’ll do will be assessed against your competitors, so you’ve got to come correct with a unique value proposition, compelling branding, and innovative problem-solving that sets you apart from everybody else.

4. Authenticity

Authenticity is one of the most challenging qualities to maintain as an entrepreneur. With all the industry noise and trend-chasing hoopla, staying true to yourself, your brand’s mission, and, most importantly, your customers is hard, to say the least.

However, staying committed to authenticity builds trust and creates a strong connection between you and your customers. When you’re true to yourself, your customers are likelier to trust you and feel engaged with your business.

5. Tenacity

According to data from The Hustle’s 2024 Entrepreneurship Trends Report, only 28% of businesses are profitable within their first year of starting; 36% are super profitable within two years of operation.

What does this data tell us? Well, in short, it proves that entrepreneurs have to have the tenacity, or determination, to keep trying if they want to see the results they’ve dreamed of. Going through setbacks (i.e., low sales or lack of brand visibility) can chip away at your confidence, but true entrepreneurs understand that the climb to success isn’t free of challenges, so no matter what comes your way, you’ve got to see all of it through.

Employee vs. Entrepreneur Mindset

Individuals who acquire the entrepreneurial mindset — or entrepreneurial spirit — will do what others won’t: They take initiative and make a point to create opportunities rather than wait for them. They embrace leadership opportunities and learn what they can at every possible turn. Those qualities — among others — set the entrepreneurially minded apart from, well, those who just aren’t. I like to call those folks “employee-minded.”

Here’s some insight into the key differences between the two thought processes:

1. Entrepreneurs zero in on individual tasks more than employees.

Argue with me if you want to, but ‘multitasking’ isn’t a thing. It’s a buzzword that means rapidly jumping from individual task to individual task, which ultimately implies sacrificing some level of quality and thoughtfulness along the way.

But if there’s one thing entrepreneurs know how to do without fail, it’s focus. As an entrepreneur, you learn that deep, intentional work consistently outperforms scattered effort. Plus, success doesn’t happen because you do everything at once. It coalesces when you’ve learned what’s deserving of your attention. Prioritization, not multitasking, moves the needle forward, my dear reader.

2. Entrepreneurs have an ‘on to the next one’ mentality.

Employee-minded folks are known to get fixated on their mistakes; entrepreneurs breeze by ‘em.

You see, a good entrepreneur sees the good in failure. To unlock your entrepreneurial mindset properly, you must understand that every mistake is a learning experience. You have to confidently know that the world isn’t over with every screw-up … and be able to quickly derive lessons from any that may take place. This may take some time, but once you’ve uncovered a strategy that works for you, you’ll have a solid approach to managing missteps.

3. Entrepreneurs partition and prioritize their work differently.

When employees apply themselves to something, it isn’t a problem. What typically causes issues is how they use their time and energy. Some folks prefer to tear through all their work as it comes to them, others like to pace themselves through different tasks, and some choose to just plain ol’ procrastinate.

On the other hand, entrepreneurs often use a different method. Oppositely, they make a point of working smarter and are skilled at partitioning their work thoughtfully. They know that time is the most essential professional commodity, so they handle it with tact.

4. Entrepreneurs are wise about risks and confront them head-on.

Employee-minded individuals have a reputation for being risk-averse. They value stability, which is totally understood, but they may lack a nuanced understanding of what it takes to go above and beyond for long-term growth and innovation. Entrepreneurs, however, know to expect moments when their business priorities will have to take precedence over their work life, personal life, and, yes, their sleep schedule.

Entrepreneurs take calculated risks and anticipate having to take a leap of faith at some point in their business growth process. The key difference here is a matter of mindset. Entrepreneurs know what comes with the territory of their dreams; employee-minded folks are known to seek the comfort of structure and, to some degree, predictability.

5. Entrepreneurs aren’t threatened by people more intelligent than them.

You’ve probably heard the old saying, “If you’re the smartest person in the room, leave that room.” For some employee-minded individuals, that phrase presents … a tricky concept. For entrepreneurs, it emphasizes valuing learning opportunities more than ego.

As an entrepreneur, nurturing a good sense of humility will help you realize your ambitions and bolster your professional skill sets.

6. Entrepreneurs own all their decisions — good and bad.

Some employee-minded people may deflect responsibility for the consequences of their actions entirely, but here’s one thing you can expect while pursuing entrepreneurship: You’ll have to hold yourself accountable for poor decisions as much as you tout your accomplishments. There’s no trying to avoid blame, no distancing yourself from any less-than-ideal calls you make; this accountability comes with the beauty of being your boss.

As I’ve mentioned, entrepreneurs view screw-ups as learning experiences that don’t define them or dictate their professional value. Take your shortcomings on the chin and keep moving forward.

Pro Tip: My advice for preventing stressful business things before they happen? Create a business plan that outlines everything, from your business name to how you’ll pitch your business to investors. I recommend using HubSpot’s Business Startup Kit if you want to organize your thoughts with easy-to-follow, easy-to-share templates.

How to Develop the Entrepreneurial Mindset

When folks bare their “secrets” about adopting the entrepreneurial mindset, they don’t share how nonlinear the journey really is. The road map to get there is paved with tons of vague instructions. Folks will say, “Be fearless, work hard, take risks,” but they don’t provide the concrete steps or how-to guidance that help others make it happen. But lucky for you, my dear reader, I’m not like those people. Instead, I’ve written the complete playbook to tapping into your entrepreneurial mindset.

Here’s every actionable step you should take to engage your entrepreneurial mindset in day-to-day life, no holds barred:

1. Set clear goals.

First thing’s first: You can’t make progress as an entrepreneur if you don’t know which direction you’re going in; at this stage, having dreams or wishes is not enough. You need clear goals.

Start by outlining a handful of SMART goals to hit each week or month, ones that are:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

Chip away at them every day and see how far you can get. If you have trouble staying accountable, write your goals down or share them with family, friends, colleagues — hell, even your LinkedIn network. Remember: Big achievements are often the result of small, consistent actions. Don’t get caught up in perfection; moving forward is all that matters.

2. Prioritize learning.

When discussing “learning,” you probably picture it super formally, like completing a training or certification. Now, don’t get me wrong. Formal learning is vital for professional development, and you shouldn’t pass up on those kinds of opportunities … but you can also learn by simply listening to others in a way that works for you.

Don’t hesitate to ask questions fueled by curiosity. Seek out a mentor, read an expert-backed article, message a peer on LinkedIn, listen to motivational podcasts, take an online course. People who have done what you’re doing have the wisdom to share; don’t miss any chances to get the answers and resources you need.

If it helps, technically, I didn’t even come up with this — Jim Rohn, the late entrepreneur and author, did. He once said, “Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.”

3. Reframe failure.

Here’s a not-so-shocking statement: Failure doesn’t feel good. It likely won’t ever feel good. But the best entrepreneurs know that failure, rejection, risk, and criticism are all part of the gig, and choose to see them as common side effects of ambition. Instead of folding under pressure, a good entrepreneur learns to keep moving.

The key word here is to learn, since reframing your mindset around failure takes time and effort. The trick is not to think of failure as something to fear or avoid but, rather, a tool to understand situations better and make more informed decisions in the future.

A different perspective can entirely change your growth trajectory, so choose yours wisely.

4. Embrace risk-taking.

Here’s something you probably didn’t expect to hear from me: Failure is the best teacher.

When you take a risk, you either a) win or b) learn a lesson. This doesn’t mean you should spontaneously quit your job or say “yes” to the next opportunity that comes across your desk (or your Gmail? Maybe? Who knows these days). My point is, my dear reader, it’s all about calculated risk.

A calculated risk is a carefully considered decision with a degree of risk and a reasonable chance of a positive outcome. For instance, it’s common for entrepreneurs to put some of their personal assets on the line to finance operations. Yes, this is risky, but if you can get past the initial fear of such a risk, many benefits can await you on the other side.

Entrepreneurial Mindset Quotes

Sometimes (especially depending on the day you’re having), motivation doesn’t come from within. Sometimes, motivation comes from hearing someone else’s take on success. Or struggle. Or just trusting the process. My point is this: It helps to hear someone else’s take on how they made things happen when things got tough.

Whether you’re looking for an alternative view on resilience or just need a pick me up, here’s a curated collection of quotes I put together that I hope helps you see the entrepreneurship grind in a slightly different light:

On Perseverance

• “Every no gets me closer to a yes.” — Mark Cuban
• “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” — Robert Collier
• “Life keeps throwing me curve balls and I don’t even own a bat. But my dodging skills are improving.” ― Jayleigh Cape
• “Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.” — William Feather
• “The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack in will.” — Vince Lombardi

On Work Ethic

• “Be true to your heart, and if you’re passionate about your dream, work towards it. But don’t allow your idea of how you think it should manifest to prevent what’s actually unfolding from happening.” — Keke Palmer
• “Success isn’t owned. It’s leased, and rent is due every day.” – J. J. Watt
• “So often people are working hard at the wrong thing. Working on the right thing is more important than working hard.” — Caterina Fake
• “I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’” — Muhammad Ali
• “I never dreamed of success. I worked for it.” — Estee Lauder

On Taking Risks

• “Go out on a limb. That’s where the fruit is.” — Jimmy Carter
• “Don’t be afraid of the answers. Be afraid of not asking the questions.” — Jennifer Hudson
• “Progress always involves risks. You can’t steal second base and keep your foot on first.” — Frederick Wilcox
• “Everything is a risk. Not doing anything is a risk. It’s up to you.” — Nicola Yoon
• “Rarely are opportunities presented to you in a perfect way. In a nice little box with a yellow bow on top. Opportunities – the good ones – are messy, confusing and hard to recognize. They’re risky. They challenge you.” — Susan Wojcicki

On Handling Failure

• “I don’t like to lose — at anything — yet I’ve grown most not from victories, but setbacks.” — Serena Williams
• “Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald
• “It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.” — Bill Gates
• “Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” — Henry Ford
• “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”― Maya Angelou

On Motivation and Drive

• “Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.” — Conrad Hilton
• “The question isn‘t who’s going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” — Ayn Rand
• “Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new center of gravity. Don’t fight them. Just find a new way to stand.” — Oprah Winfrey
• “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” — Steve Jobs
• “No matter how many goals you have achieved, you must set your sights on a higher one.” — Jessica Savitch

On Leadership

• “To become truly great, one has to stand with people, not above them.” — Montesquieu
• “Leaders think and talk about the solutions. Followers think and talk about the problems.” — Brian Tracy
• “The ability to learn is the most important quality a leader can have.” — Padmasree Warrior
• “Leadership is a series of behaviors rather than a role for heroes.” — Margaret Wheatley
• “Do it from the heart or not at all.” ― Jeanette Winterson

Entrepreneurial Mindset Examples

In my experience of chasing big goals, it’s always been helpful to see people who’ve made their dreams plausible and attainable regardless of the odds they faced. I think it could benefit you, too, my dear reader.

Check out these folks whose entrepreneurial mindset took them pretty far:

1. Alicia Scott — Range Beauty

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Believe it or not, Alicia Scott — Founder and CEO of Range Beauty — started her ance-safe and eczema-friendly makeup business with only $150. After appearing on Shark Tank and securing a deal with Lori Greiner, Scott’s makeup brand became the first-ever Black woman-owned beauty brand to receive funding from the show. Since then, Range Beauty has relaunched, received a Glossier Alumni Award, and is now being sold nationwide at Sephora. Still, none of its success happened overnight; as a matter of fact, her company is still growing.

Alicia’s commitment to trusting her process, taking as much time as needed to do fundamental research, and refining her business truly reflects her entrepreneurial mindset. In an episode of The Foundr Podcast, Alicia admitted that it took three years to fully ideate and build Range Beauty into what it is today; she even mentioned that she bootstrapped her first product batch. “I moved to Atlanta, Georgia, worked a 9 to 5, made sure all of my expenses and personal bills were taken care of, but whatever residual income I had after my paychecks, that’s what went toward building Range Beauty,” Scott shared.

Range Beauty’s climb to success is still in progress, so there’s much to learn from Scott’s entrepreneurial mindset. Here are the takeaways I’ve extracted that I think could apply to you:

• Be prepared to go back to the drawing board. Scott shifted Range Beauty’s brand identity and vision several times before landing on something that felt authentic to the business and product she was developing.
• Expect setbacks and handle them with grace. Alicia received a cease-and-desist letter regarding a former tagline for Range Beauty; she revealed she was happy about it, too. Although the cease-and-desist may have delayed Scott’s business expansion, she reframed the situation as an opportunity to spend more time ironing out her brand’s niche.
• Do it all by yourself until you can’t anymore. When Alicia began fulfilling orders for Range Beauty, she boldly confessed to utilizing every room in her apartment to create products and get them out to customers. As an entrepreneur, you’ll likely want everything you need to start your business right away, but the reality might be that it could take a while to get there. Don’t feel ashamed about getting DIY if it means getting started.

2. Creator Tea Talk/Em Dash Co. – Jayde Powell

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According to CNBC Make It, Jayde Powell — who only recently began her career as a full-time creatorpreneur and founder of two content and creative development-focused ventures — made $27,000 by leveraging her voice through LinkedIn and social media content creation.

I spoke to Jayde a few months back to pick her brain about what encouraged her to quit her 9 to 5 and pursue her solopreneurship as a round-the-clock gig; here are my takeaways about Jayde’s entrepreneurial mindset that I think are worth sharing:

• Invest in continuous learning as much as you can. Jayde shared that entrepreneurs should “level up their skills” whenever possible. As an entrepreneur, you should always be thinking about ways to elevate your offerings and how to appeal to new clients.
• Accept that entrepreneurship is fluid. Your goal may be to scale your business to a multi-billion dollar company; you could also not have this goal, which could completely change how you view milestones and success. Regardless of how you want to grow, know that your perception of “making it” may not look like what you’ve seen from other big-name business owners or companies.
• Don’t let optics rule decision-making around your business. Jayde’s biggest piece of advice? Craft an entrepreneurship experience that is specifically tailored to you and your dreams. Entrepreneurship can be whatever it needs to be to suit the needs of your life and the timeline you’ve set for yourself.

Anyone Can Have An Entrepreneurial Mindset

You don’t necessarily have to self-identify as an entrepreneur to exhibit “the entrepreneur mindset.” Heck, most entrepreneurs don’t until they’ve been in the game for a decent amount of time. However, no matter where you stand in your business growth process, know that embracing the entrepreneurial mindset is a tool for preparing for future successes.

Lastly, I’ll leave you with this:

• All unexpected twists and turns aren’t bad; they often indicate progress.
• Take risks. Risks invite opportunities, and opportunities open doors to advancement.
• Starting your “side hustle” plants a seed for bigger things to come. And — in the words of the incredibly awesome Victoria Monet — when you want something, the only thing between you and your goals is time.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in March 2021 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

MEDDPICC is a game-changing B2B sales qualification framework. It will help you decide which leads to invest your time into and which leads don’t help you achieve your business goals or may not convert. This way, you can focus your time on the most fulfilling leads that feel like the right fit for your business and motivate you and the sales team.

Sounds like the dream, doesn’t it? And it is!

Learning about qualified leads feels like a turning point in any B2B operation. To begin with, any lead feels like a goal, but over time, if you’re marketing yourself correctly, you should have more leads than you can serve. A healthy pipeline is a goal for most businesses; there’s security if you have more work than you can do now.

I’ve learned the hard way (hello, burnout) that you simply can’t invest time equally in every prospect, and any prospect you do invest your time into needs to be a qualified lead that you can — and want — to serve.

In this article, I’ve deep-dived into the MEDDPICC sales methodology, from what it is and how you can use it, to top tips from seasoned sales pros who use MEDDPICC and describe it as “transformational.”

I thoroughly enjoyed writing this one. The experts were generous with their examples and tips and incredibly insightful. By the time I’d finished this article, I was already bringing the MEDDPICC sales methodology into my own business. I hope you find it as useful as I did.

Table of Contents

• What is the MEDDPICC methodology?
• What are the benefits of MEDDPICC?
• How to Use the MEDDPICC Methodology
• Tips for Using MEDDPICC
• I’m Using the MEDDPICC Sales Methodology. Are You?

What is the MEDDPICC methodology?

MEDDPICC is a B2B sales qualification framework designed to help salespeople identify and focus on high-potential leads. The goal is to attract more qualified leads and spot a weak lead from a strong one while increasing the chances of closing complex, high-value deals.

MEDDPICC is an acronym, and it stands for:

• Metrics
• Economic Buyer
• Decision Criteria
• Decision Process
• Paper Process
• Identify Pain
• Champion
• Competition

Later in this article, I’ve broken down each component, why it’s important, and how you can use it for sales success.

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MEDDIC vs. MEDDPICC

The differences between MEDDPICC and MEDDIC are clear. Yes, it’s the addition of the “P” and the extra “C.”

So, MEDDPICC expands on the MEDDIC framework and includes the:

• Paper Process
• Competition

While the core elements are the same, the two serve slightly different purposes.

MEDDIC might be considered more suitable for shorter sales cycles, smaller businesses, and less competitive markets.

MEDDPICC is better for longer, more complex sales cycles, larger enterprises, and highly competitive environments.

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If you ask me, it can’t hurt to be more thorough and use MEDDPICC as your sales methodology over MEDDIC, no matter how big or small your business and sales cycle. You’ll learn a lot about your business that can be insightful for other departments (not just sales.)

That said, if you’re overwhelmed, start with MEDDIC.

What are the benefits of MEDDPICC?

The benefits of MEDDPICC are vast! I will list some of them below, but if you’re still unsure or looking for something more tangible, keep reading. Later, I’ll share real-life examples from sales professionals using a MEDDPICC sales process and their top tips.

