Build the first sales system
See this course’s project requirements
A business practice packet: a customer-problem brief, one-page offer, validation record and justified decision, setup checklist, outreach plan, and operating scorecard. Use the supplied fictional café case or clearly identified permitted real evidence. A supported proceed, revise, or stop decision is a complete learning result.
Keep your working files in your own notebook or software. Save a private description, checklist, and work link in My Proof.
What to include
- A problem brief with classified source notes, a customer-problem statement citing at least two notes, one counterexample or evidence gap, and a useful follow-up question. Use the four supplied fictional notes or clearly identified real evidence you have permission to use.
- Draft a one-page offer with customer, result, scope, exclusions, price, timeline, and next step. Identify assumptions separately from supported facts.
- A validation record showing the test, the decision rule chosen beforehand, classified observed results, and a justified decision to proceed, revise, or stop. Include a limitation and one bounded next test. Use the supplied practice case or clearly identified real-world evidence.
- Draft a setup checklist naming requirements to verify, responsible official sources or support, status, and next actions. Keep unresolved items marked pending.
- Build a sales-process plan with a sample prospect list, outreach draft, stages, and dated follow-ups. Use fictional records for practice.
- Create an operating scorecard with costs, capacity, cash timing, and review dates. Label assumptions and explain one decision using sample results.
Review and revise
Use these criteria to check your work and choose what to improve.
- Claims can be traced to source notes. Fictional inputs, reported behavior, opinions, assumptions, and missing evidence are distinguished.
- The problem and offer fit the customer situation supported by the notes and acknowledge counterevidence.
- The original decision rule is applied accurately. A justified negative finding or revise/stop decision meets the criterion.
- The next test changes one defined element, sets a rule in advance, and names resource limits.
- Plans are internally consistent and record unresolved checks honestly. Assessment depends on reasoning and the work produced, not sales or outside approval.
Want more background?
The idea in everyday life
Early sales should be small enough to run manually and structured enough to learn from. Define a prospect list, message, call-to-action, follow-up schedule, and stage definitions. Measure conversations and commitments, not social impressions.
Sales is diagnosis plus a clear decision path, not pressure.
One step at a time.
Use the sample or information you have permission to use. Keep your work as you go. You can pause between steps.
- 1
Use three fictional café records from the supplied notes to draft a small prospect list. Record the evidence for fit and identify one channel to investigate.
- 2
Write a short outreach or content sequence that names the problem, offers useful proof, and asks for one next step.
- 3
Plan a discovery call: a conversation to understand a possible customer. Ask about their situation, problem, its effects, desired result, whether you can help, your offer, and their decision.
- 4
Assign the sample records clear stages and draft a follow-up with a specific reason, date, and action. Keep planned outreach distinct from messages actually sent.
See how it works.
Priya uses N1, N2, and N3 as fictional prospect records, marking N3 as not currently qualified, with no outreach planned, because its existing system works. She drafts an outreach message and follow-up dates. Planned contact is separate from the supplied test results; she never marks a draft as sent.
Did you cover these?
- Each record has an evidence-based fit decision; counterexamples are retained without treating them as qualified prospects.
- The outreach references observable relevance rather than fake personalization.
- Every open opportunity has one owner and next date.
What to finish
A sales-process plan with three fictional prospect records, an outreach draft, a discovery outline, and a dated follow-up sequence.
Watch for this
Trying five channels at once and learning too little from each.
How can I tell I understand it?
You can calculate the supplied test’s 2-of-10 reservation rate, distinguish each stage, and explain what you would investigate next.
Quick knowledge check
Answer all 3 questions. Get at least 2 right and the lesson completes automatically.
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Pass the check. We’ll save the progress.
Answer all 3 questions above and get at least 2 right. You can review the explanations and try again.
Go to the knowledge checkOptional course overview video · same video as Lesson 1
An Introduction to the SBA
From U.S. Small Business Administration. Watch here or open it on YouTube .
Connect the SBA support network to a concrete selling task: customer research, a mentor review of the offer, or preparation for a lender—not vague networking.Tools, templates, and lesson sources
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Sources and further reading
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