What is the Sales Process?

The sales process is a multi-stage, organized approach to closing sales. It

provides sales teams with a playbook, or a general formula, for how they
should go about making sales for their company.
The sales process is a set of repeatable steps that a sales team can take to
bring a prospective customer from the initial stages of awareness of a product
or service to a closed sales.
The sales process provides sales teams with a structured roadmap to
efficiently and effectively close deals. Each company’s sales process will differ
based on their business, industry, market, and product/service.
Sales process management is the process of creating a structured and
repeatable set of steps that a salesperson or sales team follows to move
prospects through the sales funnel and ultimately close deals.
The Typical Stages of the Sales Process
In this course, we will mostly discuss B2B sales processes, which tend to be
longer and more involved. Below is a typical step-by-step B2B sales process.

A B2B chain starting with Prospecting, and then Qualifying, Presenting,

Closing and ending with Customer Success
Meet the Team
Let's meet a few characters who will help us make sense of the sales process in greater
detail.

Ahmed is a restaurant manager for Alexandria city, Egypt, one of a popular fast food restaurant
called Quicken My Chicken. He loves his job, but recently has been feeling stressed because he
found out that his usual food distributor is going out of business, and he will no longer have a
reliable connection to chicken and other necessities for his region of restaurants.
He’s looking for a (fast!) solution to his problem so that he can continue selling delicious chicken
meals. Maha, Mohammed, Reema, and Nour all work for a food distribution company called
Yum2Go. Soon, Ahmed will meet the Yum2Go team.
Ahmed the
Customer

Maha the Mohammed the Reema the Nour the

Marketing Associate Sales Development Account Executive Customer Success
Representative Manager
Stage 1: Prospecting

To sell anything, you first need customers to whom you’d like to sell. So, let’s
start with leads.

a lead is an individual or organization with an expressed interest in what you

are selling. A lead is simply another way of referring to an interested or
potentially interested customer.

Prospecting, sometimes referred to as lead generation, is the process of

identifying potential customers.

The outcomes are the first understanding of the prospect and the verification
of any opportunity in place
 Stage 1: Prospecting

Leads can be generated either by a marketing or sales department, or even both,

depending on the company. There are two types of leads:
● Inbound leads are leads that come directly to a business and express their
interest. An inbound lead might express interest in a company through
behaviors like visiting the company’s website and downloading an eBook from
them, subscribing to their blog, or signing up for more information. All of these
activities provide the business with the lead's contact information. “Lead-In”
● Outbound leads are leads that businesses seek out and reach out to in order
to sell to them. This is often done through cold calling. Businesses can also
buy “lead lists” which are simply lists of leads and their contact information
that are sold by third parties.
Stage 1: Prospecting - methods
There are a variety of methods that can be used for prospecting, including:
Cold-calling: This involves calling potential customers who have not expressed
interest in the product or service before. While cold-calling can be challenging, it can
also be an effective way to introduce the product or service to new prospects.
Email marketing: Email marketing involves sending targeted emails to potential
customers who have expressed interest in the product or service, or who have
subscribed to a newsletter or mailing list.
Networking events: Attending networking events can be a great way to meet new
people and make connections in the industry. This can be particularly effective for
B2B sales, where relationships are important.
Social media: Social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook can be
used to identify potential customers and engage with them. This can involve sharing
content, commenting on posts, and reaching out to prospects directly.
Stage 1: Prospecting - methods
● “Cold leads,” people who know nothing about our company/proposal, and
people who have already expressed some interest in us.
 Let's Walk Through an Example

Ahmed the Customer has five Quicken My Chicken

restaurants to manage in Alexandria, and he is looking for a
reliable food distribution service to supply his stores with
high quality, organic chicken. Ahmed goes online and does
some research about different services that might help him.
One service, Yum2Go, stands out to Ahmed, so he signs up
for Yum2Go’s email list to request more information about
their food distribution services. Ahmed the
Customer
Maha the Marketing Associate, who works at Yum2Go, has
access to the list of people who have signed up for Yum2Go’s
email list. Maha collects Ahmed’s email, and since Ahmed
reached out to Yum2Go first, he is identified as an inbound
lead by Maha the Marketing Associate.
Maha the
Marketing Associate
Stage 2: Qualifying - Discovering Opportunities

Qualifying is the second step in the sales process, and it involves determining whether a
lead is a good fit for the product or service being offered.

The goal of qualifying is to avoid wasting time and resources on leads that are
unlikely to become customers, and instead focus on leads that are most likely to make a
purchase.

