BRX Pro Tip: 4 Elements of a Useful B2B Playbook
Stone Payton: Welcome back to Business RadioX Pro Tips. Stone Payton and Lee Kantor here with you. Lee, I have become more and more enamored with the mental imagery of a playbook to help me run the network business, but also the local studio here. What are you learning about crafting a B2B playbook?
Lee Kantor: Yeah. I think it’s so important for anybody who has a professional service business to have playbooks in a variety of areas. But when you have those playbooks, it’s important that they kind of check four boxes.
Lee Kantor: And the four elements of a useful B2B playbook are, number one, they have to include customizable templates for common tasks and communication. Anybody in your community, they’re hungry for this type of information where they don’t have to create a wheel. They’re counting on you to create some wheels that will help them be more effective and efficient. So, you should be working on creating customizable templates for a variety of things, including emails, social media engagement, how to talk on LinkedIn. Some customizable templates for common tasks and communications is critical, and that should be part of your playbook.
Lee Kantor: Second is there should be some sort of a digital academy or knowledge library that’s regularly updated with the latest information. Capturing best practices is one of the values you’re bringing. This is where, again, they don’t have to create a wheel. They’re learning from other people in the community, and they can go somewhere where all this stuff is available, and they can learn, and they can pick and choose what works for them, and they can try different things that have already been kind of tested and proven within your systems already. So, having some sort of a digital academy or library is critical for anybody who’s trying to build a community like this.
Lee Kantor: Another thing is workflow automation tools that make team members work easier and more productive. Part of your job as a leader of a community like this is to be testing what type of automation tools are out there, and which ones are going to work in your system that will make life easier for everybody else.
Lee Kantor: And now with AI and things like that, you know, how can you make the life easier for all of your members and community partners. And you should be testing and learning and being on the cutting edge of this, because, again, they’re too busy running their business. They’re too busy doing the work in their community. They’re counting on you to be the expert in this area and provide value in areas and test and try things that a lot of them aren’t going to be effective. So, this way, they don’t have to waste the money on it. You’re wasting the money on it. And you’re testing these things because it’s important for everybody to find the right tool to help them achieve what they’re trying to do at the end of the day, and that’s why they’re part of your community.
Lee Kantor: And lastly is some design elements. You have to have visual elements. You should have flow charts and diagrams that make communication clearer, more engaging, and easier to understand. You’ve got to really be able to create that clarity and simplicity so they can take whatever you’re giving them and use that as if it’s theirs. Again, you’re doing some of this heavy lifting for them because that’s why they’re paying to be part of your community.
Lee Kantor: So, I think those are four elements of useful B2B playbooks.
