Effective Sales Process: Definition and Stages
Sales process - definition
A sales process is a series of repeatable steps taken by a sales team to lead a potential client from the initial stages of the sale to closing it.
A sales process must not be confused with a sales methodology:
The sales process defines a series of actions meant to initiate and support the identification and qualification of potential clients, launch sales activities and carry them out successfully. A sales methodology, in turn, is a set of sales methods and techniques that support the sales process at its various stages.
Why is the sales process so important?
It makes it easier to determine which sales activities actually bring results and which do not work.
A properly defined sales process can be compared to a map for the salesperson - it lets you pinpoint where you currently are from a sales perspective, which direction to take next and how to adjust your actions to reach the goal: closing the sale.
It helps identify the causes of sales stagnation - insufficient or poorly chosen actions, or bad timing.
It makes sales forecasting easier. Since the sales process is built from repeatable steps, analyzing them gives detailed insight into the sales team's work: how many leads converted into clients, how many sales were closed? On that basis you can predict the results your team will achieve.
It shortens the onboarding of new employees. It clearly defines what each stage of the sale requires, what results are expected and what best practices make them achievable.
Building a sales process - step by step
The benefits of a properly built sales process have surely encouraged you to look at the topic in more detail. But what does it mean that a sales process is built properly? And how do you do it? Contrary to appearances, it is not that hard!
You must start building your sales process by looking at how your sales team works today. Analyze the last 5-10 closed sales in detail: note how long the whole process and its individual stages took, what actions were taken at each stage and what results they brought. The questions of particular interest are:
how leads were acquired
how many attempts it took to make first contact
how first contact with the potential client was made (email, phone)
whether follow-ups were used (and how)
how individual salespeople presented the company's product or service to the potential client (phone, video call, meeting, etc.)
how long closing the sale takes
what the reasons for lost sales were
whether contact with the client continued after the sale and in what form? If not - why?
what sales support tools the salespeople use, and with what results?
what metrics are used to measure the effectiveness of sales activities?
Why is this so important? The emerging sales process should reflect the way sales activities have been conducted so far. This way, salespeople will adopt the new solution quickly and painlessly, while seeing its sense and usefulness.
That is not all, though. You must also determine what your client's buying process looks like. Your sales process will be effective when it accounts for the client's needs at each stage and adjusts the actions accordingly. So analyze what steps clients take to buy your product or service. Define their needs, the goals they want to achieve and the places where they encounter your brand. On that basis you will choose the right actions to lead the client to the next stages of the sale.
What stages does a sales process consist of?
Prospecting
Prospecting means searching for clients. Its goal is to identify and select potential clients. On that basis, you build a database of people to contact with the intention of converting potential clients into actual ones.
As part of prospecting:
take part in industry events
engage in networking
identify decision-makers
Identifying needs
You have built a database of potential clients. Although they belong to a defined target group, remember that even within it the needs of individual people will differ slightly - their motivations for choosing your product or service will vary, as will the goals they want to achieve with it.
At this stage you must research your potential clients thoroughly - to better understand their needs and offer them the best-fitting solution.
As part of identifying needs:
try social media monitoring
do research on social media
identify potential clients' challenges and learn how your product can solve them
Making contact
Time to contact your potential clients. This is a key moment - you can only make a first impression once, and you want it to be the best possible. At this stage you must present yourself and position your solution as the best fit for their needs and requirements. You must convince them that working with you is worth it.
First contact can take different forms - phone, email or social media, e.g. LinkedIn.
As part of making contact:
before the conversation, check the potential client's social media profile - look for information that may be useful during the call
make sure you are talking to decision-makers
Product presentation
From the first general contact we move on to more detailed conversations. The presentation of your product or service must be strictly personalized - an individually tailored solution to the prospect's problem. If your solution is a service, the best way to show potential clients how it works is a demo where they are guided through the system step by step.
As part of the product presentation:
present and explain the product's features
discuss how the product is implemented and used
explain how the product solves the potential client's problems
offer a trial account
Sellizer will help you better understand the client's needs and, as a result, deliver a presentation that covers everything that matters to them. Use it to send your proposal, and when you receive a notification that the client has opened it, check its statistics and see what interested them most. This information will greatly improve your contact with the client - call and use it during the conversation to keep it focused on their needs.
Handling objections
Client doubts will always appear. Even when your product or service seems to be the best solution for them. There are many reasons - from reluctance to spend money, through fear of change, to no perceived need for change. Some will be general, others considered in detail from the perspective of their business. To make handling them easier, write down the ones that come up most often. Then, next to each one, note the ways to resolve it and keep that document in front of you during the conversation. You will be prepared and feel more confident! What works well in dispelling client objections? Presenting the value of your product/service and highlighting the costs or risks of walking away from the purchase.
As part of handling client objections:
listen to your clients carefully to identify all their objections
make sure you understand the reasons behind the objections
remember about follow-ups after the conversation
Closing the sale
Closing the sale means reaching a mutual agreement on the price and terms of cooperation. However, signing the contract does not mean you can rest on your laurels. You must make sure the product or service was delivered as agreed and meets the client's needs, and that the client uses your solution and sees its value. That is why after-sales care is so important.
As part of closing the sale:
assign account managers who will stay in constant contact with clients to solve emerging problems on an ongoing basis
collect recommendations from satisfied clients - this will increase your credibility and prove the effectiveness of your work
Not using a defined sales process yet? High time to change that! Use the tips above and sell more effectively.