Clarity

Before you can implement the MEDDPICC sales methodology, you need to establish an understanding of what you’re selling, who you’re selling it to, why it’s important to them, and who else you’re up against when it comes to sealing the deal.

Through the MEDDPICC sales process, you will outline answers to these questions, meaning you must think about them properly. As a result, all your ideas will be in one place, which is ideal if you’re managing a large team and need everyone working toward the same objective.

The answers to these questions are covered in the following components.

• Metrics. Data-driven metrics help guide messaging.
• Economic Buyer. The person you need to impress so they’ll open the purse to the cash!
• Decision Criteria. What clients want from you and how they’ll judge you.
• Competition. Other businesses offering your prospects the same or similar solutions.

There’s a good chance you have a solid idea of how to address these components of MEDDPICC, but walking through the MEDDPICC sales process forces you to think critically about it. Ideally, you’d discover and settle on answers to these with a team, considering all angles.

Finally, you gain clarity on precisely who you’re targeting, why, and how you can stand out and win prospects over.

Improved Lead Qualification and Team Morale

Once your sales process is fully integrated with MEDDPICC, sales personnel will save time and enhance lead quality. They will have the framework to qualify or disqualify opportunities early in the process.

Teams can focus on high-probability leads instead of spending time on low-quality leads.

Better quality leads mean more motivation and fulfillment for sales teams. Morale in sales is something that John Rankins talks about in his article The Impact of Lead Quality on Your Business.

Rankins says, “Picture the frustration of your sales team when they continually encounter unqualified leads. It’s demotivating to see their hard work result in dead ends. This frustration can lead to burnout, high turnover rates, and a decrease in overall team morale. After all, who wants to make dozens of calls each day, only to be met with rejection or disinterest?”

If your team is motivated, fulfilled, and excited about their job, then sales calls will be better, and the customer experience will be enhanced.

There are no negatives to improving lead quality and empowering sales teams with the knowledge to identify a hot lead from a cold one.

Better Competitive Analysis

The “Competition” component of MEDDPICC asks you to gain a deeper understanding of competitors’ strengths and weaknesses. You’ll need to get real about what competitors do better than you, what you truly excel at, and how you’re going to disarm competitors at every step of the sales process.

As a consultant, I work with a variety of businesses. Clients have told me, “We don’t have any competitors because…”

The thing is, unless you’re doing something completely unique and there is no other solution — which seems highly improbable — you’ve got a competitor, and every business benefits greatly from knowing who they are. The MEDDPICC sales process forces you to face this on a deeper level.

Remember, “Competition” is one of the additions of MEDDPICC compared to MEDDIC. It’s an important component and hugely beneficial to sales and businesses in general.

Free Resources: If you’re just getting started with MEDDPICC, there are resources to help. HubSpot has a step-by-step guide to the MEDDIC sales qualification process and 101 sales qualification questions.

How to Use the MEDDPICC Methodology

Here’s a step-by-step guide for each component of the MEDDPICC process, including what each component is and how you can use it to achieve sales success.

If you love video, I think this one by James White is brilliant. White is a sales growth specialist. In his MEDDPICC video, he explains more about MEDDPICC, the history of this methodology, and works through MEDDPICC step-by-step.

How to close B2B sales deals with MEDDPICC

Metrics

Your metrics are the data, or performance indicators, that your buyer most needs. What you want to do is gather the data about how what you do or sell supports or achieves these metrics.

The thing with metrics, as explained by Joel Popoff, CEO of Axwell Wallet, is that you need to turn data into concrete outcomes that actually mean something.

Popoff says, “Customers connect with concrete outcomes, not abstract data. Rather than emphasizing technical specifications, we offer scenarios like ‘This wallet blocks 99% of RFID skimming threats,’ demonstrating tangible advantages to security-conscious shoppers. This method has considerably increased our conversion rates.”

Economic Buyer

Your economic buyer is a key player in the MEDDPICC sales methodology. This person has control of budgets and needs to know that the service will perform for the company. You may or may not speak with them directly, but you must understand who this person is and how they can be positively influenced.

For Tyler Hull, founder and sales manager of Modern Exterior, MEDDPICC’s strength lies in its Metrics and economic buyer components. Hull believes that these metrics “anchor every discussion on specific, quantifiable results and align them with the decision-maker at the top of the budget.”

Hull explains how this worked: “After introducing MEDDPICC at Modern Exterior, we estimated that our customized solutions reduced clients’ project costs by 25% over two years.”

“We’ve noticed prospects progress much further when they are confident in the numbers we provide to support our propositions.”

It makes sense. After all, decision-makers need to know that their investment will pay off, and data (or outcomes, as Joel Popoff suggests above) gives them that security.

Decision Criteria

Your decision criteria are the elements that your buyer will judge you. They will have a list of requirements that they need to meet. The criteria could vary by prospect but include things like cost, implementation, collaboration, product quality, and so much more.

If you know what criteria you’re judged on, you can make sure you can meet that demand.

Hull provided insightful examples of decision criteria and how they helped Modern Exterior. “The Decision Criteria component optimized how we sell value, helping us close 15% more deals within six months. In my experience, the framework improves transparency, making it significantly easier to track progress and identify blind spots.”

Decision Process

Without a framework like MEDDPICC sales methodology, you might make educated guesses about components, like decision-makers or influences in the decision-making process. And in many cases, experience will serve you well, and you’ll be right.

But, with MEDDPICC, you might uncover incorrect and leading assumptions about who influences the decision process and the weight of some team members.

Edward White is head of growth at beehiiv and relies on a MEDDPICC sales process. With MEDDPICC, the team at beehiiv discovered an unexpected influencer.

White told me: “We found a back-end developer influencing integration decisions, which we’d have missed otherwise. Engaging with them boosted technical alignment and saved us 10+ hours on support post-sale.”

White’s discovery makes complete sense. A backend developer should influence integration decisions since it’s likely the developer who would deal with the integration, if not in the early phases, but certainly once it is live. Any good organization would consult the in-house developer, but, in most cases, developers are not in charge of the budget, may not be on early – or any – sales calls, and are, therefore, easy to forget since they’re not front of mind.

If you can understand the decision process, you spot potential influencers you need to appease to close a deal.

Paper Process

The “Paper Process” is the second addition to MEDDPICC (from MEDDIC) and asks teams to understand the paperwork involved in a sale. This includes elements like legal and administrative requirements.

When I spoke to sales experts about MEDDPICC, one in particular mentioned the paper process. Jay Soni, co-founder and director of sales and marketing at Yorkshire Fabric Shop, said, “Keep detailed documentation of every step of the MEDDPICC process for each transaction. Exhaustive documentation of the ‘Paper Process’ can reveal potential bottlenecks on contract sign-offs or legal audits and allow your team to mitigate them quickly. Believe me, you’ll be reducing risk and creating predictability with this!”

Identify Pain

Your product or service should solve a pain point for your customer. If you know exactly what this is, then you can show your prospects how you can alleviate pain.

Jose Angelo is a growth marketer and founder of Jose Angelo Studios. He has an impressive example where MEDDPICC implementation increased a sales cycle by 60%.

Angelo says, “The most successful MEDDPICC implementation I have worked on was for a Fortune 500 technology client.”

Using MEDDPICC, the client was able to understand who their economic buyer was, the chief revenue officer, and resolve a $2M revenue leak.

Angelo says, “Structuring the solution directly at their pain points resulted in closing a $400,000 deal within 45 days, or 60% faster than our typical sales cycle.”

Champion

Your champion is the person who is most invested in you or your company. This is someone who is already supporting you and wants your business to win the deal and have some influence over others within their business. They’re basically an internal salesperson rooting for you.

The best thing you can do with your champion is esteem them and prepare them with information so they have more persuasion power and may be able to close the deal for you.

Taylor Hull (mentioned above) has a tip on getting the most out of your champion. He says, “Make the Champion an endpoint, not an extra step. It’s essential that your Champion truly understands the value your solution provides in addressing specific pain points and feels empowered to communicate that value internally.”

“For instance, providing Champions with personalized ROI breakdowns helped us close 25% more deals, as they had the data needed to influence internal stakeholders effectively.”

Competition

Competition is the final “C” in MEDDPICC. I think of this one as highly important, but then I do a lot of competitive research in my day-to-day at work. However, it’s no coincidence that competition was a new component enhancing what was MEDDIC.

In the video shared above, James White advises being careful when discussing competition; bad-mouthing doesn’t work, but you can ask your prospects questions.

White suggests asking:

• Who else is involved in the process?
• Who are you talking with?
• Who are you working with at the moment?
• What do you like/dislike about your current solution?

Tips for Using MEDDPICC

I’ve scattered a lot of tips about using MEDDPICC throughout this article, but a few important ones stood out to me, so I listed them here.

1. Focus on lead qualification.

Edward White suggests you focus on lead qualification. This was mentioned earlier as a benefit because it saves time and builds morale, but White has a real-life example where lead qualification increased sales success rate.

White says, “Diving deep into the Decision Criteria stage, we realized creators valued the ease of integration as much as monetization potential. Addressing that upfront increased our onboarding success rate by 15%, saving us hours of back-and-forth clarifications. It’s about solving pain points before they become barriers.”

Pro tip: Use these sales qualifications questions to help you hone your talking points.

2. Use it for ecommerce.

Most think MEDDPICC is just for enterprise sales, but it’s powerful for consumer-focused ecommerce.

Joel Popoff said, “We utilize [MEDDPICC] to evaluate Decision Process criteria on bulk orders, such as customers buying multiple wallets as gifts. Understanding why buyers prioritize customization possibilities (like laser engraving) has increased our upsell rate by over 20%.”

3. Demonstrate cost-saving metrics to prospects.

Jay Soni says MEDDPICC has been the most helpful in mapping out their sales process.

Soni says, “The “Metrics” aspect has changed the way we engage with potential clients. I recently did a project with an office design firm. We demonstrated how our stain-proof fabrics reduced cleaning costs by £8,000 a year across their portfolio of properties. It was effective. If you can base a sales pitch on real data such as this, then I think it instantly changes the dynamic. We shifted the conversation from opinions to outcomes that we can prove, which helps drive buy-in more quickly from the decision-makers.”

I’m Using the MEDDPICC Sales Methodology. Are You?

I loved writing this article on the MEDDPICC sales methodology. I manage sales (though I don’t consider myself a salesperson!) for my B2B business, and at times, sales can be complex with many decision-makers, some of whom I don’t even speak to.

While some components of the MEDDPICC sales process come naturally to me, I will be making a conscious effort to incorporate the complete MEDDPICC sales process into my business. After writing this article, I see how powerful this methodology is. Plus, I really like how MEDDPICC provides a framework to encourage me to consider each component for each client properly.

A few years ago, I was in the market for a learning management system. While I was looking into the different offerings, I noticed that each arm of these businesses felt like a different company. The marketing side was fun and relatable. The sales team knew the product best but took a totally different tone. Reading different web pages felt like different experiences.

So, how do you create a company that feels unified? Well, that’s where the SPICED sales framework comes in. This sales method focuses on teams working together so the customer feels like they’re working with one, connected company.

Let’s take a look at the basics of the method and how you can best apply it to your own sales process.

Table of Contents

• What is the SPICED sales framework?
• What are the benefits of SPICED?
• How to Use the SPICED Method
• Tips for Using SPICED
• Moving Forward with SPICED

What is the SPICED sales framework?

SPICED is a customer-centric framework that provides a unified approach for all revenue teams. It gets sales, customer success, and marketing speaking the same language so buyers don’t feel like they’re talking to three different companies. From the first call to the final signature, SPICED keeps things consistent and clear.

“SPICED” stands for:

• Situation. Understand the customer’s current state and challenges.
• Pain. Identify specific pain points and frustrations.
• Impact. Assess the consequences of not solving these issues.
• Critical Event. Highlight any deadlines or events driving urgency.
• Decision. Clarify the steps and stakeholders involved in decision-making.

By aligning sales efforts with the customer’s priorities, SPICED empowers sales teams to close deals more effectively and build lasting relationships.

What are the benefits of SPICED?

Builds Strong Customer Relationships

The SPICED framework is especially effective for sales in subscription-based models, which are becoming increasingly common as more B2B companies adopt this approach. Below, we’ll discuss exactly how the SPICED framework does this.

Fosters Personalized Customer Understanding

SPICED is all about tossing the generic sales pitch. Think of it as curating a Spotify playlist — every recommendation is spot-on because it’s based on what your customer actually needs.

Given that 76% of B2B buyers expect personalized attention from solution providers, this tailored approach is a must. By addressing these expectations, SPICED helps establish strong, trust-based relationships with buyers.

Encourages Long-Term Relationships

Recurring revenue hinges on customer loyalty, yet many industries prioritize acquiring new customers over retaining existing ones. This can be costly. An Accenture Interactive study found that 80% of frequent B2B buyers have switched suppliers within 24 months.

SPICED ensures continuous engagement by revisiting customer needs as priorities change. Retention is also highly profitable. Acquiring a new customer can cost five-to-seven times more than retaining an old one, and improving customer retention by just 5% can increase profits by 25-95%.

Balances Consultative and Provocative Selling

SPICED encourages sales professionals to engage in consultative conversations that prioritize understanding the customer’s needs while incorporating a provocative edge to challenge their current perspectives. By investing time in understanding and addressing customer problems, you build trust.

Think of SPICED as your guide to being a trusted advisor with a little edge. Buyers want someone who knows their stuff, isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo, and builds trust along the way. In fact, 88% of buyers say they’ll only make a purchase if they see the salesperson as a trusted advisor.

That’s the vibe SPICED helps you deliver — insightful, credible, and just bold enough to make an impact.

Offers a Unified Framework for All Teams

One of SPICED’s greatest strengths is its versatility. Unlike frameworks like BANT or MEDDIC, which are designed for specific teams or motions, SPICED can be adopted by all revenue teams.

SPICED is the ultimate team huddle — it gets AEs (Account Executives), marketers, support, and CSMs playing from the same playbook. No more mixed signals or rogue plays — just a unified strategy for winning deals.

This alignment ensures that every team operates with a shared understanding, delivering a consistent customer experience throughout the buyer’s journey. Buyers encounter the same language, objectives, and focus at every stage, creating a unified approach to addressing their needs.

Helps with Forecasting and Pipeline Management

SPICED offers clear insights into deal timelines by focusing on critical events and the decision-making process. This clarity enables teams to prioritize effectively and forecast revenue with greater accuracy.

For leadership, SPICED delivers the added benefit of consistent reporting across teams. A unified framework offers a comprehensive view of pipeline health, identifies gaps, and highlights opportunities. This consistency empowers leadership to make informed decisions and align strategies more effectively across the organization.

How to Use the SPICED Method

Now that we understand the value of SPICED, let’s dive into implementing this sales methodology effectively. I’ll also explore how CRM systems like HubSpot Sales Hub can simplify and enhance this process.

Step 1: Understand the situation.

When approaching a sale, always start by doing your homework. You should have a clear picture of the customer’s current circumstances. What’s their position in the market? Who are their biggest competitors? What are the headwinds that they’re most worried about? This step involves understanding their business environment, workflows, and existing challenges.

When you have a lead enter your pipeline, I suggest doing some digital digging before you make contact. Many of the questions above can be found with a little bit of research. You can also see what the person has posted on LinkedIn during your hunt for clues.

However, your independent research will inevitably leave some gaps. You can piece together the puzzle when you hop on a call. I recommend asking open-ended questions like: “Could you describe your current workflow and point out any areas where you encounter challenges or inefficiencies?”

In Practice

Let’s say I’m in the market for a project management system to help me stay on top of my workload. To sell to me, a salesperson would need to understand the challenges of freelancing.

Ideally, they would highlight the difficulty of managing multiple clients with overlapping deadlines. They could also pitch an offering like Asana that has multiple boards and calendars to track my due dates.

Step 2: Identify the pain.

Once you understand your prospect’s background, it’s time to explore their pain points. Be sure to ask what challenges their customers or the internal team face. At the end of this step, you should understand why the prospect is seeking a solution.

Here, you should know if your offering is a good fit for what they need. If you have multiple solutions, you should be able to tell which ones can help the buyer.

To identify the pain points, try:

• Engaging in active listening during calls or meetings to identify recurring frustrations.
• Asking specific questions like: “What are the most significant roadblocks preventing you from achieving your goals?”

Pro tip: You can leverage Sales Hub’s recording and transcription features to review conversations for missed insights.

In Practice

As a freelance writer, I want to create helpful content that helps my clients meet their marketing goals. One common roadblock in this field is client management. Reaching out proactively can help me find writing opportunities and foster these relationships. A SPICED method seller would explain how a project management system can remind me of when to reach out.

Step 3: Assess the impact.

Now that you know the problem, how urgent is the solution? This step is all about quantifying impact and creating a timeline for your buyer’s needs. The goal here is to demonstrate the tangible and emotional impact of inaction. That can show your prospect why moving forward is essential.

I recommend that you work with the prospect to estimate the cost of inefficiencies or missed opportunities. You can show them how they could drive more business or save with your offering. You can also foster reflection with targeted questions, like “What happens if this issue persists over the next six months?”

In Practice

Client communications and asking about new work do have a dollar value. A SPICED sales rep would help me put a value on those missed opportunities. From there, they would show me how big a blow my business would take if I didn’t make moves to solve my problem. This all highlights why a project management system would benefit me.

Step 4: Highlight the critical event.

From there, reps should highlight the moments that matter — deadlines, market shifts, or big milestones that put your solution on the customer’s radar. Empahsizing these critical events is like finding the plot twist in a movie — it keeps things moving and makes the stakes clear.

