Your job
Make sure the sales team is ready and confident to sell Vela AI before launch. Your job is to close the gap between "we built it" and "we can sell it effectively".
What you need to deliver
This is guidance to help structure your thinking — not a strict checklist. Focus on what matters most for a realistic plan.
1. What does the sales team need to learn?
List the knowledge and skills gaps. They've never sold AI before. What does that mean in practice?
Example: How Vela AI works (demo fluency), how to handle "we already use Gong", how to sell to a VP Sales vs. a sales rep
2. What training or content will you create?
Be realistic about what one person can build in 8 weeks. Choose the highest-impact 2–3 assets.
Example: Demo script, objection handling cheat sheet, 1-page product overview for prospects
3. How do you handle objections?
What will buyers push back on? Prepare 3 realistic objections and responses.
Example: "We already use Gong" → "Vela is built for smaller teams — more affordable, easier to adopt, no enterprise overhead"
4. How do you certify reps are ready?
What does "sales-ready" look like? How do you verify it before Week 6?
Example: Each rep runs a mock demo with a manager. Passes when they can handle 3 objections confidently.
5. What happens after launch?
Training is not a one-time event. What does ongoing support look like?
Example: Bi-weekly call review sessions, updated battle cards as new objections emerge
Your constraints
- Sales team starts selling at Week 6 — training must be complete before then
- The product is still being built until Week 3 — you're training on a moving target
- You are likely working alone — choose impact over volume
- Sales reps have existing customers to manage — training competes for their time
Who to talk to
- Sales: What are they most nervous about? What do they need to feel confident?
- Product: What is the simplest way to explain what Vela AI does? What is the "wow" moment?
- Marketing: What messaging are you using? Enablement content should match it.
- Partnerships: Do partner teams also need training materials?
Watch out for
- "We'll do a training day" — when? on what? measured how?
- Creating a 50-slide deck that no one will read
- Building training before the product is stable enough to train on
- No plan to check whether reps are actually ready before they go live
You have 60 minutes. Go talk to other teams now.