Once a marketing team has done a simple round of qualifying leads, these leads are
considered to be Sales qualified leads (SQLs). These leads are now ready to move
into the next phase of the sales process.
Stage 2: Qualifying – BANT Criteria/1
Qualifying involves several key methods, including:

Assessing the lead's budget: The salesperson should have a good

understanding of the lead's budget and financial situation. This will help them to
determine whether the lead has the resources to make a purchase, and whether
the product or service is priced appropriately.

Assessing the lead's decision-making authority: The salesperson should

also try to understand the lead's decision-making process, including who has the
authority to make a purchasing decision. This will help them to tailor their pitch
and approach to the lead's specific decision-making process.
Stage 2: Qualifying – BANT Criteria/1
Understanding the lead's pain points “Need”: The salesperson should also
try to understand the lead's specific pain points and challenges. This might
involve asking questions about their current processes or systems, and
identifying areas where the salesperson's product or service can provide a
solution. “CALL”
● What are your specific requirements for this product/service?
● How does our product/service address your needs?
● What problems are you trying to solve with this purchase?

Understanding the lead's Timeline: helps salesperson determine the urgency

of the prospect's need for the product or service and how quickly they need to
take action. By understanding the prospect's timeline, salesperson can better
prioritize his efforts and take appropriate actions to move the sales process
forward.
Stage 2: Qualifying – MEDDICC framework/1
M - Metrics: This refers to the specific goals or objectives that the customer is
trying to achieve. The salesperson needs to understand these metrics in order to
determine whether or not their solution can help the customer achieve them.

Example: The customer is looking to reduce their customer support costs by

25% and increase customer satisfaction ratings by 10%.

E - Economic Buyer: This refers to the person or people who have the authority
to make purchasing decisions. The salesperson needs to identify these
individuals and understand their needs and priorities.

Example: The customer identifies the Head of Customer Support as the

economic buyer.
Stage 2: Qualifying – MEDDICC framework/2
D - Decision Criteria: This refers to the specific factors that the customer will
use to make a purchasing decision. The salesperson needs to understand these
criteria and ensure that their solution meets them.
Example: The customer is looking for a chatbot service that is easy to use, can
handle high volumes of customer inquiries, integrates with their existing CRM
system, and provides detailed analytics and reporting.
D - Decision Process: This refers to the steps that the customer will take to
make a purchasing decision. The salesperson needs to understand this process
in order to navigate it effectively.
Example: The customer will be evaluating three different chatbot service
providers, and the decision will be made by a committee of stakeholders,
including the Head of Customer Support, the Head of IT, and the CEO.
Stage 2: Qualifying – MEDDICC framework/3
I - Identify Pain: This refers to the specific problems or challenges that the
customer is facing. The salesperson needs to understand these pain points in
order to position their solution as a valuable solution.
Example: The customer is experiencing high volumes of customer inquiries,
which is leading to long wait times and a high workload for their customer
support team.

C - Champion: This refers to the person within the customer organization who is
most supportive of the salesperson's solution. The salesperson needs to identify
this person and work closely with them to navigate the decision-making process.
Example: The Head of Customer Support is the most supportive of your chatbot
service and is willing to champion your solution to the rest of the committee.
Stage 2: Qualifying – MEDDICC framework/4
I - Identify Pain: This refers to the specific problems or challenges that the
customer is facing. The salesperson needs to understand these pain points in
order to position their solution as a valuable solution.
Example: The customer is experiencing high volumes of customer inquiries,
which is leading to long wait times and a high workload for their customer
support team.

C - Champion: This refers to the person within the customer organization who is
most supportive of the salesperson's solution. The salesperson needs to identify
this person and work closely with them to navigate the decision-making process.
Example: The Head of Customer Support is the most supportive of your chatbot
service and is willing to champion your solution to the rest of the committee.
Stage 2: Qualifying – MEDDICC framework/5
C - Competition: This refers to the other solutions that the customer may be
considering. The salesperson needs to understand these solutions in order to
position their own solution effectively.