You can identify critical events by:

• Doing your research and being mindful of business trends that could be affecting their decision-making.
• Asking questions to narrow down specifics and tailoring the question to find critical events unique to your lead. For example, you could ask: “Are there any upcoming deadlines or business changes that make this a priority?”

Pro tip: Use Sales Hub to set reminders for follow-ups aligned with these critical events, ensuring you never miss an opportunity.

In Practice

So, what would a critical event look like in my freelance writing example? The first thing that came to mind was a big contract renewal date. I don’t want to miss my important clients’ messages related to my contract. That can make a clearer timeline for my purchase.

Step 5: Understand the decision process.

Gain clarity on how the customer will make their purchasing decision, including who is involved and what criteria will drive their choice. To break down the decision-making process, try:

• Mapping out the decision criteria.
• Determining the decision-making hierarchy by asking questions, like “Who else will be involved in the decision, and what role do they play?”

Pro tip: Hubspot’s Deal Pipeline can help you track where the deal is in the process and ensure all decision-makers are engaged.

In Practice

In my example, I run my freelancing business. That makes it really easy to find the decision maker — there’s only one! However, in a larger business, you may need to talk to a person in compliance and accounting before a sale goes through. You may even need to talk to your prospect’s manager to pitch them your solution.

Knowing who to talk to can help you create the right roadmap for your sales process.

Step 6: Build emotional and logical connections.

The last step brings everything together. This is your appeal to both the logical benefits of your solution and the emotional gains your offering can create. I recommend taking a consultative tone here. You should be invested in your prospect’s issue and able to pair your product’s features with their situation.

You can build those connections by:

• Engaging in consultative conversations to uncover unmet needs.
• Provoking new ideas by asking questions like: “Have you considered how implementing this solution might open up new opportunities for growth?”

Pro tip: Use Sale’s Hub sequences to send personalized follow-ups reinforcing both logical and emotional appeals.

In Practice

So, what are some helpful connections for my project management example? A project management tool can help me keep track of my deadlines, so I can maintain strong relationships with my clients. They’ll know I’m reliable and never late, so they can trust me with important tasks.

Beyond that, I’ll be able to get reminders of when I should reach out to my clients. Timing this communication means I can maximize my number of assignments, so I don’t miss any business opportunities.

All of this will make running my business more efficient and help me maintain a balanced life as a freelance writer. Even writing that out, the idea sounds great!

Tips for Using SPICED

Mitigate information limitations.

The effectiveness of SPICED depends on the quality of information shared by the prospect, which may not always be complete or accurate. Building trust early through open communication is the key to success.

To do so, consider using a CRM like Sales Hub to document and cross-check information gathered from various touchpoints. Once you have a unified view of your customers, you can better understand what they need.

Further, if a prospect is unaware of their pain points, share insights from similar industries or businesses to guide the conversation. That’s where doing your homework comes into play.

Stay flexible and adaptable.

While SPICED offers structure, rigid adherence without adapting to the prospect’s unique needs can limit success. Make sure that you customize your approach throughout the sales process.

So, flexibility is important. Be prepared to pivot during the conversation if the customer’s priorities shift. For example, if the prospect emphasizes growth opportunities rather than pain points, focus on the “Impact” and “Decision” stages to demonstrate how your solution drives growth.

It’s essential to regularly check in with your clients and their priorities, even after securing them. After all, maintaining relationships is a key aspect of SPICED.

Manage time and resource demands.

SPICED requires significant time for research, conversations, and analysis, which can be challenging when handling multiple prospects. Make sure your team is spending time where it matters by automating your processes.

Categorizing leads in a CRM allows you to prioritize high-value prospects effectively. This approach enables you to dedicate more time to in-depth SPICED analysis for enterprise clients while applying a streamlined version for smaller prospects.

On average, workers save five hours per week by automating day-to-day tasks, freeing up their brainpower and time for more critical activities.

Moving Forward with SPICED

Working on this piece reminded me how much smoother things go when everyone’s on the same page. SPICED isn’t just about selling. It’s about aligning teams and building trust with customers. It’s like upgrading to a better GPS: once you see the clear path ahead, you can’t imagine navigating without it.

What stuck with me most is how SPICED strengthens relationships — within teams and with buyers. As someone who writes for others, I know how frustrating misalignment can be. SPICED eliminates that guesswork, making collaboration more effective and outcomes more rewarding.

If your sales process feels disjointed, SPICED might be the change you need. Sure, there’s a learning curve, but the payoff? Totally worth it.

While heading content for a leading sales training company, I remember trying to learn everything I could about sales to better understand my target persona. One thing that stood out was that sales revenue dominated nearly every conversation I noticed the salespeople having. That’s when I figured this wasn’t just any old metric but the cornerstone of every sales plan and decision, from strategy to incentives.

Despite not having a sales quota (thankfully!), I realized understanding the concept of sales revenue was a must to create impactful content, and I got on to my research.

In this blog, I’ll be distilling everything I’ve learned about sales revenue and using it as a tool for business growth.

Table of Contents

• What is sales revenue?
• Revenue vs. Sales
• Why is sales revenue important?
• What are the types of sales revenue?
• How to Calculate Sales Revenue [+Formulas]
• Bottom Line: Mastering Sales Revenue Pays Off

Of course, I needed to dig deeper than a simple sales revenue definition. Because at first, I’ll admit I was confused. I wasn’t sure whether revenue and sales were the same thing, as I heard many sales professionals use the terms interchangeably in casual conversations.

However, I learned that they’re not identical. Revenue is the broader term, and knowing how to differentiate between the two is essential.

For example, a company can have $10 million in sales but $12 million in revenue if nonoperating income totals $2 million.

In other words:

• Sales, whether gross or net, include the proceeds from selling core products or services.
• Revenue, on the other hand, includes all the money a company takes in, including non-operating income from activities outside the core business operations.

So, revenue may come without sales, but all sales are inherently revenue.

Why is sales revenue important?

Sales revenue is the first metric reported on an income statement, and it’s the lifeblood of any business. Here are some top reasons why I think it matters.

Indicates Business Health

Sales revenue directly measures how well a product or service is performing in the market. Consistently high or growing sales revenue indicates strong customer demand and market fit. On the contrary, declining sales revenue signals potential issues a business might want to examine.

Guides Business Strategy

In my interactions, I saw how sales revenue forms a baseline to influence key decisions like budgeting, hiring, and resource allocation. It’s the foundation that most leaders abide by for setting realistic goals and determining where to invest for business growth.

Measures Sales Team Performance

I can vouch for this: Revenue is the ultimate performance metric for sales teams. After all, what matters to a business is not just closing deals but also ensuring those deals translate into meaningful income.

Attracts Investors and Stakeholders

Strong sales revenue signals a business’s stability and growth potential. With good sales revenue numbers, I’ve seen how companies appear more attractive to investors and other external stakeholders.

Feeds Into Profitability

While sales revenue isn’t the same as profit, it’s a crucial first step. Without sufficient revenue, you cannot easily cover operating costs. Substantial sales revenue raises the chances of profitability, and without it, generating profit becomes impossible.

Supports Long-Term Growth

I’ve also seen that sustainable sales revenue fuels business expansion. It provides the resources needed to invest in new products, markets, and technologies to stay competitive.

These benefits make one thing clear — there is a connection between revenue and net income for your business. But if you look at an income statement, you’ll find two types of sales revenue. Which one do you use to ascertain what? Let me shine a spotlight on that.

What are the types of sales revenue?

Gross and net sales revenue are two types of sales revenue. Each has its purpose, impact, and calculation method. Let’s start by looking at their definitions.

• Gross sales revenue is the total of all sales of goods and services, excluding adjustments like returns, discounts, or allowances. This figure indicates a business’ ability to sell its products or services but doesn’t necessarily demonstrate its ability to generate profit.

Note: The formulae and examples discussed below pertain to gross sales revenue.

• Net sales revenue is gross sales revenue adjusted for any returns, discounts, or allowances. This metric more accurately represents a company’s cash flow from customers and demonstrates its ability to generate profits.

Dig Deeper: For more on gross versus net sales and how to calculate them, check out this post.

Now, let’s move on to the sales revenue calculations.

How to Calculate Sales Revenue [+Formulas]

First, a tidbit I learned: You calculate sales revenue differently depending on whether the company sells products or services. However, I’d like to emphasize that the underlying concept remains the same in either case.

Let me explain the formula with an example for each.

Formula: Calculating Sales Revenue for Product-Based Companies

To calculate sales revenue for your product-based business, you need to multiply the number of units sold by their average price.

Here’s the formula:

Sales Revenue for Product-Based Company = Number of Units Sold x Average Price

Example of Sales Revenue Calculation (Product-Based Company)

Suppose in September, a boutique handmade scrunchie company, Sunday Scrunch, has sold the following in a particular month:

• 100 medium blue scrunchies for $3.50/unit.
• 150 small cheetah-print scrunchies for $3.00/unit.
• 50 large neon orange scrunchies for $4.00/unit.

What’s their sales revenue for September? Let’s do some math.

• Small scrunchies: 150 sold x $3.00 = $450
• Medium scrunchies: 100 sold x $3.50 = $350
• Large scrunchies: 50 sold x $4.00 = $200

Next, add all of these values together.

• $450 + $350 + $200 = $1,000

Sunday Scrunch’s September sales revenue would be $1,000.

Formula: Calculating Sales Revenue for Service-Based Company

To calculate sales revenue for a service-based business, you need to multiply the number of customers catered to by the average service price.

Here’s the formula:

Sales Revenue for a Service-Based Company = Number of Customers x Average Price of Services

Example of Sales Revenue Calculation (Service-Based Company)

Let’s say Elite Consulting Services had 250 customers in September, and their average price of services was $20,000. What’s their monthly sales revenue?

Check it out as I calculate it for you:

Service-Based Sales Revenue = Number of Customers x Average Price of Services

• Number of Customers = 250
• Average Price of Services = $20,000
• 250 x $20,000 = $5 million

Elite Consulting Services’ September revenue would be $5 million. Not a bad month, I’d say!

Formula: Calculating Net Income from Sales Revenue

Now, sales revenue is the starting point for determining any company’s net income. Net income is the basis for business-critical calculations and reports, including earnings per share and cash flow statements.

You can start with your sales revenue to arrive at net income. Let me explain how.

1. First, you must subtract the cost of goods sold from sales revenue to determine your gross profit.

Gross Profit = Sales Revenue – Cost of Goods Sold

2. Next, subtract any depreciation and SG&A (selling, general, and administrative) expenses from gross profit to find the operating margin — also referred to as earnings before interest and taxes or EBIT. SG&A can include rent, utilities, marketing and advertising, salaries, and other operating costs.

Operating Margin (EBIT) = Gross Profit – Depreciation – SG&A

3. The next step is to subtract interest expenses from the operating margin to find pretax income.

Pretax Income = Operating Margin (EBIT) – Interest Expenses

4. Finally, you need to subtract taxes from pretax income to arrive at your net income.

Net Income = Pretax Income – Taxes

As you can see, sales revenue is the baseline for calculating net income and is essential to ascertaining a business’s health and planning its future.

Bottom Line: Mastering Sales Revenue Pays Off

After all this research, I can confidently say (and hope you’ll agree) that sales revenue is one of the most influential metrics in business analysis and forecasting. It’s no surprise that it dominates conversations from salespeople to management. After reading this article, I hope you understand sales revenue, how to calculate it, and how to use it to demonstrate results and strategize your growth.

Real estate slogans are more than just catchy phrases — they’re your brand’s first impression and a powerful tool to set you apart in a competitive market. I think there’s a lot of competition in the real estate business in the contemporary world. With so many realtors vying for attention, having a memorable slogan can make all the difference in attracting clients and closing deals.

If you want your brokerage or personal brand to stand out, crafting a unique and compelling slogan is essential. But don‘t worry if you’re feeling stuck — I’ve got you covered!

In this article, I’ve curated 100 inspiring real estate slogans to ignite your creativity and help you craft a tagline that perfectly captures your business. Plus, I have also included some humorous real estate slogans to add a fun touch to your brand.

Table of Contents

• How To Create A Winning Real Estate Slogan in 7 Steps
• Catchy Real Estate Taglines
• Creative Real Estate Taglines
• Funny Real Estate Taglines
• Unique Real Estate Taglines
• Picking the Right Real Estate Slogan

How To Create A Winning Real Estate Slogan in 7 Steps

Crafting a standout real estate slogan is more than a creative exercise — it‘s an opportunity to communicate your brand’s values, connect with your audience, and differentiate yourself in the real estate market (which is already competitive enough).

A well-crafted slogan can resonate deeply with potential clients and become a cornerstone of your marketing strategy. I suggest following these steps to create a slogan that truly reflects your brand and drives results.

Step 1: Define your brand identity.

Start with introspection. What makes your real estate business unique? Are you known for personalized service, luxury listings, or a deep understanding of your local market? Clarify your mission, vision, and values. This foundation will guide your slogan to align seamlessly with your brand’s essence.

Step 2: Understand your audience.

A slogan should resonate with the target clients. To do that, I recommend researching their preferences, priorities, and challenges. Are they first-time homebuyers, seasoned investors, or luxury property seekers? The better you understand their needs, the more impactful your message will be.

Step 3: Highlight your unique selling proposition (USP).

What sets you apart from other real estate professionals? Whether it’s your exceptional negotiation skills, community connections, or innovative use of technology, ensure your USP shines through in your slogan. My suggestion would be to focus on benefits rather than just features to appeal to your audience’s aspirations.

Step 4: Incorporate emotion and inspiration.

Real estate is a deeply personal and emotional journey for most clients. Infuse your slogan with language that evokes trust, hope, or excitement. Connect emotionally with buyers by emphasizing the transformation of a property into a personal haven.

Step 5: Keep it concise and versatile.

A great slogan is memorable and works across all platforms — business cards, social media, advertisements, and signage. Aim for brevity and clarity; your message should be impactful at a glance.

Step 6: Use wordplay or rhythmic elements.

Clever use of rhymes, alliteration, or puns can make your slogan stand out. Just ensure that creativity doesn’t compromise clarity or professionalism.

Step 7: Test, refine, and gather feedback.

Before you finalize your slogan, I recommend sharing it with colleagues, friends, or focus groups to gauge its effectiveness. I’d ask if it’s memorable, easy to understand, and accurately represents the brand. Then, I would be open to refining my ideas based on constructive feedback before finalizing my choice.

Catchy Real Estate Taglines

1. “Find your dream home.” — Pardee Properties

Simple and straightforward, Pardee Properties promises to help its clients find their dream homes, something all of us can relate to.

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What I love: Pardee Properties keeps it straightforward. Their website proves they know how to close high-transaction home deals.

2. “Getting you home since 1995.”This tagline highlights experience and reliability. It suggests a long history of success with a focus on delivering results for customers.

Pro tip: Combine a sense of tradition with trustworthiness. Make potential clients feel confident that they’re working with a seasoned, dependable partner in their home-buying journey.

3. “Follow your dream, home.” — Engel & Völkers

This slogan combines two common sayings — “Follow your dreams” and “dream home” — to inspire their clients that they can achieve their dream of owning their own home.

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Pro tip: For many, buying a home feels aspirational. Your slogan should reflect that this is a wonderful dream they can actually achieve.

4. “Search. Invest. Relax.”

Finding the perfect property, making a wise investment, and enjoying peace of mind is a wishful way everyone wants to do real estate. This slogan captures the essence of a hassle-free real estate journey.

Pro tip: Highlight how your services streamline the process. Emphasize that clients can trust you to handle the complexities while they focus on enjoying their investment.

5. “Annie gets it done.” — Ann Cutbill Lenane

This slogan oozes a can-do attitude of a realtor who fulfills her obligations to you. What’s even more beautiful is the social proof all over the website to support Annie’s bold claim. For instance, Ann is ranked as Elliman’s #1 Manhattan Broker for Transactions.

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She has also been voted the Real Estate Board of New York’s Broker of The Year and transacted billions of dollars in sales in Manhattan over her 38-year career.

Pro tip: When building your personal brand and slogan, make sure you have data to back up your claims.

6. “Bringing real solutions to real living.”

I like how this phrase emphasizes a practical and tailored approach to real estate. The focus is on meeting the real-life needs of clients.

Pro tip: Try to use a results-driven and client-centered approach.

7. “Dream locations, dedicated support.”I like the dual promise of finding idyllic properties while also providing unwavering client assistance.

Pro tip: Ensure potential clients find their ideal home while ensuring they feel supported every step of the way.

8. “Search. See. Love.”

This slogan just outlines what the home-buying process should be. But by stripping away the tough parts so many of us dread, it does the unthinkable: make home buying sound fun.

Pro tip: These three words are simple, catchy, and punchy. When it comes to slogans, less is more.

9. “Maximizing comfort, minimizing the process.”

Buying a home can be overwhelming, so the slogan reassures clients that the real estate team will handle the complexity, making it a smooth journey for them. The slogan reflects that the client’s well-being is prioritized.

What I love: This slogan reassures clients that their experience will be stress-free and comfortable, allowing them to focus on the excitement of finding their perfect home. It positions the team as both caring and efficient, making the often-daunting process of home buying feel more approachable and pleasant.

10. “Crafting spaces for every story.”

This phrase emphasizes personalization. It suggests that every home is uniquely designed to reflect the individual journey and aspirations of its owner.

Pro tip: Highlight the emotional connection clients can have with their homes.

11. “Painting your perfect home.”

The metaphor of painting is a smart way to convey the idea of creating a home. It’s a great way to suggest that the company helps clients craft their ideal living space, much like an artist bringing a canvas to life with careful attention to detail.

