How to create and manage playbooks

If you’re new to playbooks in Gong, read this article before you get started, for tips and best practices.

Apply a pre-built playbook

You can start with one of our pre-built playbooks, and then customize it by adding or removing elements to align with your team's unique sales methodology. These playbooks already incorporate pre-trained smart trackers - streamlining setup and making it easier for reps to complete each element.

Follow these instructions to use one of Gong’s pre-built playbooks:

Click + Create new.
Choose one of the existing playbooks. These include: MEDDICC, BANT, SPIN, Challenger, SPICED, Solution selling, and Sandler.

At this point your playbook is ready for immediate use, including AI sources. You can click Publish and add your playbook to a deal board. To customize your playbook or set up CRM sync, continue at customize your playbook below.

Create a custom playbook from scratch

While in most cases, you would start with a pre-built playbook, Gong gives you the flexibility to create your own from scratch, and add trackers.

Click + Create new and select Start from scratch.
Give your playbook a name and description.

To customize your playbook or set up CRM sync, continue at customize your playbook below.

Customize your playbook

Refer to this screenshot to help you customize your playbook, and add CRM fields with the following steps:

Settings page displaying metrics and AI source for tracking elements in Playbooks.

Add, remove, or duplicate elements. You can have up to 9 elements per playbook.
Note:
For pre-built playbooks, remember to update the name and description of your playbook if you edit the elements, so users aren’t confused.
Choose an element name and description for any new elements. The first letter of each element name is displayed in the deal board. The description is used for coaching inside the playbook, and should guide reps on how to fill in the element – for example, by identifying the prospect's goals.
If you add an AI source to the element (next step), this description is used as part of the prompt, and will help create suggested notes that suit the description.
Select an AI source to suggest notes. You’ll have three choices:
1. Pre-trained smart trackers optimized by Gong, are the default AI source, and the easiest way to start.
2. Custom smart trackers, which you can create to detect any concept in your methodology.
3. Keyword trackers help create a suggested note based on specific words or phrases mentioned in the conversation, for example – competitor name.
Note:
Adding a tracker is not essential, but without them there won’t be suggestions to help complete the element.
Sync with your CRM (optional). Select a field from the CRM opportunity fields.
1. In the Note field: Choose from rich text or plain text CRM fields. Rich text fields are optimal, since they enable you to add links, bullets, and other formatting options that make the text more readable. (Using Salesforce and want to convert a plain text field to a rich text field?)
2. In the Status field:
  1. If you’re using Salesforce or Dynamics 365, sync with a boolean field.
  2. If you’re using Hubspot, sync with a single checkbox field using a True/ False value format.
Note:
To select a field, it must be set up to sync to Gong. Here’s how to import a field into Gong using Salesforce, HubSpot or Dynamics 365.
Note:
If you choose to start using your playbook without syncing any CRM field elements, data will be saved in the playbook in Gong. When you’re ready to sync with your CRM, add the CRM fields to the playbook and publish it:
- If there’s already data in Gong for these fields, it will override data in corresponding CRM fields.
- If there is no data in Gong for these fields, nothing will happen in corresponding CRM fields.
Gong will sync data from the playbook to your CRM, covering up to the past 3 months.
Gong provides a two-way sync with the CRM, so any changes in the CRM are reflected in Gong, and vice versa.
Click Publish and the playbook is now available. You’ll be asked if you want to add the playbook to a deal board now or later.
Alternatively you can select Save if you are not ready to publish your playbook, letting you work in draft mode.

Delete a playbook element

If you added an element to your playbook by mistake or want to delete an element, follow these steps:

Click beside the playbook you want to delete and click Edit.
Hover over the element you want to delete, click then click Delete.

If the element is synced with your CRM, data that’s already been synced isn’t affected. If the element wasn’t synced, any data that’s been saved in it will be permanently deleted.

Add a playbook to a deal board

Once your playbook is published, you can add it to as many deal boards as you like to gain real-time visibility into deal health.

Here’s how:

Either select a board and click Edit board OR click followed by + Create board.
Under Columns, if there is a published playbook, you’ll see a prompt saying Playbook available!
Click Add now, where you have the choice of which playbook to add if you have more than one published.
Use to move the playbook to where you want to see it. Placing it higher up means that it's closer to the left of the board.
Click Save.

How to deactivate or delete a playbook

There are 2 ways to stop working with a playbook:

Deactivating a playbook means that you’ll no longer be able to add it to a deal board, but it will remain in your playbooks settings.
Deleting a playbook will be permanent and data that was saved in the playbook can’t be restored.

In either case, you won’t be able to complete the action if the playbook is being used in a deal board. You’ll need to remove it in the board settings before it can be deactivated or deleted.

Deactivate a playbook

Here’s how to deactivate a playbook:

Click (three dots icon) beside the playbook you want to deactivate, followed by Edit.
Click Unpublish.
Note:
Deactivating the playbook doesn’t affect data that’s saved in the playbook, or data that’s been synced with your CRM.

Delete a playbook

Here’s how to delete a playbook:

Click beside the playbook you want to delete and click Delete.

Overview of Playbooks with options to edit and delete entries for sales methodologies.

*The features available to you depend on your company’s plan and your assigned seats.