Example: two other chatbot service providers are being considered by the
customer.
Stage 2: Qualifying
Businesses should say “NO” to potential clients!!
it is important to be aware of problems that can arise by engaging wrong clients,
no business can in fact really feel good about the action of saying “NO” to clients
hence to get rid of opportunities. while it is important to qualify prospects
and ensure that they are a good fit for the business

Here are some examples of when it might be appropriate to decline a potential

client:
● The client doesn't meet your ideal customer profile: If the client's needs
and budget don't align with your ideal customer profile, it may not be worth
pursuing the opportunity. This can be particularly important if pursuing the
opportunity would divert resources away from more promising opportunities.
Stage 2: Qualifying
● The client has unrealistic expectations: If the client is expecting you to
deliver results that are beyond what is realistically possible, it may be best to
decline the opportunity. This can help avoid a situation where the client is
dissatisfied with the results and damages your reputation.

● The client is unresponsive or uncommunicative: If the client is slow to

respond to your communications or seems uninterested in the opportunity, it
may not be worth investing further time and resources in pursuing the
opportunity.
 Let's Walk Through an Example

Since Ahmed was previously qualified by Maha the

Marketing Associate as a marketing qualified lead, his
contact information is given to Mohammed the Sales
Development Representative who also works at Yum2Go.
Mohammed sends a short email to Ahmed asking him about
what he is looking for in a food distribution company to see if
Ahmed qualifies as a likely customer.

Ahmed responds to Mohammed that he is looking for a Ahmed the

service that is able to make deliveries 3 times per week at Customer
their five different Alexandria restaurant locations with
quality, organic chicken.

This description matches what Yum2Go’s services offer, so

Mohammed marks Ahmed as a prospect since he is a
good fit for the product and is very likely to make a deal Mohammed
with them. The Sales Development
Representative
Stage 3: Presenting

During the presenting stage, salespeople need to present the product or service in a way
that solves an issue that the customer is facing. In this stage (it may happen across
multiple meetings), salespeople will schedule presentations and demos, conduct
additional research on stakeholders to prepare, and will develop specific
recommendations for how the product or service can be used.

In this stage, salespeople will also handle objections or hesitations that prospects
have about the deal. Prospects might be hesitant to commit for a number of reasons,
even if they’re interested in a product or service — for example, price, timing, and
general fear of change. It’s the AE’s job to address all of the prospect’s concerns by
demonstrating the value of the product or service, as well as what the risk or cost might
be if the prospect chooses not to buy.
 Let's Walk Through an Example
Since Ahmed is considered a prospect and is very likely to purchase
Yum2Go’s services, Mohammed the Sales Development
Representative sets up a meeting between Ahmed and Reema the
Account Executive. In this meeting, Reema gives Ahmed an overview
of how Yum2Go’s services work. Reema also talks with Ahmed about
how Yum2Go’s services would specifically address the needs that he
has working at Quicken My Chicken.

Ahmed receives a lot of useful information in his meeting with Reema,

so he tells her that he needs to have a conversation with the rest of his Ahmed the
operations team at Quicken My Chicken to see if Yum2Go is a service Customer
that their restaurant chain would like to partner with to fulfill their
food distribution needs.

After talking with his company, Quicken My Chicken, Ahmed has a

few follow-up questions about Yum2Go’s services and delivery
timeline that he needs answered before he is willing to partner with
Reema the
them. Ahmed and Reema have another phone call where Reema is
Account Executive
able to answer all of Ahmed questions and address all of his
concerns.
Stage 4: Closing

The closing stage captures everything that needs to be done in the end stages of a sale
to get a prospect to sign a contract and become a customer.

In this stage, the AE will get the decisions from the client on whether they will be moving
forward with the sale or not.

During this stage, an AE might deliver a formal proposal based on verbally agreed-
upon terms, make final negotiations on the price, and otherwise continue to clear
roadblocks with the prospect until the prospect is ready to sign and become a
customer.
Stage 4: Closing

The AE is typically responsible for all the selling from here: they will present the product
or service to the prospect, conduct demos and follow up calls, handle any objections or
hesitations, and close the deal once the prospect has decided to purchase. AEs are the
most involved team member with the sales process. They primarily work in the
presenting and closing stages of the sales process.
 Let's Walk Through an Example

Reema follows up with Ahmed after their last phone call to

see if he has made a decision about partnering with
Yum2Go.

Ahmed the
Ahmed has decided to move forward with the partnership, Customer
and he completes the sign-up process with Reema to start
a food distribution deal with Yum2Go.

Reema the
Account Executive
Stage 5: Customer Success
In the customer success stage of the sales process, businesses must provide
post-sale support so that customers continue to want to buy from the business
and so that they are encouraged to refer the business to other potential
customers.