What I love: I love the artistic imagery in this tagline — it evokes creativity and individuality, making the home-buying process feel personal and unique. It speaks to clients who are looking for more than just a house; they want a space that truly feels like their own masterpiece.

12. “Our listings are hotter than your morning coffee.”

The slogan conveys energy and enthusiasm and makes the company feel approachable. Alternatively, this highlights the company’s property listings as fresh, enticing, and highly sought-after.

What I love: I love how this tagline uses humor and a relatable comparison to grab attention.

13. “Opening doors to new beginnings.”

This slogan symbolizes fresh opportunities. It reflects hope and optimism. It made me think as if I’m being promised a brighter future by stepping into the new home.

Pro tip: Highlight the emotional significance of finding a home. Connect with your clients by emphasizing the life-changing moments that come with starting anew.

14. “Step into your dream space.”

This slogan made me envision myself in my ideal home. It does a decent job of conveying a sense of excitement and personalization. I began thinking beyond simply envisioning my dream home and focused on turning it into a reality.

Pro tip: Focus on creating a vivid, aspirational picture for your clients. Use language that sparks imagination and excitement about finding their perfect space.

15. “Building trust, one transaction at a time.”

In my opinion, reliability and integrity are very important in the real estate process. This tagline emphasizes a commitment to cultivating long-term relationships with clients through each interaction.

Pro tip: Highlight your dedication to transparency and honesty throughout the buying process. Ensure your customers feel valued and confident in their decisions.

16. “Home happens here.” — Howard Hanna

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Simple yet powerful — the slogan captures the essence of finding a place where life can unfold. It evokes a sense of belonging and possibility, suggesting that the journey to “home” begins with Howard Hanna’s real estate team. It puts an emphasis that the right home is not just a transaction, but the foundation for a new chapter in life.

What I love: This slogan is short, memorable, and emotionally resonant. It makes the process of buying a home feel personal and significant. Reading this, I was immediately reminded that a home is far more than just a building — it’s where memories are created and life unfolds.

17. “Pick. Purchase. Prosper.”

I feel that there should be a seamless progression from choosing the perfect property to making a smart investment to reaping long-term benefits. This phrase conveys a sense of success and growth tied to real estate decisions.

Pro tip: Showcase how clients can achieve financial security and try to focus on the outcomes.

18. “Your vision, our blueprint.”

A blueprint is a roadmap to turning a dream into reality. It suggests a collaborative, personalized approach where every detail is designed to match the client’s specific needs and desires.

Pro tip: Showcase both creativity and professionalism. Make it clear that every home journey is unique and carefully designed.

19. “We listen, we care, and we show you really nice kitchens.”

This tagline humorously emphasizes the company’s focus on understanding clients’ needs while highlighting one of the most important aspects of a home — the kitchen. It’s a playful yet reassuring way to show they prioritize what matters most to buyers.

What I love: I love how this tagline strikes a balance between humor and sincerity. It feels warm and approachable, making clients feel heard while adding a light-hearted nod to the universal appeal of a great kitchen. It’s simple, memorable, and relatable.

20. ”Properties of Distinction.” – Aston Chase

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This tagline exudes elegance and exclusivity. In my opinion, this statement is appealing to clients who seek unique and high-quality real estate offerings.

What I love: It’s concise yet powerful, making it ideal for premium real estate marketing. The phrase suggests sophistication and a commitment to excellence — something that is likely to resonate with discerning buyers.

21. “Homes that spark possibilities.”

For me, this slogan is a great way to suggest that the spaces being offered are more than just a place to live — they’re a foundation for growth, creativity, and new adventures.

Pro tip: Emphasize how your properties inspire clients to dream big and envision their future.

22. “Living beyond expectations.”

This is a smart way to convey the idea of offering more than what clients anticipate. It suggests that the homes being offered have exceptional features, comfort, and style that will enhance the living experience.

What I love: Focus on exceeding client expectations at every stage of the process.

23. “WFYNH: Work From Your New Home.”

I love this one — it’s a catchy way to attract an audience who are used to working remotely. It positions the home as more than just a living space but also an ideal environment for productivity and balance in today’s work-from-home culture.

Pro tip: Create slogans that are up-to-date and tap into the contemporary growing trends.

24. “Live your life, I’ve got this.” — Heather McMaster

Heather’s statement is meant to inspire confidence in her clients. She promises to take care of their needs and desires while they can continue living their lives, trusting in her expertise.

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What I love: Heather McMaster makes the process of buying a home feel less complicated. You just need to find a place you love; she’ll take care of the rest.

25. “Scenic living, tailored assistance.”

I think this is a great way to combine the allure of picturesque properties with a personalized, client-focused approach.

What I love: I love how this one emphasizes not just finding a beautiful place to live, but also receiving exceptional, customized support throughout the process.

26. “A welcoming home for all.”

This tagline emphasizes inclusivity and warmth. It suggests that every client, regardless of their background or needs, can find a place where they truly belong.

What I love: I love how this tagline promotes a sense of community and belonging, making everyone feel valued.

27. “Top-Ranked Manhattan Real Estate Broker.” — Noble Black

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When you’ve done over $3 billion in individual sales, include it in your slogan. Don’t want to feel like you’re boasting? That’s also fine. Just tell your audience that you’re among the top-ranked brokers in your area, like Noble Black does.

What I love: You want a broker who knows your market inside and out. Noble Black’s slogan assures that you’ve already found an expert.

28. “Equipping vulnerable families to become land and homeowners.” — New Story

This charity pioneers solutions to address global homelessness. The key to this slogan is that home is so much more than a building. It’s a place to feel safe, connected, and at rest. The slogan also ties in nicely with the company’s name with the repeated use of “story.”

Pro tip: Your slogan should complement the name of your business. Make sure the two go hand in hand.

29. “Where life meets luxury.”

A perfect way to convey the perfect blend of comfort, elegance, and high-end living.

Pro tip: Make potential buyers feel like they’re investing in a lifestyle, not just a home.

Creative Real Estate Taglines

30. “We are where you want to live.” — Douglas Elliman

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You pay realtors because they have lots of reach, and the Elliman team wants you to know they’re everywhere. No matter where you want to live, they can help.

Pro tip: Your slogan should reinforce your specialty. In this case, Elliman focuses on their wide range of regions.

31. “Make yourself at home.” — Corcoran Group

This New York, Hamptons, and South Florida brokerage recently unveiled its simple, new slogan. We can fast-forward our thinking past the open houses, packing, and moving trucks straight to the good stuff: being home.

Pro tip: “Make yourself at home” is a familiar phrase. By using something simple and intimate, the Corcoran Group sets the tone for the buying experience.

32. “Your vision, our mission.”

This slogan emphasizes a collaborative approach. It showcases dedication to understanding and fulfilling each client’s unique needs with precision and care.

Pro tip: Build trust by showing how you prioritize their vision at every step of the journey.

33. “Helping you unlock the home of your dreams.”

This tagline conveys a sense of partnership and support. It emphasizes the idea that the real estate company is there to enable you. The word “unlock” adds a subtle metaphor, implying new beginnings.

Pro tip: Keep it simple. The idea is to resonate with anyone looking to find their perfect home. Highlight the company’s role as a trusted guide.

34. “Find the right home at the right price.” — Redfin

Slogans ought to deliver on their promise, and Redfin hits the mark with this one. Their website allows users to find homes of their choice easily and within their budget. With their slogan, Redfin clearly states they’re ready to meet the needs of the modern buyer.

35. “Nooklyn is how people find and share apartments.” — Nooklyn.com

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Whether buying or renting, finding the right place to live is a personal and unique experience. This trendy company helps New Yorkers search for apartments, find roommates, apply, and pay.

The idea of finding a nook of your own is one that many of us can relate to, and Nooklyn is smart to use it to their advantage.

What I love: Just by reading the slogan, you know Nooklyn focuses on renting — not buying.

36. “Expect Better®.” — Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate

Better Homes and Gardens® leverages their brand history and credibility for their real estate business (and slogan!) with the following: “For over 100 years, the Better Homes & Gardens® brand has been the go-to source for inspiration, creativity and know-how for people seeking to better their lives. It’s only fitting that our agents would carry on this proud tradition by bringing these same values to each of their clients as they help them buy and sell their homes.”

Pro tip: Use your slogan to instill confidence and high expectations in your clients. Don’t be afraid to let your brand do the heavy lifting.

37. “Find your place.” — Compass

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Compass beautifully ties its brand name to its slogan. I mean, what do we use compasses for if not to find a place we’re going to?

What I love: People’s identities and homes are intertwined. Compass lets clients know they’ll find the right place.

38. “A higher form of realty.” — Saunders & Associates

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This clever play on words immediately grabs the attention and communicates the excellent service Saunders & Associates promises to provide.

Pro tip: Wordplay is a fun and efficient way to communicate your message to your audience.

39. “Where luxury lives.” — Christie’s International Real Estate

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Christie’s International Real Estate uses its slogan to address its customers and exclude those who aren’t a fit. This messaging is built for their target market.

Pro tip: If your real estate business focuses on luxury properties, your slogan should reflect your target audience. This will attract qualified buyers and turn away people who aren’t a fit.

40. “We love it here and you will too.” — The Boutique Real Estate Group

The slogan speaks directly to audiences who cherish luxury. Everyone loves luxury. So it makes sense to have a slogan that’s a mirror of what the company represents.

What I love: Home should be a place you love. The Boutique Real Estate Group uses its slogan to reinforce this idea.

41. “Your next home is here.” — Coldwell Banker

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For many of us, buying a home is a dream — and one that’s not easily attainable. Coldwell Banker’s slogan welcomes those of all budgets, promising to help them achieve their dreams and find their home.

Pro tip: Buying a home can be intimidating. A great slogan puts buyers at ease and makes the process feel attainable.

42. “#1 Real Estate Team In The Nation — 4th Year In A Row.” — The Jills Zeder Group

This slogan is a heavy-hitting social proof that obliterates every objection that Jills Zeder’s prospects may have. Awards or ratings from a recognizable body like the Wall Street Journal make for a fine slogan.

Pro tip: Social proof is powerful. Use your past success to propel your business forward.

43. “Where dreams find their address.”

The imagery of “dreams” finding an “address” evokes a feeling of fulfillment and permanence. It suggests that your company helps turn dreams into reality by connecting people with the perfect home.

What I love: I love how this tagline blends aspiration with a sense of belonging. It feels poetic yet professional.

44. “Navigate the Market With Confidence.” — Colin Co

One visit to their website and it’s clear that Colin Whitenack has a knack for quality. The logo is bold and catchy. This slogan signals that you’ll love where you’ll live once you work with this company.

What I love: There are many steps to buying a house. However, with Colin Whitenack, the process will be worth it.

45. “Where clients are like family, come join our family.” — The Archibeque Group

Want customers to understand your business values instantly? Put them in your slogan. That’s what The Archibeque Group did. By defining what they’re about, they immediately communicate what their customers can expect and invite prospects to join.

What I love: Home buyers want real estate agents that are invested in their success. The Archibeque Group reassures clients that they’re in good hands.

46. “Building relationships, one home at a time.”

This tagline emphasizes the personal touch and care that the company brings to each transaction. It gives me a feeling as if the real estate company is on a journey of helping people.

Pro tip: Shift the narrative from transactions to experiences. Basically try to create an emotional bond that people will remember.

47. “Let our family bring you home.” — William Raveis Real Estate

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Over time, family-owned companies can outperform larger companies. So, William Raveis is smart to tap into our innate preference for family-owned businesses by leading with it in their slogan.

What I love: When making a major investment, service is important. William Raveis Real Estate has a slogan that ensures a great experience.

48. “Local Expertise. Global Connections.” — The Kerwin Group

Kerwin sells to high net-worth clients, so trust is a crucial factor for social proof. Communicating this in the slogan is a great first step. Complimenting the slogan with excellent testimonials is next and Kerwin’s does that.

49. “The evolution of luxury starts here.” — Aaron Kirman

Aaron hits on the aspirational side of what rich home enthusiasts want: something luxurious. You also don’t need to scroll deep into the website to see the slogan shining all through the web design.

Pro tip: Make sure your slogan aligns with your product. For high-priced businesses, reinforce the importance of luxury.

50. “Longevity is no accident.” — Nourmand & Associates

Nourmand and Associates have been in the real estate business for over 45 years. They must be doing everything right to last this long in the industry, making the slogan to be the best fit for their company.

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Pro tip: The history of your business can be a valuable selling point. If your business has experience, consider highlighting it in your slogan.

51. “Find a Home to Suit Your Lifestyle.” — Century21

You’ll certainly know what quality looks like when you’ve been in the real estate industry for over 50 years. That’s the Century21 story. They know what’s excellent, average, and bad, and they want customers to settle only for the best.

What I love: No one wants to settle when picking a home. Century21 reminds you that you won’t have to, and you’ll find the perfect fit.

52. “Find a home that suits your lifestyle.” — Sotheby’s Realty

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There’s no way you won’t find an exceptional home that suits your lifestyle with Sotheby’s realty. Their slogan also communicates their ability to help each client find the home which will be a perfect fit for them.

What I love: Everyone has a different idea of a perfect home. Sotheby’s Realty assures that you’ll find exactly what you want.

53. “A smart move.” — EXIT Realty

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This slogan is perfect in two ways. First, if you want to leave your home or buy a new one, hiring an EXIT agent is a smart move. Second, the slogan implies you’re making a smart move by selling or buying a house … and that the moving process will be smooth with EXIT!

What I love: This slogan makes use of a common phrase. This clever tagline pulls buyers in.

54. “A better way to buy New York City real estate.” — Elika Real Estate

Elika Real Estate gets many things right with this slogan. It’s niched to a specific city. It’s niched to home buyers. It’s straightforward. All perfect ingredients for a memorable slogan, don’t you think?

Pro tip: If you’re focusing on a specific geographic area, mention the region in your slogan.

55. “Where Legacy Meets Innovation.” — Coldwell Banker Warburg

Coldwell Banker Warburg brilliantly uses alliteration to make this slogan simple and memorable. They also arrange their values in order of decreasing importance to customers as integrity comes first and innovation comes last.

56. “I’ll sell your home faster & for more money.” — HomeSmart/Bruno Arapovic

Big promise. Big returns. Big expectations. That’s what the HomeSmart slogan is all about. They tell you what they do and what you can expect using the simplest and most compelling words.

What I love: Clients know exactly what to expect from the business.

57. “Who you work with matters.”

Let’s face it. It’s not uncommon to find undedicated realtors. Realtors may not communicate well. They are often commission-driven. They take outcomes personally. And their work with customers often ends in sour experiences.

Pro tip: If you’re a team of one, make sure your role in the selling/buying process is central to your brand.

58. “Discover where your heart belongs.”

This tagline evokes a sense of warmth and connection, focusing on the emotional aspect of finding a place to call home.

Pro tip: Remind potential customers that the process is about more than bricks and mortar. It’s about finding a place where life feels right.

59. “Integrity. Passion. Excellence.” — Neal Ward Properties

Neal Ward properties does an excellent job of summing everything a client wants in three simple words. Clients seek realtors who have a drive to do their job, a heart to put them first, and the expertise to get them the best.

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What I love: When searching for a home, clients want to know they’re working with someone knowledgeable who is passionate about finding them a home. Neal Ward Properties shows they can deliver, all in three words.

60. “Your future starts here.”

This tagline conveys a sense of optimism and new beginnings. Everyone needs or deserves a new beginning.

What I love: I love the forward-looking focus of this tagline. It’s a line that made me envision my next chapter.

61. “Your Advocates In Finding The Best Place For Your Business To Do Business.” — Commercial Real Estate

This slogan makes sure clients know the Commercial Real Estate team is on their side. Moreover, Commercial Real Estate’s success lies in helping clients successfully achieve their goal of selling or buying a property.

What I love: Commercial Real Estate reminds customers that they’re truly invested and share their clients’ goals.

62. “When home matters most, go with the most trusted.” — RE/MAX

RE/MAX’s tagline focuses the client’s attention on the crucial role the agent plays in the process of buying and selling property. With the right agent — which RE/MAX will provide — success is guaranteed.

Pro tip: If your real estate business is known for its agents, put them front and center in your slogan.

63. “From ‘for sale’ to ‘sold,’ we make it seamless.”

From listing a property to closing the deal, the potential client is being reassured that every step will be handled with efficiency and ease.

What I love: The tagline projects clarity and confidence. It also addresses potential client concerns about the complexity of buying or selling a home.

64. “Local expertise. Global connections.” — Neill Bassi

With these two concise sentences, Neill Bassi communicates his expert knowledge of San Francisco to assist clients in his region along with the prestige of his global connections.

What I love: Neill Bassi shows that clients can get the best of both worlds with his business.

65. “Helping everyone find their place in the world.” — Lila Delman

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Who doesn’t want to find their place in the world? Lila Delman plays on the common theme of finding one’s place metaphorically and applies it to her ability to help everyone find the physical place they can call home.

What I love: Lila Delman shows that she can help clients find both a home and a new piece of their identity. That’s a powerful message!

66. “A fresh approach to real estate.” — Judy Citron

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Although Judy Citron doesn’t specify what her fresh approach is, many clients who have been burned by past poor experiences with realtors may find this tagline relieving.

What I love: Judy’s visuals also communicate the connection between her last name and her idea of “fresh.”

67. “Homes sell faster when their beauty and quality are reflected in MLS.” — HomesUSA

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HomesUSA helps major homebuilders sell the houses they’ve built. Their slogan appeals to the builder’s pride in the beauty and quality of their work, offering to help them sell faster through their multiple listing service.

