Sales Team Operating Principles

The Sales Team Operating Principles define how FlowFuse sales team members conduct themselves in internal and external interactions. These principles create consistency, set expectations, and support a high-performing sales organization.

Purpose

These principles outline the professional behaviors, standards, and habits required to represent FlowFuse effectively. They apply to all Sales team members and complement related pages in the Sales Handbook, including Discovery, Follow-Up, SPICED, and CRM Requirements.

Professional Presence

Sales team members represent FlowFuse at all times. Expectations:

• Join meetings from a professional, quiet, and distraction-free environment
• Ensure stable internet and high-quality audio
• Keep cameras on for customer-facing meetings unless the customer prefers otherwise
• Maintain a focused presence, avoiding multitasking or unrelated work
• Present a professional appearance consistent with the meeting audience

Punctuality and Preparation

Being prepared and on time reflects professionalism and respect:

• Arrive 3–5 minutes early to all calls
• Test audio and video before joining
• Have all required content ready: presentation, demo, documents, pricing ranges, links
• Confirm the meeting agenda at the start of the call

Meeting Preparedness

Every meeting requires clear preparation and shared expectations. Sales team members:

• Review previous call notes, Fathom transcripts, HubSpot activity, and prior correspondence
• Research the company, use case, buyer personas, and relevant industry context
• Identify known pains, buying stage, and expected outcomes
• Send an agenda to internal participants before the meeting
• When appropriate, send a brief agenda to external participants
• Ensure internal participants understand roles and talking points
• Prepare and test all demo environments, data, or assets required
• Develop tailored questions that reflect knowledge of the account and prior conversations

Meeting and Call Excellence

Sales calls follow the standards outlined in the Sales Methodology:

• Use Fathom Notetaker for all customer calls
• Follow the SPICED discovery framework
• Validate understanding during and at the end of the meeting
• Avoid over-committing or speculating on product delivery
• Loop in Solution Engineering, Product, or Customer Success early when support is needed
• Maintain a calm, confident, advisory tone throughout

Follow-Through and Responsiveness

Timely follow-up maintains momentum and demonstrates reliability:

• Send a same-day follow-up email after every meeting

  • Key takeaways
  • How FlowFuse can help
  • Agreed next steps
  • Any materials promised during the call

• Update HubSpot immediately with notes, next steps, stakeholders, and tasks

• Respond to all customer messages within one business day

• Create tasks for internal teams when support is required

Internal Collaboration

Sales operates as a single team. Expectations:

• Ask for help early to avoid delays later in the cycle
• Use shared Slack channels for visibility
• Provide full context when requesting assistance from other teams
• Share common objections, patterns, and discoveries with Sales leadership
• Use internal communication tools consistently and transparently

Data Hygiene and Operational Discipline

Accurate CRM and process discipline ensure high-quality forecasting and customer experience:

• Keep HubSpot records accurate, complete, and up to date
• Log meetings and communications the same day
• Move deals through stages only when exit criteria are met
• Document next steps clearly, with ownership and timing
• Store pricing proposals, order forms, and documents correctly and consistently

Professional Ethics and Conduct

Sales team members uphold FlowFuse’s values and maintain customer trust:

• Represent product capabilities and pricing with accuracy
• Maintain confidentiality and follow NDA requirements
• Escalate concerns, risks, or misaligned expectations immediately
• Treat customers, partners, and colleagues with professionalism and respect
• Avoid behaviors that could damage FlowFuse’s reputation

Continuous Improvement

FlowFuse sales culture emphasizes learning, growth, and refinement:

• Participate actively in call reviews and team training
• Regularly self-review calls and opportunities
• Stay current on product releases, industrial trends, and competitive landscape
• Identify personal improvement areas and work on them consistently

Accountability

These principles guide expectations for professional conduct. Sales leadership reinforces them through:

• Coaching
• Performance reviews
• Pipeline reviews
• Deal inspections
• Feedback sessions

The goal is consistency, excellence, and trust.