Custom Playbooks allow you to create your own conversation frameworks tailored to your specific business methodology. Instead of using Aircall's predefined frameworks (SPICED, BANT, MEDDIC, PACTT), you can build playbooks with your own criteria, questions, and conversation flow.
Custom Playbooks are user-defined conversation guides that you create to match your company's unique sales methodology. You define the criteria, set specific conversation topics, and create tailored questions that guide agents through your preferred conversation flow during calls.
Key Difference: While Aircall provides standard playbooks based on established methodologies, Custom Playbooks let you build frameworks from scratch or modify existing ones to fit your exact business needs.
Why Create Custom Playbooks?
Custom Playbooks are essential when:
- Standard frameworks don't fit your business methodology
- Industry-specific criteria are needed for your conversations
- Company processes require unique qualification steps
- Existing methodologies need modification for your market
How to Create Custom Playbooks
Step 1: Access Custom Playbook Creation
- Go to AI Assist in the main navigation
- Click Live Assist tab and then choose Playbooks
- Click Create custom playbook button
Step 2: Set Up Basic Information
- Name: Enter a descriptive name for your playbook (e.g., "Enterprise B2B Process")
- Language: Select the language this playbook will use (English, French, German, Spanish)
- Click Create
Step 3: Build Your Framework
Once created, you'll see the Playbook editor with an empty framework ready for customization.
Adding Custom Criteria
Click Add criterion to start building your methodology. You have two options for each criterion:
Option A: Start with Predefined Criteria
- Click Add criterion
- Select Choose a default criterion
- Browse available predefined options:
- Situation - Current environment and context
- Impact - Business effect assessment
- Critical Event - Urgency and deadlines
- Budget - Financial qualification
- Authority - Decision-maker identification
- Need - Problem identification
- Timing - Implementation timeline
- Metrics - Success measurement
- Economic Buyer - Budget holder identification
- Decision Criteria - Evaluation factors
- Decision Process - Approval workflow
- And more...
- Option to Create custom from predefined criterion to modify existing templates
Option B: Create Completely Custom Criteria
- Click Add criterion
- Choose Create new custom criterion
- New criterion: Enter the name for this conversation topic
- Agent script: Write guidance text that agents will see during calls
- Conversation Insights: Choose how to capture information:
- Paragraph: Free-form detailed text capture
- Yes/No answer: Binary qualification responses
- What do you want to validate?: Define the specific question or information to gather
- Click Add criterion
Building Effective Custom Criteria
Example Custom Criterion
Criterion Name: "Integration Requirements"Agent Script: "Understand the prospect's current tech stack, integration needs, and technical decision-makers. Assess complexity and potential roadblocks for implementation."Format: ParagraphValidation Question: "What systems need to integrate and who makes technical decisions?"
Conversation Insights Formats
Paragraph Format:
- Best for complex topics requiring detailed notes
- Captures nuanced information and context
- Ideal for discovery and needs assessment sections
Yes/No Format:
- Perfect for qualification checkpoints
- Binary decisions and go/no-go criteria
Managing Your Custom Playbook
Adding Multiple Criteria
- Continue clicking Add criterion to build your complete methodology
- Mix predefined and custom criteria as needed
- Build a logical flow from discovery to qualification to next steps
Organizing Criteria
- Logical sequence: Arrange criteria in conversation order
- 3-8 criteria recommended: Keep playbooks manageable for agents
- There is a limit of 10 criteria per playbook
Example Custom Playbook Structure
- Current Solution (Custom) - What they use today
- Pain Points (Predefined) - Problems with current approach
- Success Metrics (Custom) - How they measure success
- Technical Requirements (Custom) - Integration and tech needs
- Decision Timeline (Predefined - Timing) - Implementation schedule
- Budget Authority (Predefined - Authority) - Who approves purchase
Using Custom Playbooks
Assignment to Phone Numbers
- Once created, custom playbooks appear in the Playbook dropdown for all phone numbers
- Assign them like standard playbooks: Numbers > Settings > Live assistant > Playbook dropdown
- Different numbers can use different custom playbooks based on purpose
Agent Experience
On call Experience
- Same interface as standard playbooks during calls
- Custom criteria appear in sequential order in the Live Assist panel
- AI tracks progress through your custom conversation flow during the call
To see your custom playbook during a call, click in the Live Assist button to open the panel.
End of call Experience
- Structured summaries are generated in the end of the call based on your specific criteria
- Edit the generated playbook summary with any information you consider missing and those changes will be saved.
FAQs
Q: Can I edit custom playbooks after creating them?
Yes, you can modify custom playbooks at any time. Changes apply to all phone numbers using that playbook. If you add or remove new criteria to a playbook, this change will be reflected only in future calls, the historical data will not be changed.
Q: How many custom playbooks can I create?
There's no limit on the number of custom playbooks you can create.
Q: Can I copy or duplicate existing custom playbooks?
Currently, you need to create each custom playbook from scratch, but you can use predefined criteria as starting points.