What I love: HomesUSA offers a specific service. Readers know the business is an MLS right away.

Funny Real Estate Taglines

68. “You Bring the Boxes, We Bring the House!”

This tagline is both fun and straightforward, which makes it memorable. It’s relatable to anyone who’s been through the process of moving and knows that packing and boxes are a big part of the experience.

I think this is a great way to say that our real estate team will take care of the important part – finding the right house. It also gives a sense of teamwork and ease, making the moving process seem less daunting.

What I love: This slogan makes the home-buying process feel simple and stress-free. It reassures clients that while moving is a lot of work, finding the perfect home doesn’t have to be.

69. “Looking for a house? We have a knack for getting you there (even if we need a moment to check the map)!”

This tagline acknowledges (in a playful way) that sometimes, even the best navigators need a little help finding their way. It adds a personal, human touch, showing that the team is approachable.

The humor in admitting they may need a “moment to check the map” makes the process feel more light-hearted. It also builds this sense of reassurance in potential clients that they’ll reach their destination in the end.

Pro tip: Make your slogan feel less like a corporate pitch and more like a conversation with a friendly guide. Use subtle ways to emphasize that your team is there to help.

70. “Need a place to hide from responsibilities? We’ve got homes with secret rooms!”

A lighthearted slogan that taps into the fantasy of escaping from the pressures of daily life. It speaks to the desire for a retreat or personal space where one can “hide” from responsibilities.

The mention of “secret rooms” adds a fun, almost magical element. Someone on the hunt for a unique home with a touch of adventure or privacy will surely be enticed. It also plays on the idea of a home being a sanctuary, a place to escape and recharge.

What I love: This slogan is not just about finding a house – it’s about finding a home with personality, one that offers a whimsical sense of escape.

71. “We won’t tell your old home you’re moving on … promise!”

This is a playful and humorous twist to the emotional experience of leaving behind an old home. It acknowledges that moving can feel like a breakup, and the tagline lightens the mood.

It shows empathy toward clients’ attachment to their current home. It also emphasizes that the real estate team is there to make the transition smooth and stress-free.

What I love: This slogan strikes a balance between humor and sensitivity. It is also relatable to anyone who feels nostalgic about leaving their home.

72. “House hunting? We won’t judge if you want a secret room for your snacks.”

This tagline is playful and relatable, recognizing that everyone has little quirks and personal preferences when it comes to finding their perfect home. It also shows that the real estate team is approachable, understanding, and ready to find a home that matches their clients’ desires.

Pro tip: Make the home-buying process feel fun and stress-free. Show that your team values personal preferences. And there’s no better way of doing that than by adding a humorous and approachable touch.

73. “Helping people pretend to be adults, one house at a time!”

This tagline uses humor to tap into the universal experience of feeling like you’re not quite an “adult” yet, even when you’re checking off all the big milestones like buying a house.

It lightens the serious nature of real estate. It also makes the home-buying process appealing to first-time buyers who might be feeling overwhelmed.

What I love: This slogan is relatable and makes the process of buying a home seem less daunting. It brings humor to a significant life event, showing that even though buying a house can feel like a huge step, you don’t have to have it all figured out to make it happen.

74. “Homes for sale: perfect for sleeping, eating, and dodging your in-laws!”

This slogan keeps the lighthearted and humorous tone, focusing on the idea that a home is not just for living, but also for escaping family drama. It adds a relatable and funny touch to the home-buying process, especially for those who enjoy their personal space.

What I love: It’s a fun, relatable way to tell buyers how their new home will be a sanctuary for peace and privacy.

75. “House hunting? We won’t judge if you need an extra bedroom for all your Pinterest projects.”

There is a common obsession with saving bedroom and home images on Pinterest. The slogan gently pokes fun at the idea of needing extra space for all the DIY and crafting plans that often come from hours spent scrolling through Pinterest.

Pro tip: When marketing your real estate company, show that you are someone that accommodates all the passions and hobbies that make a house feel like home.

76. “Searching for a home? We’ll find one with more space than a wizard’s castle.”

This tagline playfully suggests that the team can find a home with ample room. The imagery of a wizard’s castle evokes a sense of wonder and excitement, making the process of buying homes sound adventurous.

What I love: This slogan sparks the imagination, helping buyers visualize a home that’s not just spacious but full of charm and potential.

77. “Looking for a home? We’ve got options where the only neighbors are the stars.”

This tagline evokes a sense of serenity, exclusivity, and tranquility, suggesting that the homes being offered are in secluded, peaceful locations with minimal human interference.

It plays on the idea of escapism, perfect for those seeking privacy or a retreat away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

The subtle reference to “the stars” also adds a touch of romance and wonder to the home-buying process.

Pro tip: Paint a vivid picture of privacy and serenity. Make the home-buying experience feel less about just a property and more about finding a personal sanctuary.

78. “We’ll find you a home with closets big enough to hide from adulting.”

This is an example of using humor effectively to connect with people and also offer them a lighthearted escape in the form of the perfect home.

Pro tip: Make your brand feel approachable and in tune with modern life. The idea is to be memorable and to also give a subtle reassurance to clients.

79. “Get some space this year.”

This phrase adds a witty twist to the idea of needing “space” by playing on the common phrase “I need some space.” It suggests that this year is the perfect time to find a new home that provides the room to breathe, live, and grow — both literally and figuratively.

What I love: The way this slogan blends humor with practicality is commendable.

Unique Real Estate Taglines

Now, I’ll give you some unique real estate taglines. Feel free to take ideas from these or use them as inspiration to create your own.

80. “Turning listings into love stories.”

81. “Find your comfort zone here.”

82. “Matching homes to hearts since day one.”

83. “Settle without settling.”

84. “Homes as unique as you are.”

85. “Navigating the journey to your front door.”

86. “Helping you check off your dream home.”

87. “Crafting comfortable futures together.”

88. “Where your home story begins.”

89. Finding the place you’ll call forever.”

90. “Your pathway to the perfect property.”

91. “Your wish is our command.”

92. “Relax, your perfect home is waiting.”

93. “From the first hello to the final handshake.”

94. “Giving you keys is on our bucket list.”

95. “Sorry, I’m too focused on finding your perfect place.”

96. “Settle down on your terms.”

97. “With us, move without fuss.”

98. “Turning spaces into stories.”

99. “Your home, built on a concrete plan.”

100. “Your perfect match in real estate.”

Picking the Right Real Estate Slogan

Choosing the perfect slogan for your real estate business may take some time and effort, but trust me, it’s worth it. A great slogan can be a game-changer in setting you apart from the competition.

I recommend starting by brainstorming ideas that truly capture your brand’s essence. Make a list. Ask for feedback from trusted colleagues. Even better, if you have existing clients, ask them to help narrow it down. Before you know it, you’ll have a catchy and memorable tagline that perfectly represents your business and resonates with your audience.

“Starting a business with no money” sounds like a pipe dream, doesn’t it? You’ve probably even perceived it as a far-fetched, “just pull yourself up by your bootstraps” cliché that doesn’t actually work in the real world. But here’s the thing … despite any doubts you may have, it can be done.

I know it’s possible because I’ve been there, trying to figure out how to make a big idea happen without a big bank account, trying to work with both resources I already have (and ones I’ve found on a whim). However, despite the struggle that comes with the inevitable grind, the truth is this: entrepreneurship is less about how much cash you have and more about how resourceful you can be. It’s also about finding creative ways to solve problems, leaning on the tools and skills you already have, and maybe embracing a little DIY spirit along the way.

In this post, I’ll share all the secrets I learned about starting a business with a shoestring budget, from finding funding to where you should start if you’ve got no capital at all.

Table of Contents: 

• Entrepreneurship Statistics You Should Know About Before Starting a Business
• How to Find Grants and Funding For New Business Owners
• 6 Businesses You Can Start With Little to No Capital
• Heavy Pockets or Not, Start Your Business Anyway

Entrepreneurship Statistics You Should Know About Before Starting a Business

Before I jump into all the specific details about how to start a business without barely spending a dime, I won’t sugarcoat the obvious: being an entrepreneur is hard, especially today, especially when you’re new to the game of being your own boss/accountant/customer service rep/marketer. So, before I convince you to take the leap and formalize your commitment to starting a business, I’ll keep things transparent with the following statistics from The Hustle’s 2024 Entrepreneurship Trends Report:

• 22% of entrepreneurs run businesses in the startup phase
• 28% of entrepreneurs manage their business by themselves
• 36% of entrepreneurs say their most common challenge is accessing capital or funding
• 74% of entrepreneurs use personal funds to fuel their business
• 37% of entrepreneurs recruit staff from social media platforms (the most well-utilized platform being LinkedIn)
• 54% of entrepreneurs say maintaining financial security is their biggest challenge in running their business
• 61% of entrepreneurs find customers through WOM referrals, and only 12% of entrepreneurs use traditional channels to market their business

As I said before, entrepreneurship is hard. Expect it to be challenging. Expect it to be humbling. But also expect it to be full of lessons that’ll help you become a more informed, more capable business owner. With the right tools, mindset, and some proper guidance, you can overcome the challenges of being an entrepreneur and, most importantly, set yourself up for success.

On that note, in the next section, I’ll talk through:

• How to find grants and funding as a new business owner
• Tips and suggestions for programs and opportunities to apply to
• Strategies to help you stand out and secure the financial support you need

How to Find Grants and Funding For New Business Owners

Once you’ve gotten through the difficult stages of dreaming up your business — identifying what sort of business you want to start, developing a solid business plan that’ll help you carve out all the preliminary stuff — you’ll advance to the next stage of getting your business off the ground: finding money from somewhere to finance your venture.

Before you let out a skeptical sigh, I already know what you’re thinking: that the alleged “secret” to finding grants and funding as a new business owner is gatekept like the Krabby Patty formula. However, let me be the first to tell you that securing investor support isn’t as mysterious as it seems.

While it is undoubtedly the most stressful stage of starting a business, there are grants and funding opportunities out there, and with a bit of extra time spent on research and/or networking, you can find the ones that align with your needs. Check my tips for discovering the right opportunities for grants and funding below:

1. Find industry-specific grants and funding.

While throwing spaghetti at the wall might work for other parts of formulating your business, a more targeted approach is key to securing funding. As you look for financing best suited for where you’re at in your business growth journey, I firmly suggest a) niching down and b) searching for a funding opportunity that resonates with and supports the following core aspects:

• Your “stage” of business. Whether you’re still in the “ideas on a napkin” stage or already turning a profit, some grants cater specifically to startups, while others focus on growth-stage businesses. Don’t apply to something geared for a million-dollar operation if you’re just trying to get the ball rolling.
• Your business goals. Is the funding you’re searching for meant to help you expand your product line? Build a team? Move into a brick-and-mortar location? Find a grant that aligns with what you’re trying to achieve next.
• Your business’s purpose. Many grants prioritize businesses with specific missions, like supporting sustainability, promoting diversity, or contributing to underserved communities.
• Your Industry. Grants tailored to specific industries (i.e., tech, agriculture, retail, etc.) are your bread and butter. For instance, if you’re running a sustainable clothing business, you won’t waste time applying for a grant for AI startups.

2. Deep dive into your favorite brands and companies for incubator/accelerator programs or grant opportunities.

Depending on what market space you’re looking to break into, you may be surprised to discover how many of your favorite well-established brands and companies offer growth and funding resources for new business owners. Before you go scouring the internet for which ones actually exist and are potentially applicable to you, here are a few that I’ve been able to find:

• Glossier for Good: Glossier for Good invests in underrepresented entrepreneurs and communities that seek to radicalize the beauty industry through products, initiatives, and programming. Glossier also has its Glossier Grant Program, a pillar of Glossier for Good that invests in Black beauty entrepreneurs.
• Chobani Incubator: Chobani Incubator supports food and beverage startups by providing funding, mentorship, and potential distribution opportunities. Chobani’s incubator program also aims to help budding brands scale their operations and bring innovative products to market.
• FedEx’s Small Business Grant: FedEx’s Small Business Grant is an annual competition that awards grants to small businesses to help them grow and achieve their goals. Winners receive funding and access to FedEx resources like printing services, marketing assistance, and shipping credits to support their success further.
• Sephora Accelerate: Sephora Accelerate is a six-month brand incubation program designed to support up-and-coming beauty founders. During the program, selected participants build skills around scaling and sustaining their businesses. Sephora Accelerate also commits to platforming and uplifting founders of color.
• Google for Startups Accelerator: Google’s accelerator program focuses on supporting businesses with connections to the tech space, specifically ones already building a scalable product or service. Google’s program is also global and dedicated to assisting businesses in the Seed to Series A funding stages.
• Johnson & Johnson’s JLABS: Johnson & Johnson’s JLABS is another global entrepreneurship program supporting life science incubators that provides startups with affordable lab spaces, resources, and expert advice.
• UPS’s Small Biz Challenge: UPS’s Small Biz Challenge is a competition designed to support small business owners by offering them the chance to win a cash prize and receive expert mentorship. Participants showcase their entrepreneurial skills through challenges and pitch competitions; winners gain funding and mentorship to help grow their businesses.

3. Don’t be afraid to scour LinkedIn for insider advice.

This one requires a little extra research done on your end, but ultimately, you could get some great information from it. By finding folks who have previously applied to the funding programs and opportunities you’re eyeing, you’re opening yourself up to valuable advice.

This starts with searching the only platform where you can find every industry professional in one place: LinkedIn. Here are my top two tips for identifying and connecting with people for insight and honest perspectives about their experience as an entrepreneur:

• Research LinkedIn for posts about grants/program opportunities you want to apply to. Use LinkedIn’s search bar and search keywords related to the funding program or grant you’re considering. Check for posts from individuals who have shared their experiences applying to or receiving funding.
• Look for alumni or past recipients of a program. Many funding programs or grants highlight their past recipients on their website or social media channels. Search for these individuals on LinkedIn, and don’t be afraid to review their profiles or, even better, reach out for guidance.

4. Join a members-only group for entrepreneurs/small business owners.

When you look for community, you often find it. However, if you don’t have the time to find the right network right now, that’s totally understandable. Here are a few members-only groups for entrepreneurs and founders alike that I’ve been able to uncover via the Internet (for your eyes only):

• Forbes BLK: Forbes BLK is a members-only community for Black professionals, entrepreneurs, and leaders. It provides networking opportunities, access to business insights, and exclusive events to support its members’ success and advancement.
• National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE): NASE is a membership-based organization that supports small business owners and the self-employed. It provides benefits such as business grants, access to health insurance options, tax resources, and expert advice to help members effectively manage and grow their businesses.
• Small Business Investor Alliance (SBIA): SBIA is another membership-based organization that brings together small business investors, private equity firms, and entrepreneurs. It focuses on facilitating connections between businesses needing capital and potential investors while advocating for policies that support small business growth.
• National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB): NFIB is a powerful voice for small business owners, offering advocacy at the state and federal levels to address issues affecting small businesses. Membership provides access to tools, resources, and a network of independent business owners who share common challenges and goals.

6 Businesses You Can Start With Little to No Capital

If you plan to start a business but have no idea where to start (and no money to start with), I have some bright ideas that may be worth mulling over. These suggestions could help you spark some creativity, refine a business concept you’ve been thinking about, or give you the nudge needed to take that first step.

Regardless of where you stand in your business’s overall development process, here are a few promising ideas to inspire you and get the ball rolling, from low-cost startups to creative ventures that tap into trending markets:

Businesses You Can Start With No Money

1. Start a business selling second-hand items.

If you have extra clothes or unused technology lying around, a money-making prospect awaits.

Where should you start? Download any secondhand selling app and turn your clutter into cash. Plus, here’s the best part: there are several platforms that you could use to do so. Here are a few of my favorites:

• eBay: Great for everything from tech to collectibles. You’d be surprised what people are willing to bid on.
• Depop: Perfect for selling trendy clothes and accessories. It’s especially popular among Gen Z buyers.
• Facebook Marketplace: Ideal for local sales. It’s great for selling larger items like furniture, appliances, or transportation vehicles.
• Mercari: A user-friendly option for selling almost anything, from clothing to home goods.
• Vinted: Another Gen Z favorite reselling app. On Vinted, everyone and their mom is getting rid of clothes, books, accessories, you name it.

2. Start a business selling digital products.

Think templates, calendars, Lightroom presets. Digital products are awesome because they’re a low-cost, high-reward option to explore. If this business idea is something you choose to pursue, I’ve got good news: you’ve got a lot of options to choose from.

The beauty of this business is that once you create a digital product, you can sell it repeatedly with minimal ongoing effort. Here’s a small list of places to get started with selling your digital creation:

• Etsy: You likely know her. I personally love her. What you probably didn’t know? Etsy isn’t just for handmade goods. It’s also a digital product hub. Whether you sell printable planners, art prints, or logo templates, Etsy’s built-in audience of creative shoppers makes it a great place to showcase your work.
• Gumroad: Gumroad is perfect for selling various digital products, from eBooks to video tutorials to design assets. It also allows you to offer subscriptions or pay-what-you-want pricing, giving you flexibility in pricing your products.
• Buy Me a Coffee: This platform is ideal for creators who want to sell smaller, one-off digital items like guides, templates, or stock photos while building a community around their work. It’s straightforward and allows you to connect directly with your consumers.
• Shopify: If you plan to scale your business or create a more branded experience, Shopify is the way to go. It’s a robust platform that allows you to customize your online store, making it great for showcasing a wide range of digital products. Shopify’s tools make it easy to manage sales, track analytics, and even integrate email marketing.

3. Start a business managing social media platforms.

If you’re pretty darn good at creating content, understanding algorithms, and engaging all types of audiences, it might be time for you to transform your talent into a paid career, all by helping other businesses and creators grow their online presence.

