By the time you raise Series B, the game changes. You’ve proven product-market fit. You’ve built a small but functioning sales motion. You’ve got early repeatability.
Now the challenge is scale. Investors and your board are no longer satisfied with proof of concept — they want predictable, efficient revenue growth quarter after quarter. That’s where a Series B Sales Playbook comes in.
Unlike Series A, where the playbook is about documenting founder hustle, the Series B playbook is about institutionalizing sales at scale: building structure, enabling teams, and driving efficiency across dozens of reps.
Why Series B Needs a Different Playbook
At Series A:
- Founders were still selling.
- The ICP was narrow and high-pain.
- Sales process was messy but worked.
At Series B:
- You’re hiring 10–30 reps across SDRs and AEs.
- Territories, quotas, and comp plans come into play.
- CAC efficiency becomes a board-level metric.
- Investors demand predictable pipeline coverage.
If every rep invents their own playbook, chaos (and missed targets) follow. The Series B playbook ensures scalable alignment.
The 6 Core Elements of a Series B Sales Playbook
1. ICP Evolution & Segmentation
Series A ICPs are narrow. At Series B, you need segmentation:
- SMB (Beetles): Faster closes, higher volume.
- Mid-Market (Deer): Core revenue engine.
- Enterprise (Elephants): Longer cycles, category-defining logos.
The playbook must teach reps how to sell differently to each segment. One-size-fits-all messaging won’t work anymore.
2. Advanced Messaging Frameworks
At Series A, you needed a simple elevator pitch. At Series B, you need persona-based messaging that scales:
- CIO cares about integration + security.
- CFO cares about ROI + efficiency.
- End-users care about usability + speed.
Playbooks should include persona messaging matrices, objection handling by role, and tailored demo flows.
3. Territories & Coverage Models
Series A reps could chase any logo. At Series B, chaos must give way to structure. Your playbook must include:
- Territory design: By region, vertical, or account tier.
- Quota allocation: Based on territory potential.
- Named accounts vs greenfield: Clear rules to prevent internal competition.
This ensures reps don’t cannibalize each other’s efforts.
4. Scaling Plays (Beyond Hustle)
At Series B, plays must evolve:
- Inbound Play: Standardized qualification via SDRs.
- Outbound Play: Tiered cadences for SMB vs Enterprise.
- Network Play (GTN): Institutionalize warm intros. Every AE should be running GTN motions weekly, not occasionally.
- Channel/Partner Play: Start layering partners to extend reach.
The key difference: plays are no longer optional. They’re codified, measured, and enforced.
5. Enablement & Onboarding
Series A onboarding = “shadow the founder.” Series B onboarding = structured enablement. Your playbook should include:
- 30-60-90 ramp plans.
- Recorded discovery + demo calls.
- Sales battlecards for competitors.
- Objection handling scripts.
The goal: cut new AE ramp time from 9 months → 3–4 months.
6. Metrics That Prove Efficiency
At Series A, you celebrated any deal. At Series B, efficiency is king. The playbook must set clear KPIs:
- Pipeline coverage = 3–4× quota.
- Conversion rates by stage + segment.
- Win-rate benchmarks (cold vs warm vs partner-led).
- Ramp time for new hires.
- CAC payback period.
Tracking warm-intro vs cold deal efficiency (via Vieu) is especially valuable — warm GTN deals often close 2–3× faster.
How Vieu Fits into a Series B Playbook
At Series B, outbound CAC starts to balloon. SDRs burn time chasing cold accounts. Competitors fight for the same inbox.
That’s where Vieu’s Go-to-Network (GTN) motion becomes critical. The playbook should make GTN a core sales motion, not a side tactic:
- VieuGraph maps company-wide networks (employees, investors, customers).
- Warm paths surface automatically for SDRs + AEs.
- Pursuit plans guide reps on who to ask and how to frame intros.
- EBM (Executive-Based Marketing) turns warm intros into executive meetings.
By institutionalizing GTN, Series B companies:
- Lower CAC.
- Shorten deal cycles.
- Increase win rates in mid-market + enterprise.
Example Play: GTN-Led Enterprise Entry
Here’s how a Series B AE might use the playbook + Vieu:
- Territory includes “TechCorp,” a Fortune 500.
- Outbound cadence gets ignored → typical at this level.
- Vieu reveals 2 warm intro paths via customer champions + advisor.
- AE triggers GTN play → executive intro secured.
- Discovery + demo run with decision-maker, bypassing months of gatekeeping.
- Deal cycle cut from 9 months to 4.
This isn’t luck. It’s repeatable when GTN is codified into the playbook.
Common Mistakes at Series B
- Over-hiring before process. Headcount doesn’t replace structure.
- Treating enterprise like SMB. Playbooks must segment motions.
- Under-investing in enablement. Ramp time kills efficiency.
- Forgetting network scale. Relying only on cold outbound burns CAC.
- Static playbook. Your Series B playbook should evolve quarterly.
A Series B Sales Playbook is about scaling repeatability into efficiency. It aligns dozens of reps, drives consistent performance, and prevents runaway CAC.
The difference between companies that thrive at Series B and those that stall? The winners don’t just add more headcount — they operationalize their networks and build structure into every motion.
That’s where Vieu comes in. By making the Go-to-Network motion part of your Series B playbook, you equip your team with a scalable advantage: warm intros that convert, shorten cycles, and lower CAC.
Ready to build your Series B Sales Playbook? Book a demo with Vieu and see how GTN turns scale into efficiency.
