# Sales

> Guide founders through B2B sales from first deal to scalable sales engine. Use when a founder says "help me design my sales process", "how should I start selling this?", "write a cold email sequence", "create a demo script", "help me build a proposal", "how do I forecast my pipeline", "what CRM should I use", "SOW template", "sales playbook", or asks about outbound sales, closing deals, pipeline…

- **Type:** Skill
- **Install:** `agentstack add skill-samuelcastro-startup-skills-sales`
- **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior
- **Seller:** [samuelcastro](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/samuelcastro)
- **Installs:** 0
- **Category:** [Communication](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/communication)
- **Latest version:** 0.1.0
- **License:** MIT
- **Upstream author:** [samuelcastro](https://github.com/samuelcastro)
- **Source:** https://github.com/samuelcastro/startup-skills/tree/main/sales

## Install

```sh
agentstack add skill-samuelcastro-startup-skills-sales
```

Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent.

## About

# B2B Sales Skill

Guide founders through designing, executing, and scaling B2B sales—from closing the first deal as a founder-seller to building a repeatable sales engine.

## Reference Files

- `references/sales-process.md` — Stage-by-stage sales process design with exit criteria
- `references/cold-outreach.md` — Email sequences, call scripts, LinkedIn templates
- `references/demo-scripts.md` — Demo frameworks and objection handling
- `references/proposals-sow.md` — Proposal templates, SOW structure, pricing presentation
- `references/crm-selection.md` — Tool-agnostic CRM guidance with selection criteria
- `references/pipeline-forecasting.md` — Pipeline stages, metrics, forecasting models

## Workflow

### Step 1: Diagnose Stage & Sales Motion

Ask: "Where are you in your sales journey?"

| Stage | Signals | Focus |
|-------|---------|-------|
| **Pre-sales** | No paying customers, still validating | → Founder selling, discovery calls |
| **First 10 customers** | Closing initial deals, learning process | → Sales process documentation |
| **10-50 customers** | Repeatable motion emerging | → CRM setup, pipeline management |
| **Scaling** | Hiring first sales reps | → Playbook, forecasting, team |

**Sales Motion Selection:**

| Your Product | ACV Range | Recommended Motion |
|--------------|-----------|-------------------|
| Self-serve tool |  14 days)
3. Validate close dates and amounts
4. Update forecast (commit, best case, pipeline)
5. Identify gaps and plan outreach

## Decision Checkpoints

### When to Hire First Sales Rep

**Ready to hire when:**
- [ ] Founder has closed 10+ deals personally
- [ ] Sales cycle is understood and documented
- [ ] Win rate is > 20%
- [ ] Have 6+ months of pipeline data
- [ ] Can articulate what "good" looks like

**First hire profile:**
- Ideally: Previous startup experience at similar stage
- Avoid: Big company reps who need infrastructure
- Compensation: 50/50 base/commission typical for startups

### When to Add Sales Methodology

**Start simple, add complexity as needed:**

| Your Situation | Start With |
|----------------|------------|
|  $50K ACV, multiple stakeholders | MEDDIC |
| Selling change, not just software | Challenger principles |

## Deliverables

### 1. Sales Process Document
- Stages with clear exit criteria
- Key questions for each stage
- Required CRM updates
- Use `docx` skill for creation

### 2. Cold Outreach Sequence
- 4-email sequence with templates
- LinkedIn connection message
- Call script for voicemail
- Use `docx` skill for creation

### 3. Demo Script
- Discovery recap template
- Demo flow for 3-4 key features
- Objection handling cheat sheet
- Use `docx` skill for creation

### 4. Proposal Template
- Customizable Word template
- ROI calculator
- Use `docx` skill for creation

### 5. Pipeline Tracker
- Stage-based pipeline view
- Forecast roll-up
- Activity tracking
- Use `xlsx` skill for creation

### 6. CRM Recommendation
- Comparison of top options for their stage
- Implementation checklist
- Essential fields and stages

## Common Sales Mistakes

**Process Mistakes:**
1. **No defined stages** — Deals get stuck, no visibility
2. **Skipping discovery** — Demo without understanding pain = low close rate
3. **Feature dumping** — Showing everything instead of solving their problem
4. **No mutual action plan** — Hoping vs. driving deals forward
5. **Single-threaded** — Only one contact = deal dies when they leave

**Outreach Mistakes:**
1. **Too much "I/we"** — Make it about them, not you
2. **No personalization** — Generic = ignored
3. **Asking for too much** — "30 min call" vs. "quick question"
4. **Giving up too early** — Most responses come after 3+ touches
5. **No follow-up system** — Leads fall through cracks

**Forecasting Mistakes:**
1. **Hoping vs. knowing** — Commit only what you can defend
2. **Outdated close dates** — Update weekly or forecast is fiction
3. **Ignoring stuck deals** — If no activity for 2 weeks, it's not real
4. **Single best-case scenario** — Always have commit/best case/pipeline

## Integration with Other Skills

- Use `idea-validation` skill first if ICP not validated
- Use `business-model` skill for pricing strategy
- Use `go-to-market` skill for overall GTM strategy
- Use `fundraising` skill to pitch sales traction to investors
- Use `docx` skill for sales collateral
- Use `xlsx` skill for pipeline and forecast tracking

---

*Adapted from [Linas Beliūnas's](https://linas.substack.com/p/onepersonunicorn) **The One-Person Unicorn** founder skill set.*

## Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

- **Author:** [samuelcastro](https://github.com/samuelcastro)
- **Source:** [samuelcastro/startup-skills](https://github.com/samuelcastro/startup-skills)
- **License:** MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.

## Pricing

- **Free** — Free

## Security capabilities

Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access:

- **Network access:** no
- **Filesystem access:** no
- **Shell / process execution:** no
- **Environment & secrets:** no
- **Dynamic code execution:** no

*"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.*


## Versions

- **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source.

## Links

- Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-samuelcastro-startup-skills-sales
- Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/samuelcastro
- Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse

---
Listed on AgentStack — the marketplace for AI agent skills and MCP servers. Every listing is security-reviewed. Creators keep 70%.