Don’t believe me? Take a look at this freelance social media and community manager, Jasmine King, who has done this work so well that she’s managing to get a plethora of clients — from e-commerce brands to nonprofits:

Businesses You Can Start With Little Capital

1. Start a business doing freelance web design.

If you’re savvy with design, tech, or both, you should think about offering freelance web design services. Also, even if this isn’t your reality (it’s not mine either), emerging professionals and growing businesses are always looking for affordable ways to establish their online presence, and you can help them do just that … if you get good at building a user-friendly website.

I know the ladder won’t happen overnight, so here are some easy-to-use website design platforms that I’ve handpicked and highly recommend practicing with if you’re thinking about starting web design as a legit form of earning some capital:

• Readymag: A highly visual platform perfect for creating sleek, modern websites. Readymag is known for its drag-and-drop functionality and minimalist designs, making it ideal for portfolios, creative projects, and one-pagers.
• Canva: You might already use Canva to design social media posts, but did you know it also offers website templates? Canva’s intuitive interface and pre-made layouts make it a fantastic option for creating simple, attractive websites without too much technical know-how. It’s great for landing pages, personal blogs, or event promotions.
• Webflow: Webflow gives you the flexibility of coding without needing to write a single line of it. It’s especially great for e-commerce stores, business websites, and dynamic designs. Webflow does come with a bit of a learning curve, but once you master it, the possibilities are endless.

2. Start a business selling online courses.

Are you an expert in something? It doesn’t even have to be the most grandiose skill. Whether it’s baking, mastering Excel spreadsheets, or brand building, there’s likely a gaggle of eager customers willing to pay for your knowledge. Folks are always looking to learn and enhance their expertise, and if you’ve got the know-how, you can turn it into profitable educational content.

If you don’t know where to begin, here’s my recommendation for where to start: identify a hobby you’re passionate about and build content that educates, solves a problem, or provides value to others.

Check out these examples of creators and platforms that are already doing this for some inspo:

• ilovecreatives: ilovecreatives creative online courses on everything from video editing to digital marketing, all presented in a fun, approachable way.
• Teachable: One of the most popular platforms for building and hosting your own online courses. It’s user-friendly and packed with tools to help you organize your content, track student progress, and market your courses effectively.

3. Start a business selling handmade items.

Say you’re good at crochet. Or jewelry making. Or upcycling. Whatever your fun little craft may be, there’s a market for unique, handmade goods. Whether it’s cozy scarves, custom bracelets, or repurposed furniture, handmade products have a charm that mass-produced items simply can’t compete with.

And you don’t have to be perfect to start. Your handmade items don’t need to be museum-quality to resonate with customers. What matters most? Your unique perspective and the story behind what you create.

If selling handmade items sounds like it’s up your alley, here are some places you can boost your work:

• Etsy
• Instagram
• Big Cartel

Grab those knitting needles, that beading kit, or that old piece of furniture waiting for a makeover, and turn your hobby into a side hustle … or a main one.

Heavy Pockets or Not, Start Your Business Anyway

Even if you’re not swimming in cash, guess what? That doesn’t mean your dreams of entrepreneurship need to be put on ice.

Starting a business doesn’t always require a mountain of money, but it does demand creativity, determination, and the guts to get started with what you have. If you’re feeling apprehensive about diving in, here’s my best advice:

• Start small, scale smart.
• Heavy pockets aren’t what make great entrepreneurs. Resourcefulness and resilience are.
• Focus on building something sustainable instead of going all-in at once.

At the end of the day, a lighter wallet doesn’t mean a lesser chance of success. It’s just another challenge that will make your story that much better when you finally crush it. Work with what you’ve got, start building the business you’ve been dreaming of, and everything will fall into place.

For busy business owners, inventory tracking can feel like staring at your fridge when you already know it’s empty — pointless and slightly depressing. If you know where everything is, why bother jotting it all down?

I get it. As a copywriter, I often have to deal with administrative work that feels unexciting and unnecessary. But I’ve learned that staying on top of it pays off, and letting paperwork slide means things hit the fan pretty quickly.

The same is true as far as inventory tracking goes. There can be serious consequences when you fail to manage inventory.

In fact, the U.S. Small Business Administration reports that poorly managed inventory is a leading cause of small business failure. Despite this, 46% of small businesses don’t have any kind of system to track their goods — not even an inventory list.

Table of Contents

• What is an inventory list?
• Benefits of Inventory Lists
• Inventory List Templates
• How to Create and Use an Inventory List
• Key Takeaway

What is an inventory list?

An inventory list is a detailed record of all the items a business owns, sells, or uses. It typically includes essential information like item names, descriptions, quantities, and categories. Often, the list will include optional details like unit costs, total values, locations, or reorder levels.

This list helps businesses track their stock, stay organized, and plan purchasing, production, or resource allocation.

Benefits of Inventory Lists

Now that we’ve unpacked what an inventory list is, we can explore how it helps your business.

Optimized Stock Levels

Maintaining an itemized inventory list helps you avoid overstocking or understocking, increasing both profit and customer satisfaction.

Overstocking is much more than tying up cash in stuff that doesn’t sell — it’s about finding room for all that extra inventory and hoping it doesn’t expire, rust, or turn into a relic of last year’s trends.

Additionally, there’s an opportunity cost — the money tied up in excess inventory could have been spent on more profitable items.

Understocking can be equally detrimental. Beyond lost sales, it can harm your reputation and drive customers elsewhere. A recent study shows that 66% of consumers will leave an e-commerce site or store and turn to another retailer if the item they want is out of stock.

Accurate Tax Reporting

For tax purposes, unsold inventory is considered an asset. Keeping precise inventory records simplifies year-end tax filings. This ensures compliance and can lead to potential tax savings.

Forecasting

Inventory lists can also help you plan for the future. Tracking stock enables you to anticipate when to reorder and identify revenue trends. Analyzing inventory data leads to better decision-making and prepares your business for future opportunities and challenges.

Inventory List Templates

So, how do you take the leap from “organized chaos” to actual organization? Start with an inventory template. An inventory template is a pre-designed document or spreadsheet used to organize and track inventory data.

1. HubSpot Inventory Analysis Template

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Designed to be straightforward and professional, this template allows you to track all the inventory basics. It includes categories for the ID, name/description, unit cost, quantity, style, value, serial number, and condition. Conveniently, it’s also available for Excel, Google Sheets, and PDF.

I like that this template is user-friendly and approachable. Simply download it in your preferred format, and you can start filling in the details.

2. Simple Inventory Template

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This inventory tracking sheet is designed for general use across various industries. This flexible and user-friendly template lets users list items, quantities, descriptions, and reorder levels.

This option is excellent for businesses with high inventory turnover. It features an auto-fill column for reordering items and includes several columns for various reorder specifics, such as reorder level, days per reorder, item reorder quantity, and discontinued status.

3. Wise Basic Inventory List

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The Wise Basic Inventory List is another versatile template for general use — but this one features a stock location column. Including the physical location is incredibly helpful for keeping track of items and ensuring nothing gets misplaced.

4. Inventory Report Template

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Use the Inventory Report Template to generate detailed inventory reports with customizable fields for tracking stock levels and turnover. This template’s standout feature is that it opens on ClickUp, which has an optional AI assistant.

5. NetSuite Basic Inventory List

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Offering functionality similar to the previous options, the NetSuite Basic Inventory List is a customizable template. It was primarily designed to demonstrate the functionality of inventory lists. In that vein, I like that NetSuite encourages users to design their own list after learning the basics.

6. Warehouse Inventory Template

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Focused on managing inventory in warehouses, this inventory list actually has three templates in it. It includes an inventory list, a pick list, and a bin look up list. The advantage of the Warehouse Inventory Template is that the information is contained in one file but organized in three different tabs, which makes the data less overwhelming.

7. Restaurant Inventory Sheet

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If you are in food service, this is the list for you! It has columns for tracking food stock, quantities, and reorder points. The addition of a column for use by dates is particularly helpful for making sure all your food items are still consumable.

8. Bar Inventory Template

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This comprehensive bar inventory list goes beyond alcohol stock counts and provides dedicated tracking for every operational element, from glassware to garnishes.

9. Pantry Inventory Template

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Transform your pantry management with this template. It works equally well for home kitchens and food-focused organizations, tracking essential details like quantities, expiration dates, and storage locations. Whether you’re minimizing food waste at home or managing inventory at a non-profit food pantry, it brings professional-grade organization to food storage management.

10. Cleaning Supplies Inventory Template

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This inventory list is perfect for businesses that provide cleaning services. The inclusion of a column for usage rate is incredibly helpful — it indicates when to reorder supplies and offers potential insights into workers’ cleaning preferences.

11. Retail Inventory Template

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Perfect for retail, this template has multiple tabs to track your current inventory, daily sales, and sales report. I love that it keeps all of this information in the same template, encouraging you to keep up with regular inventory tracking.

12. Asset Tracking Template

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This Asset Tracking Template includes fields for asset ID, location, warranty, and condition. Including warranty information for all assets in one place makes asset management more organized and efficient.

13. Software Inventory Tracking Template

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Designed for IT professionals, this template effectively tracks both hardware and software inventory. It features fields for the location of installed software and software license expirations. I appreciate how it highlights the importance of managing intangibles like software alongside hardware, as both are crucial for keeping systems running smoothly.

14. Moving Inventory Checklist

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This checklist template tracks inventory during a move or relocation. I find the time stages column particularly helpful because the inventory can be categorized based on when it’s being moved. And when you’re done moving, all you have to do is update the status column!

15. Classroom Inventory List

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Perfect for teachers, this template helps track classroom resources like books, supplies, and equipment. The fields for item names, quantities, conditions, and locations are fully customizable. The calculation feature for the total inventory value makes it a valuable tool for teachers and administrators to monitor and manage classroom supplies effectively.

16. Vehicle Inventory List

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This vehicle inventory list is designed to record the cost, quantity, value, and reorder levels of each vehicle. Salespeople and mechanics can use the list to quickly locate inventory information when needed. Additionally, organizing the information across multiple tabs reduces confusion and makes navigation easier.

17. Property Inventory List

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Intended for comprehensive property management, this Property Inventory List template is ideal for landlords and tenants — allowing both to maintain accurate residence inventories. It offers fields for recording the quantity and condition of items, organizing them by different rooms. The template makes it clear and easy to track inventory details by area.

18. Chemical Inventory List

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This template, created to help track chemicals, is ideal for laboratories or chemistry classrooms. It includes fields for names, quantities, and hazard classifications. This template is indispensable for ensuring regulatory compliance and maintaining a safe environment.

19. Art Inventory Template

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Great for artists, galleries, and collectors, this inventory template provides a streamlined way to track artworks. With fields for titles, dimensions, mediums, pricing, and locations, it’s ideal for organizing art inventories for personal collections or professional galleries.

20. Salon Inventory Template

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Track your salon’s complete inventory with this comprehensive template. It allows you to record each stock item’s name, item number, description, and type. A dedicated Financial Status section provides detailed cost insights, including the date of purchase, initial value, monthly payment, and current value for each inventory item.

21. QuickBooks Inventory Forecasting Template

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This template helps businesses forecast future inventory needs by analyzing historical sales data, current stock levels, and trends. This template doesn’t stop at gathering data — it empowers users to leverage that information for accurate predictions based on the current quantity in stock.

How to Create and Use an Inventory List

As we’ve seen above, there are plenty of pre-made inventory templates available, but it’s always great to have a list completely customized to your unique needs. If you want to build your own list, just follow the guide below.

Step 1: Define the scope.

Start by determining what you need to track, whether it’s office supplies, products for sale, or household items. Then, focus on what’s most important for your goals. How can you keep the inventory organized and relevant?

Step 2: Choose a format.

Select a format that works best for you. Spreadsheets like Excel or Google Sheets are great for flexibility, while specialized software offers more advanced features. Make sure your chosen format allows easy updates and clear organization to save time in the future.

Step 3: Set up columns

Include basic details like item name, description, quantity, and category. Depending on your needs, you may also add columns for unit cost, total value, location, or reorder levels. Keep your column headers concise and consistent to make the list easy to read and maintain.

Step 4: Enter items.

Be specific and consistent with descriptions and measurements. Use clear descriptions and standard measurements to avoid confusion. Then, double-check your entries for accuracy, especially when it comes to quantities and costs.

Step 5: Schedule updates.

Review and update the inventory regularly. For high-turnover items, updates may need to happen weekly or daily, while slower-moving inventories can be checked monthly. Consistent updates prevent discrepancies and help you stay on top of your stock or assets.

It’s good to keep evaluating your inventory system over time. You’ll find that upgrading to a more advanced system can often be a worthwhile investment! There are many excellent software options available to help businesses manage their data as they scale. I personally recommend HubSpot’s Operations Hub, which is accessible and user-friendly.

Key Takeaway

Tracking inventory might not be the most thrilling part of running a business, but it’s the glue that keeps everything together. Skip it, and you might end up with frustrated customers, a cluttered stockroom, and a whole lot of regret.

What stood out most is how something as simple as an inventory list can drive better decisions and smoother operations. It’s a reminder that the small, consistent actions we take have a big impact on long-term success.

I once closed Q4 (and a couple of significant deals) on a family Disney World trip for Christmas — all because I was able to leverage my sales playbook.

I used end-of-year email templates to send follow-ups from the theme park. I used call scripts to make calls from the beach. I checked my inbox from the ride lines. Needless to say, I was highly distracted. But thanks to a good sales playbook, I booked my orders in time.

Sales playbooks are tailor-made for sellers to close critical deals all year round, and in my experience, they’re even more essential for winning crucial year-end deals. Playbooks are deliberate and actionable, but not all are created equal. In this article, I’ll cover seven effective sales playbooks to help you and your team succeed in the final quarter. I’ll also explain how to create a playbook for top results.

Table of Contents

• What is a sales playbook?
• What is a sales play?
• 7 Sales Playbook Templates to Help You Close More Deals
• How to Create a Sales Playbook That Closes More Q4 Deals
• What to Include in a Sales Playbook
• Benefits of a Sales Playbook
• Sales Plays to Include in Your Playbook
• Winning Tips for Crushing Q4 Sales Goals
• Sales Playbook Examples

In the context of sales, a playbook serves as a detailed manual that helps sales teams navigate common scenarios they encounter during the sales process. It provides step-by-step instructions, proven techniques, and helpful resources to ensure consistent, effective sales approaches that motivate buyers and help sellers to destress.

Great sales playbooks include sales enablement tools like:

• Value-based selling cheat sheets and customer quotes.
• Strategy steps.
• Discovery call questions.
• ROI-related data.
• Buyer personas.
• Sales process rules.
• Competitive battle cards.
• Email and social media templates and ideas.
• Call scripts and outlines.

A play is a specific strategy or set of actions designed to achieve a particular objective.

In a sales context, it’s a tactical approach that sales teams use to engage prospects, address their needs, and move them through the sales funnel. Sales plays are tailored to different scenarios, customer segments, or stages in the buying process. They are meant to provide you with a clear, actionable plan. In other words, if a sales playbook is a manual, a sales play is a specific tutorial within the manual.

Pro tip: While a defined sales play provides structure, it shouldn’t be rigid. I recommend that teams regularly review and adapt plays based on real-world results and changing market conditions.

Key components of a sales play typically include:

• Objectives.
• Target audience.
• Messaging ideas.
• Steps and actions.
• Tools and resources.
• Metrics and KPIs.

Why Your Business Needs a Sales Playbook

Many companies talk about the value of having a “single source of truth” for important company matters. A sales playbook can be that source of truth — and a treasure trove of resources for sales processes, competitive information, shortcuts to closing deals, and succeeding as a trusted advisor to prospects, partners, and customers.

Even on days when sales reps aren’t at the top of their game, a playbook can point them in the right direction and help them meet goals like quota and lead conversion rates.

Your sales leaders and longest tenured sales representatives have a lot of expertise that they’ve developed over the years. I recommend collecting that expertise into a shareable living document and connecting the dots between tried and true sales tactics and resources in book form can be invaluable for future growth.

7 Sales Playbook Templates to Help You Close More Deals

When you’re in the final quarter, every sale counts. You need proven, reliable strategies to guide your team and ensure they can apply the playbook effectively during every stage of the sales process.

As a senior business development and sales and marketing professional, I’ve noticed that playbook templates help ensure your enablement materials are:

• Effective and based on actual selling experiences, not theory.
• Comprehensive yet digestible enough to use on the go.
• Offer targeted content for specific industries and personas.
• Kept current with the latest product features, benefits, and changing customer priorities.

For instance, HubSpot offers sales playbook software which is integrated into the Sales Hub platform. This tool is designed to help you create, manage, and utilize playbooks effectively to improve your sales processes. Accessibility through Sales Hub makes playbooks simple to find when needed no matter where your business day takes you.

The sales playbook application offers ready-to-use templates for various scenarios, such as:

• Discovery calls.
• Qualification calls.
• Prospecting.
• Client meetings.
• Follow-up email messages.

Here are my favorite playbook templates.

1. Sales Plan Template by HubSpot

This customizable template allows you to work through your sales plan and playbook simultaneously so they align with each other. I recommend using this template as a foundation before you create the more advanced sections of your playbook. You can easily adapt it as your business, and your playbook evolves.

Pro tip: Your sales plan should inform your playbook, and your plays should align with the goals outlined in your sales plan. That’s why I suggest creating your sales plan first and sharing it with your team before creating and sharing other playbooks.

2. Sales Call Scripts by HubSpot

Include script templates in your playbook to ensure your team is prepared to enhance their conversations with customers and prospects. These scripts should be conversational, compelling, and used consistently for engaging sales calls, while preparing your sales team to increase their Closed/Won deal numbers.

Pro tip: I never read sales scripts verbatim during calls, but always found they were a great way to sort out what to say when opening a sales call.

HubSpot’s sales call scripts provide structured templates for various scenarios, from cold calls to follow-up conversations. It includes several types of call scenarios, including:

• Standard outreach.
• Gatekeeper.
• Discovery discussions.
• Navigating referral or recommendation redirects.
• Introductory or renewing connections.
• Proposal and prior meeting follow-ups.

What I like: Each template explains its best use cases and provides different options, depending on whether the prospect is willing to chat, or if they’d prefer to reconnect next year.

3. Sales Email Templates by HubSpot

Email will always remain a powerful, non-intrusive tool for reaching prospects. This sales email template kit includes emails for just about every scenario there is, including:

• First-touch introductions.
• Break-up messages for ending on a high note.
• Post-voicemail “just called you” explanations.
• Drip campaign emails.
• Deal win or loss debrief invitations.

What I like: Your sales team won’t have to write an email from scratch again, which saves time that can be better spent researching prospects and closing deals. I often found it awkward to write a follow up email after I lost a deal, or even when I won. Yet, debrief conversations are often excellent resources for learning how to navigate similar selling scenarios. I suggest you store that one in your end of year follow-up files to prepare for the coming year.

4. Sales Qualification Questions by HubSpot

Qualifying leads is essential to focus your efforts on the most promising prospects. HubSpot’s list of sales qualification questions allows you or your team to discover your lead’s level of awareness and need, as well as their budget, timeline, and expected business impact from the purchase.

What I like: Although I often found extended silences can be an advantage during sales calls, it’s great to have a fresh arsenal of probing questions in your playbook. It can empower your team to better nurture promising prospects, improve their sales qualification effectiveness​, and help move deals through the sales pipeline.

5. Prospecting & Objection Handling Templates by HubSpot

During every sales process, salespeople are bound to run into objections. Your sales playbook should include objection handling tips and methods for when they arise. Prospects always have at least a few objections in every sales engagement, otherwise successful businesses wouldn’t need to hire high-performance sales representatives of the caliber they do.

These objection-handling templates and best practices are a worthy addition to any sales playbook and provide strategies and responses for common objections. I like how this guide provides sales reps with techniques for addressing concerns professionally and keeping the conversation moving forward.

There are also some good insights on why prospects push back, and about keeping a repository of proven objection rebuttals. That way, salespeople can handle objections with politeness and empathy while dispelling a prospect’s reservations and fears.

6. Sales Battle Card Templates by HubSpot

At one point or another, your prospects will challenge your sales team about a competitor’s features, pricing, benefits, or other factors. Whether they are currently using a competitive solution, or considering marketspace alternatives, you want your team to confidently position your strengths and strategic value relative to your competition.

The company I work for now — and most that I’ve worked for in my career — have a non-disparage policy about competitive sales. I read a great Klue article on selling competitively by focusing on your strengths and driving a value wedge with your company’s products or service to distinguish your offerings from your competitors.

These HubSpot battle card templates will help your team better understand your market positioning and handle objections more effectively. They enable your sales operations, product management or competitive intelligence team document and share competitive intelligence across your sales and marketing teams, including their strengths, weaknesses, and key differentiators. They can enable your sales team to better position your product, highlight unique value propositions, and counter competitive threats.

Pro tip: Work with your colleagues across your business to curate competitive data points from sources like reputable analyst reports and review websites. Protect your customers from churning and maintain your edge in competitive sales pursuits. Task your sales team to tactfully ask customers what they like and dislike about competitive solutions. Add these points your sales playbook, and empower your reps to use them to win more deals.

7. Sales Closing Guide by HubSpot

From my experience, the most important piece of information you can include in your playbook is how to close deals. This sales closing guide from HubSpot offers a step-by-step approach to sealing the deal, including techniques for:

• Creating urgency.
• Handling last-minute objections.
• Negotiating terms.

It also offers tips on recognizing buying signals and timing your close.

What I like: I appreciate that you can include this guide directly in your playbook or share it individually with your sales team as a training tool they can reference from time to time. It’s an essential reference that will empower your people to close deals faster and more effectively.

How to Create a Sales Playbook That Closes More Q4 Deals

Your sales playbook is unique to your business. Here are steps you can take to create a sales playbook that will boost your closing rates and help you hit your targets.

Step 1. Define your sales process.

Start by mapping out each stage of your customer’s journey, from initial contact to closing the deal and beyond. Identify key touchpoints, activities, and decision-making moments at each stage.

I’ve found that a visual representation of sales stages helped me to determine what I needed to do to nurture the deal forward. It also helps to strategically place trial close reminders because you never want to make a qualified prospect feel like you aren’t interested in their business.

Also, consider the pace at which deals move through your sales funnel and what actions best trigger forward progress. Identify and document the tools, resources, and skills needed at each stage. I recommend that you include both internal processes (like pricing approvals or contract reviews) and customer-facing interactions. My proposal development team has comprehensive standard operating procedures (SOPs) that make it clear how key tasks should be undertaken.

For instance, you can use the conversation intelligence tool to monitor your team’s call quality and your customers’ tone of voice. There are a number of ways to use these insights during coaching meetings to help your reps better understand prospect requirements.

Pro tip: Creating a clear, step-by-step sales process outline can serve as the foundation for your entire sales playbook. It helps your team to develop a consistent and repeatable approach to guide prospects through the buying process.

How to Create a Sales Playbook (Guide)

Step 2. Develop winning sales strategies and define your key metrics.

Analyze your top performers’ techniques and successful deals. Identify patterns and best practices for each stage of the sales process. Include effective methods for prospecting, qualifying leads, delivering compelling presentations, handling objections, and closing deals.

Back these strategies with data and real-world examples to demonstrate their effectiveness. To make them more effective, consider incorporating modern approaches like social selling, value-based selling, or solution selling.

Don’t forget to outline strategies for different buyer personas and scenarios. The goal is to provide your team with a tailored toolkit of proven tactics to boost their success rates.

You should also determine the key performance indicators (KPIs) that will help you measure the success of your team’s sales efforts. This could include conversion rates, average deal size, sales cycle length, and customer acquisition cost.

In my experience: I enjoyed working on teams that prioritized these results-oriented metrics over activity-based metrics like call volume or lead resolution metrics. I appreciate, though, that if your conversion rates or deal closing numbers aren’t ideal, the activity metrics will demonstrate whether or not you are putting in the work required to succeed.

Step 3. Outline your sales playbook goals.

Use the KPIs from the previous step to identify specific, measurable objectives that align with your overall sales strategy. These goals should address key areas such as increasing revenue, improving conversion rates, shortening the sales cycle, or enhancing customer retention.

Once you identify your goals, define your short-term and long-term targets and ensure they are realistic and achievable. Your goals should also reflect the unique opportunities and challenges of your sales team’s skillset, what they sell, and how they fit into your company hierarchy.

Pro tip: Your goals should clearly illustrate individual performance targets, collaborative sales, and overall team attainment. Remember these goals will guide the content and structure of your playbook, so make them count.

Step 4. Align your sales and marketing teams.

Data shows that 90% of sales and marketing professionals feel they are out of sync in terms of strategy, process, content, and culture. Moreover, 60% believe this misalignment hurts financial performance. Clearly, this can hurt your sales strategy.

As someone who has worked in both sales and marketing, it’s often just a matter of one team reaching out to the other to initiate collaborative efforts, and for both teams to commit to working collaboratively towards common goals. Salespeople are great resources of campaign and content ideas from their customer conversations, and many marketing teams have a wealth of resources they can share to help move deals forward.

So, as part of developing your sales playbook, you need to ensure that your teams are in sync. This approach fosters a culture of mutual support and shared responsibility to create a cohesive and effective revenue-generating machine. Proper alignment can lead to significant benefits, including increased revenue growth, improved efficiency, enhanced lead quality, and a shortened sales cycle.

Good collaboration between the two teams results in a better understanding of your ideal customer, clearer mapping of the customer journey, and a more consistent message throughout the buyer’s experience.

More importantly, you will need input from both teams to create a winning sales playbook that addresses the needs and challenges faced by each department.

Step 5. Pick a team.

Determine who should be involved in the sales playbook creation process so you can invite them to join collaborations.

Some of the teams I recommend tapping when building a playbook include:

• Sales reps (including account managers, sales specialists, and business development reps).
• Sales VPs, directors, and managers.
• Channel sales managers.
• Sales operations.
• Marketing personnel who work on content, product, and sales enablement materials.
• Product and service offering managers.
• Customer success and support teams.
• Industry principals and subject matter experts.

Having input from several customer facing and offering-related teams ensures your playbook reflects various aspects of the customer journey and sales process.

I also recommend identifying directly responsible individuals (DRIs) for creating the sales playbook so that other team members know who’s leading the effort and who they can reach out to with questions and comments.

Step 6. Draft and publish your sales playbook.

This step is the climax of the whole process. Use all the data and insights you have gathered to put together your sales playbook. Remember those templates we talked about earlier? They’re going to be your secret weapon here.

For instance, the sales plan template will help you lay out the big picture of your sales strategy. As you’re working through it, think about how you can tailor it to your specific product and market.

Pro tip: Remember, these templates are just starting points. The magic happens when you infuse them with your company’s unique voice, experiences, and best practices. Don’t be afraid to get creative, but make sure it aligns with brand guidelines.

Step 7. Educate your reps on how to use the playbook.

In my experience, your sales playbook will only be effective if your reps are able to apply it effectively. They need to have a deep understanding of your products, their capabilities, and their features. They need to understand its ins and outs, including how to use customer voices for success.

That’s why I recommend hosting training sessions for my sales reps. They attend sessions with our company’s product teams and even test out products like customers. I suggest brainstorming ways you can get your team more familiar with your products so they know them inside and out.

Step 8. Make the playbook easily accessible.

To ensure your sales playbook is a valuable tool for your team, it must be easily accessible. This means storing it in a centralized, digital location where all sales reps can quickly find and use it. My team hosts these documents on a company Wiki. In the past, I’ve seen teams store this information on Google Drive and Atlassian. It all starts with accessibility — whether your playbook is in HTML or PDF, the format, locations, and access guidelines need to fit both the team’s and the organization’s needs.

Also, ensure that the playbook is mobile-friendly for on-the-go access and send regular email updates with direct links. This approach ensures everyone is well-equipped to follow best practices, practice consistent messaging, and maintain the efficacy of the playbook.

Step 9. Implement a feedback loop.

A robust feedback loop ensures your playbook remains a living, breathing document that evolves with your market, products, and team’s expertise. It allows you to quickly identify and address gaps in your sales strategy, adapt to changing customer needs, and capitalize on emerging best practices.

This continuous improvement cycle can significantly boost your team’s efficiency and effectiveness and, ultimately, your bottom line.

Therefore, encourage your team to share what’s working and what’s not and suggest updates to the playbook. Regular reviews and updates will keep your strategies fresh and effective.

Pro tip: Incorporate feedback into your playbook as part of your regular team meetings. This creates a culture of continuous improvement and ensures everyone is aligned with the latest strategies and practices.

Step 10. Measure the impact and optimize your efforts.

Finally, measure the impact of your sales playbook on your sales performance. Analyze the key metrics and KPIs to determine their effectiveness. Use this data to optimize your sales strategies and make necessary adjustments to the playbook.

Continuous monitoring and optimization will ensure that your sales playbook remains a valuable tool for closing more deals​.

What to Include in a Sales Playbook

It’s crucial to include specific components that address every aspect of the sales process to ensure your sales playbook becomes an indispensable resource for your team. In my research, I found that the following elements were most common in sales playbooks.

1. Company Overview

Provide a company overview and discuss the sales organization in detail. Include information about how the sales organization is constructed, who manages each team, which KPIs reps and teams are expected to hit, and so on.

2. Selected Plays

Identify which plays will be used for each playbook you create to clearly define the playbook’s purpose for reps.

Ensure that each play is aligned with specific sales goals and scenarios your team encounters. Regularly review and update these plays to reflect new strategies and market changes, keeping your team agile and informed.

3. Products and Services Overview

Cover every product or service reps are responsible for selling. Mention price points, use cases, core value offerings, buyers, end-users, and related industries or verticals.

You may choose to create one sales playbook for each product you sell if they’re all fairly different, require radically separate buying processes, have different buyer personas, or are sold by different members of your sales team.

4. Sales Process

Explain each step of your sales process from first touch to close. You might just link to your sales process document here so reps and sales managers can easily refer to it.

5. Playbook KPIs and Goals

Define the metrics that matter most for measuring success, such as conversion rates, average deal size, and sales cycle length. Set clear, achievable goals for each KPI.

Also, ensure that guidance is included on how to track and interpret these metrics and how they align with overall company objectives. This section should also outline any incentive structures tied to these KPIs.

Pro tip: Use data visualization tools to highlight key metrics and performance trends in your playbook. Visual aids can help your team quickly grasp important insights and make data-driven decisions more effectively.

6. Buyer Personas

Include detailed descriptions of your ideal customer profile, including:

• Demographics. Age, gender, location, profession, etc.
• Pain Points. Common challenges and issues faced by the personas.
• Motivations. What drives their purchasing decisions?
• Objections and solutions. Typical objections and how to address them.
• Marketing messaging. Tailored messages that resonate with each persona.

This information helps your team tailor their approach to each prospect.

7. Lead Qualification Criteria

Include lead qualification criteria so reps can refer to them in tandem with buyer persona information. For instance, maybe a qualified lead at your company means the lead is ready to buy in the next three months, or already has sufficient budget to make a purchase.

Expectations regarding prospecting and follow-ups should be included here, too. Guidelines should be provided regarding when to pursue opportunities and when to let them go.

8. Resources and Sales Enablement Materials

To create an effective sales playbook, you need to have ample resources and sales enablement materials for your reps. This requires a strong relationship between the sales and marketing teams, which you can define in this section.

This also means reps must be educated about available resources and materials (e.g., case studies, product pages, social content, demo videos, CRM, sales software, sales technology, etc.). List those resources in this section, too.

9. Competitive Battlecards

When working on a competitive deal, it helps to have current, accurate information about your company’s strengths relative to other vendors your prospect is considering.

Along with comparative feature and benefit information, I find it helps to provide a list of terminology cues that indicate a customer is speaking with a competitor. That competitor may give the prospect a set of objections to try and diminish your competitive position, so it helps to be prepared.

10. Upsell and Cross-Sell Strategies

Positioning product and service add-ons feels really risky when you have nearly closed a deal. By including advice on when and how to best bundle complementary products and services — like premium support, training, and extended warranties — you can better position your reps for success.

11. Sales Scripts and Messaging

A collection of introductory call statements and objection rebuttals can be helpful to alleviate stress for new hires and experienced reps selling new products or services. On-brand messaging statements and templates are great ways to save time when sending emails and posting on social media.

12. Product Roadmaps and Sample Contract Language

Prospects often ask about features that aren’t currently available or supported but are on the development team’s list of priorities over the coming months. In competitive deals, a current version of the product roadmap can give prospects confidence that even if the features they need aren’t currently available, they are in development.

I’m currently building a proposal where the customer is seeking a sample contract. I will have to do some searching, but if it was already available in my playbook, I wouldn’t have to explore our document library.

Benefits of a Sales Playbook

From my experience covering sales, I know how much time and effort goes into creating a sales playbook, but it’s worth it — and you’ll start seeing results almost instantly.

Here are some of my favorite sales playbook advantages.

1. Improved Efficiency and Productivity

It helps streamline the sales process by providing a clear roadmap for sales representatives to follow. This structured approach allows them to spend more time actively selling and less time figuring out what to do next.

Additionally, having all the necessary information and resources readily available allows your sales reps to work more efficiently and handle a higher volume of leads.

2. Consistent Sales Approach

A sales playbook codifies your most effective strategies, ensuring that every team member has access to proven techniques. This standardization leads to more consistent performance across your sales force.

3. Make New Hire Training Quicker and Easier

From my experience, training new salespeople is far quicker and easier when you have clear, explicit explanations of who your customers are, how they buy your products, what pain points they experience, what to say to them, and more.

Without a sales playbook, your reps are forced to learn this information ad hoc.

4. Adaptability to Different Sales Scenarios

A well-designed sales playbook includes various “plays” or strategies for different sales situations. This adaptability allows sales reps to navigate complex sales scenarios with confidence, whether they’re setting up an initial meeting or restarting a stalled proposal.

It provides guidance for multiple scenarios and empowers your team to handle diverse challenges effectively.

5. Free Up Valuable Time for Reps

According to HubSpot’s 2024 State of Sales Report, sales reps spend only 33% of their day actually selling.

When sales reps spend too much time searching for or creating content, they can’t focus on nurturing deals and closing sales. That’s the power of a playbook; it frees up time for selling.

Rather than having each rep develop their own messaging, questions, and resources to use with prospects, give them ready-made content — a.k.a, focus on sales enablement. This will give your reps more time to sell.

6. Improved Collaboration

With a centralized document outlining the sales process, team members from both sales and marketing teams can collaborate more effectively. The playbook fosters a shared understanding of goals and strategies, enabling sales reps to work together seamlessly. This collaborative environment can lead to more innovative solutions and a stronger, more cohesive sales team.

7. Reliable Performance Metrics

A sales playbook provides a framework for tracking and analyzing key performance indicators (KPIs). You can quickly use this data to identify areas for improvement, measure the effectiveness of different strategies, and make informed decisions to optimize the sales process.

This data-driven approach ensures that your team is always working towards the most effective methods for achieving their targets.

Sales Plays to Include in Your Playbook

I’ve seen themes create sales plays for a specific stage of the sales pipeline. I’ve also seen plays just for demos, which has helped reps with presenting, asking the right questions, and handling objections. These are some examples of plays that you may choose to focus on.

• Personalized content play. Describe how reps can personalize and tailor the content they share with prospects and customers to the buyer’s journey.
• Lead qualification play. This play should define how reps can efficiently identify high-qualified leads to reach out to.
• Demo play. Focus this play on how reps can effectively demo products and how to strategically highlight their features and benefits to prospects.
• Use case play. This play should showcase specific use cases that your existing customers have reported as how they get the most out of your products.
• Prospecting play. Focus this play on how reps can use certain platforms, channels, or tactics to identify prospects that meet your ideal customer profile (ICP).
• Closing play. Focus this play on how reps can move late-stage leads towards closing in a way that feels natural, professional, and effective.
• Follow-up play. Focus this play on how and when reps can follow up with leads at different points in the buyer’s journey, including after the sale, to ensure all of a customer’s needs are met.

Winning Tips for Crushing Q4 Sales Goals

Before we dive into some playbook examples, here are five plays I used to run in Q4 to optimize my chances of closing as many deals as possible.

1. Don’t be surprised by OOO replies.

Ask the prospect what their vacation schedule is if they suggest they will be buying in the last quarter. See if they have anyone backing them up while they are on vacation or if there are any procurement counterparts that might submit the deal. Ask for a verbal commitment on a Q4 deal for forecast accuracy.

2. Understand and leverage year-end budgets.

Does a prospect’s fiscal year end in December, March, or some other time of the year? Many businesses over budget for costs like technology and equipment, and if they don’t spend the money, it doesn’t roll over to next year.

Find ways to incentivize end-of-year purchases with volume or bundle pricing that won’t devalue your products.

3. Create a sense of urgency.

Does your company plan on price increases in the new year? Are there discounts available for this year’s models to clear aging inventory in your warehouse? Find ways to motivate prospects and existing customers to buy now — not next year.

4. Separate tire kickers from the hot prospects.

Do you have stagnant prospects in your pipeline that haven’t been responsive in recent months?

Brainstorm on incentive packages for leads that have cooled. If emails have gone unanswered, make a call or send a social media message. Maybe the contact left the company or changed responsibilities and can help you find their replacement.

Alternatively, send a break-up email to suggest you will prioritize your attention elsewhere. When you set a prospect free and they return to you with open arms in Q4, it’s often a good sign.

5. Make exclusive or personalized offers.

Many business decision-makers are too accustomed to Q4 limited-time discounts that they simply ignore them.

If your company has a customer success or training program, offer an education incentive to help your team ramp up on your products in the new year. If that training program happens at a customer conference in February, bundle in some conference passes as I’ve done in the past. Training is a great way to help customers get travel approval, especially for a company growth initiative or for training on technology.

The end of the year and the arrival of winter makes many prospects complacent, or they can get caught up with other responsibilities. These tips will help you identify ways to recapture their attention, create urgency, and submit a deal that moves the needle on your year-end revenue attainment.

Sales Playbook Examples

While sales playbooks are typically internal documents, some companies publish their playbooks. Check out a few of my favorites below.

1. HubSpot and Join.me Sales Meeting Playbook

This two-page playbook was created in a joint effort between HubSpot and Join.me. It outlines what a rep should do before and during a sales meeting to increase the chances of closing the sale.

The playbook is divided into seven sections in the sales playbook software — but don’t let that number fool you. With its clear headings and easy-to-scan checkboxes, the seven sections fly by quite quickly. In order, they are as follows.

• Research prior to meeting. Offers guidance on exactly what sales reps should research before the meeting.
• Set the agenda. Includes an example of how sales reps can set the agenda for the meeting.
• Discovery phase. Lists out a few questions reps can ask to uncover information about the prospect’s business, as well as their needs.
• Assess the need. Includes additional questions to diagnose the problem and understand what can be improved.
• Define their buying process. Includes more questions sales reps can ask to understand the client’s purchasing process.
• Demo. Offers a few tips on how to carry out a demo that closes the deal.
• Close. Share an example of what sales reps can say to finish the conversation and win the deal.

Why I think this sales playbook works: The power of this playbook lies in its length. It shows that you don’t need to write a 27-page-long manifesto. With just a few quick bullet points, you can still guide your reps to success. Most importantly, I love that the playbook provides examples of what sales reps can say.

2. Global Telecom Solutions Partner Playbook

Global Telecom Solutions uses this well-structured sales playbook to provide discovery questions and tips to their solution partners.

It isn’t too prescriptive, which is why it’s so effective. Every spread is dedicated to one type of customer, and each has four noteworthy sections.

• Discovery questions. Includes the questions each sales rep should ask prospects in that specific industry.
• What to listen for. Lists a few keywords and terms sales reps should listen for in the prospects’ answers.
• Contacts. Outlines who sales reps should reach out to at the target businesses.
• Did you know. Includes pieces of information that emphasize the importance of GTS’s solutions.

Why I think this sales playbook works: I like that the structure is easy to follow, with every spread dedicated to a different type of customer. It also provides useful goalposts but isn’t overly prescriptive, allowing sales reps to shift gears if need be.

3. Cobalt Iron Partner Playbook

Cobalt Iron’s playbook for its partners is a classic example of a well-executed playbook. It provides an overview of the company and the product, then shares several elevator pitches that partners could use.

It also provides information on the state of the industry so that partners can understand where the product falls in the current landscape.

Notable sections include the following.

• Elevator pitch for customers. Outlines common issues that customers face and reasons why customers should adopt the solution.
• Customer challenges. Gives further insight into the customers’ needs, then goes into specific challenges as they relate to the product.
• Target customer profile. Outlines the characteristics of a customer who needs the product.
• Buyer profile. Offers more details on specific buyer personas at prospective businesses.
• Managing objections. Share common objections and ways to respond to them.
• The competition: Includes easy-to-scan bullet points on how to compare the product to competitors’ offerings.
• Conversation starters. Offers a few questions solutions partners can use to get the conversation rolling.

Why I think this sales playbook works: I like that this playbook is thorough, comprehensive, and well-thought-out. It includes extensive information on the state of the industry and the challenges that prospective customers face. It‘s on the longer side, but there’s a good chance your reps won’t mind if it helps them meet their quota.

4. Sales Datanyze and HubSpot Sales Development Playbook (SDR)

Datanyze and HubSpot created a playbook for sales development eps (SDRs) to become more efficient at account development and outreach. This SDR sales playbook acts as a guide to help SDRs combine automation and advice from seasoned professionals to provide reps with best practices on how to seek out ideal clientele at higher success rates.

This playbook provides several examples of prospect exchanges across email and calls to better equip SDRs for taking sought-after prospects down the sales funnel.

Notable sections of this playbook include the following.

• Account development. Guides SDRs on how to create and manage a named account list for ideal buyers.
• Research and prospecting. Covers how to perform targeted research and find the right contacts.
• Cold emailing. Shares insight on how to humanize emailing and break through cluttered inboxes.

• Calling tips. Demonstrates how to use modern calling tips in outreach strategy.

• Call mapping. Outlines who to conduct calls without jumping into the pitch immediately.

• Objection handling. Lists common objections and how to tactfully approach them.

• Reporting: Emphasizes the importance of tracking performance metrics to gauge effectiveness.

Why I think this sales playbook works: In my opinion, this playbook is the right mix of technical instruction and anecdotal advice to create an easy-to-understand guide to client outreach. It allows SDRs to think about how their interactions can organically and inorganically nurture target audience members. The team can then reel them in with personalized experiences at every step.

Creating a Sales Playbook Destined to Be Indispensable

The key to success in the last quarter of the year lies in preparation, adaptability, and strategic execution. A robust sales playbook can help increase efficiency in your team and improve close rates across the board. Thankfully, a good sales playbook can help you simplify the entire process of creating a playbook.

Once created, don’t let the document stagnate. Stay flexible and be ready to adjust your approach based on real-time feedback and results. Gather feedback from across the sales team to ensure it is useful, realistic, and complete. Encourage your team to recommend updates or new chapters that will add value. Even though coaches, captains, and quarterbacks tend to have the strongest influence over sports playbooks, sales playbooks should have input from your entire sales team.

Refer to and use the steps I covered and the templates I provided to help you along the way. Remember, the goal isn’t just to close out the year strong but to lay the groundwork for sustainable growth.

Being a business owner comes with tough decisions — is it time to seek investors, or should you self-fund a little longer? Should you sell? Is it time to revamp your product?

You can’t make the most critical business decisions without knowing whether your business is financially stable. Enter: profit and loss statement.

In this piece, I’ll go over what a profit and loss statement is, how it helps you drive business decisions, and walk you through the step-by-step process of creating your own.

Table of Contents

• What is a profit and loss statement?
• What is the purpose of a profit and loss statement?
• How to Do a Profit and Loss Statement (Step-by-Step Walkthrough)
• How to Read a Profit and Loss Statement
• Profit and Loss Statement Example
• Audited vs. Unaudited Profit and Loss Statement

What is a profit and loss statement?

A profit and loss statement, or P&L, is a financial document showing a business’s monthly, quarterly, or yearly revenue, profit, and losses. It identifies a company’s financial health for internal decision-making, or entices buyers and investors to purchase or fund the business.

What is the purpose of a profit and loss statement?

The purpose of a profit and loss statement is to give you an overall understanding of financial performance, and whether changes need to be made to company strategy to improve performance. A profit and loss statement:

• Gives you an overview of financial performance (based on your bottom line) and whether your company/business is making or losing money.
• Gives you operational insight into different revenue streams and expense categories so you can ensure strategies are optimized to drive revenue.
• Helps drive decision-making for critical functions like resource allocation, pricing, and cost management.
• Gives critical stakeholders (like investors and creditors) the information they need to understand the value of their investments to drive decisions on future actions (like increasing investments)

Is an income statement the same as a profit and loss statement?

Income statements. Profit and loss statements. Balance sheets. While these terms are commonly thrown around, they’re not all interchangeable.

“An income statement is known as a P&L statement,” says Francis Fabrizi, an accountant at Keirstone Limited. “There’s no difference between the two, whereas a balance sheet provides a quick overview of the company’s [entire] financial information. This is usually a broader view showing assets, liabilities, and income. However, an income statement is more useful in showing specific cash flow details.”

Profit and Loss Statement Template

Now we know what a profit and loss statement is (and what it isn’t), but how do you actually create one?

I’m about to walk you through that below, but first, I recommend downloading our Profit and Loss Statement Template so you can fill in your numbers as you follow along. I’ll be using the template during the walkthrough to give you a feel for the process.

Download Now: Free Profit & Loss Statement Template

How to Do a Profit and Loss Statement (Step-by-Step Walkthrough)

You can complete a profit and loss statement with an accounting tool (like QuickBooks), manually with software like Excel, or get a jump-start with a prebuilt template (like ours I mentioned above).

Fabrizi tells me that a benefit to cloud-based accounting software is that it allows you to quickly create P&L statements: “Most of the calculations are automated from receipts and invoices, so it’s less likely for anything to be overlooked or miscalculated.”

Software tools often offer various statement formats (like bar charts or line graphs) that help you visualize trends and make business decisions.

Regardless of how you create it, there are six key areas to include in a P&L statement:

• Revenue: net money received from sales
• Cost of goods sold (COGs): total cost of making or buying the products sold
• Gross profit (or loss): earnings after subtracting COGS
• Operating expenses: amount spent to maintain daily operations
• Operating profit (or loss): income from core operations
• Net profit (or loss): total income minus expenses (COGs, debt, interest, etc.)

1. Revenue

The revenue section of a profit and loss statement includes all the income your business receives from day-to-day operations.

“This covers the sale of goods and services, and other sources of income, such as the disposal of used office supplies,” says Fabrizi.

Before calculating your total income, determine the time frame you’re calculating for. If it’s quarterly, you’d add all the sales generated during those three months to get accurate revenue figures.

For example, if you reeled in:

• $5.7k in October
• $10.3k in November
• $3.5k in December,

Your total net sales is $19.5k. Here’s what my P&L Statement looks like with those numbers:

2. Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)

The cost of goods sold is the amount you spend on materials to operate your business. For example, purchasing inventory to manufacture or sell products, or machinery to perform a service for customers.

“If you own a cafe and charge $2.50 for a coffee to go, your profit isn’t $2.50. Costs like the price of the coffee beans and the takeout cup must be subtracted. Another illustration: You need to account for supplier costs; if you sell an item, you don’t make it yourself,” Fabrizi explains.

Indirect costs (e.g. rent, accounting, and marketing) that are not expressly associated with the creation of services and goods are not part of COGS, notes Fabrizi. These fall under additional expenses or operating costs.

For this example, I’ll add a COGS of $5.5K to my P&L statement.

3. Gross Profit (or loss)

Gross profit is how much you earn after subtracting COGs. Our template automatically calculates gross profits, so I can already see that my gross profit for Q4’24 is $14K.

If you do this manually, calculate your gross profit by subtracting your COGS from your net sales/revenue: (revenue – COGS) = gross profit.

With my example, 19,500 – 5,500 = 14,000.

4. Operating Costs (Expenses)

Under the operating expenses bucket, you calculate how much you spend to maintain daily business operations. This includes:

• Employee salaries
• Business rent and utilities (business phone, office space, etc.)
• Depreciation of company equipment (computers, office furniture, vehicles, etc.)
• Administrative fees (insurance, office supplies, and other items not directly connected to specific goods or functions)

For my example, let’s say that my operating costs include business rent, utilities, and administrative fees, totaling $2.2K. Here’s how I note that in my P&L:

Note: This is a simplified example. You’ll likely have more expenses and expense categories. To add more expense rows to our template, right-click and select “+ Insert 1 row.”

5. Operating Profit (or loss)

Operating profit is the total your business gets after deducting COGS and additional expenses. To calculate this, you subtract your operating expenses (called “Total Expenses” in our P&L template) from your gross profit. The formula:

(Revenue – COGS) – Operating Expenses = Operating Profit

So, for my example:

(19,500 – 5,500) = 14,000 (gross profit)

14,000 – 2,200 (total expenses) = 11,800 (operating profit)

At this point, you can also add your COGS and operating expenses to total your expenses. My total expenses are $7.7K (5,500 + 2,200).

6. Net Profit (or loss)

Net profit is your total revenue minus all costs (COGS, operating expenses, debt interest, and taxes). In other words, it signifies what eventually ends up in your company’s coffers.

For this example, I’ll add a total tax of $4K to my template. The calculation is automatic, so I already see that my net profit for Q4’24 is $7.8K:

If you’re doing this manually, the formula is:

Operating Profit – (Debt Interest + Taxes) = Net Profit

So, if my debt interest and taxes are $4k, my formula is:

11,800 – 4,000 = 7,800 (Net Profit)

If your net profit is negative, you’d have a net loss instead of a net profit.

How to Read a Profit and Loss Statement

The purpose of reading a P&L statement is to determine the profitability of a business. You’ll have to review the P&L statement line by line to identify if the company is running at a loss (and won’t owe any taxes) or netting a profit.

Before you start, determine the period of the statement (month, quarter, year) to get a clearer picture of the company’s finances.

Next, determine if the accounting method is:

• Cash basis: Income and expenses are reported immediately when they occur
• Accrual basis: Income and expenses are reported even if money hasn’t exchanged hands yet

This matters because accruals may not occur until months later, affecting the actual income or expenses in a given time period. For example, earning $55k for the quarter (cash basis) and having $15k in unpaid invoices for projects already completed.

When you add it together, you get an income of $70k. But if you don’t receive the $15k until three months later, you may miscalculate what you can spend on expenses for the quarter, landing you in a deficit.

Profit and Loss Statement Example

Here’s an example of a P&L statement.

Source

I see a net loss of $10.7k in 2020. Then, in 2021, business operations improved, earning a net positive profit of $17,783.

If you’re creating your profit and loss statement manually, I recommend checking your math and calculations line by line. Accidental human error can prevent accurate profit margin analysis.

As you review, note areas where you can cut costs to increase profits. For instance, performing more maintenance on equipment to prevent costly breakdowns. Or switching to a cheaper insurance provider or office space.

Audited vs. Unaudited Profit and Loss Statement

Having your P&L statement audited by a licensed CPA ensures accuracy, and if you’re anything like me, I’d want to make sure my math is accurate. Plus, investors and banks often request an audited P&L before agreeing to invest in or fund your business.

“One of the biggest mistakes business owners make when preparing their own P&L statements is not putting the correct type of revenue and expenses on the statement,” says Amine Alajian, CPA and founder of the Alajian Group, an accounting firm for startups.

“Assuming that all money that comes in is revenue and all money that comes out is an expense is incorrect. For example, if you get money for a loan, that’s a liability, not revenue. Along those same lines, when you pay that loan back, that’s not an expense and should not go on the P&L.”

Don’t think of a P&L audit as a bad thing — it’s not like having the IRS come to review your financial statements. It provides an extra pair of experienced eyes to review your finances to prevent reporting mistakes and instill confidence in stakeholders and investors. I strongly recommend doing this, regardless of how confident you are in your financial calculations.

Over to You

It’s important for business owners, especially those hoping to grow, to keep a close eye on profits and losses.

Financial reporting is essential for business owners, especially those hoping to grow.

Creating a profit and loss statement helps you monitor critical figures, make strategic business decisions, and communicate important information to stakeholders. If you decide to sell or seek investments, you’ll also have the proof to negotiate the best deal.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in August 2022 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.