Often, once a contract is signed and the prospect has turned into a customer,
the AE will hand off the customer to a customer success manager (or CSM) to
co-manage the rest of the relationship. The CSM will support onboarding the
new customer to the product or service, will continually check in on the
customer’s needs to help configure the product or service to best meet
those needs, and will proactively nurture the relationship and follow up with
the customer as needed.
 Let's Walk Through an Example

Since Ahmed has decided to partner with Yum2Go, Nour, a customer

success manager at Yum2Go, emails Ahmed offering her help to set
up the chicken distribution schedule and onboard Ahmed to their
services.

Ahmed and Nour have one call to make sure that Yum2Go is able to Ahmed the
deliver chicken to all five of Ahmed’s restaurants in the right time Customer
frame and to orient Ahmed to the additional services Yum2Go offers.

Nour tells Ahmed to email or call her if he has any questions, and
that she will check in with him in a month to make sure that
everything is operating as it should. Nour the
Customer Success
Manager
But how does this all
matter to CRM?
The Sales Process & CRMs
As you learned, CRM systems help companies track all information related to
their customers and their customer relationships, so of course CRMs are an
immensely helpful tool for sales teams to log all information related to
customer information, meetings, proposals, negotiations, and more!

The role of a CRM tool in sales is to support, guide and measure salespeople's
daily efforts in the management of deals and the people behind them. The
logic of the CRM as a marketing strategy is to enable the organization in its
mission in the market; planning the use of the digital tool very often implies the
organization rethinks its way to sell, define, and declare how its policies can fit
into the strategy, create guidance and a behavior control not to punish, but to
learn and improve.
How Are Sales Teams Organized?

Sales managers typically oversee a salesforce, providing

them with guidance and discipline. They are often
responsible for evaluating the performance of a sales team,
reporting on their forecasted sales, and tracking overall sales
metrics for their team.

They interact with each of the other roles that have been
Sami introduced, and they work across the stages of the sales
process.
How Are Sales Teams Organized?
Some common tasks that a sales manager may be responsible for:

Managing the Sales Team: The sales manager is responsible for managing
the sales team and ensuring that they are working effectively to meet sales
targets. This includes setting individual performance targets, monitoring
performance, and providing feedback.

Analyzing Sales Data: The sales manager analyzes sales data to identify
trends and areas for improvement. This includes analyzing customer feedback,
sales reports, and market research data.

Building and Maintaining Relationships: The sales manager builds and

maintains relationships with key customers, partners, and stakeholders.
How Are Sales Teams Organized?

Setting Sales Targets: The sales manager sets the sales targets for the team
and ensures that they are aligned with the overall goals of the company.

Developing Sales Strategies: The sales manager develops sales strategies

that are aligned with the company's overall strategy and sales targets. This
includes identifying target markets, setting pricing strategies, and determining
sales channels.

Hiring and Training Salespeople: The sales manager is responsible for hiring
new salespeople and ensuring that they are trained and onboarded effectively.
How Does the Sales
Process Vary Based on
Company and Products?
Example: Early Stage Delivery Service
Consider an early stage B2C delivery service company. Imagine
this company is less than 6 months old. Their service is
centered around fast delivery for all kinds of items that can be
ordered online, like groceries, electronics, books, and more.
They want to sell to consumers, rather than businesses, because
their company focuses on smaller delivery orders.

Since this company is so young, they are probably looking to

build their customer base. They are likely to be less selective
about who they offer their services to because they want to get
their business off the ground. This company might have a
longer and more robust prospecting stage because they want to
reach out to lots of potential clients to build awareness for their
service.
Example: Nonprofit Advertising
Service
Now consider the example of an advertising agency that only does
advertising work for nonprofits aligned with the agency’s mission.
Perhaps they prefer to work with nonprofits like health
organizations that offer free clinical services. Maybe they prefer
clients like international development organizations that create
educational programming for women in developing countries.

An agency like this sells their advertising services to clients, but

they are selective about who they want to do business with. Their
sales process might have a longer qualifying stage to make sure
they are partnering with the right kinds of clients.
Example: Project Management Software
Company with Lots of Product Features
One more example: consider a B2B software company that sells
project management products to companies to help them organize
their teams’ tasks and manage their workflows. A product like this
might have many different features and possible customizations.
Maybe it can be set up to send notifications to a manager every time
a task is completed by a team member. Or maybe it can be configured
so each team member can only view their tasks and deadlines and no
one else’s.

With a complex product like this, the company might have a longer
Presenting stage in their sales process because their account
executives might have to conduct more product demos for their
prospects or maybe even offer them a trial period to try out the
product before closing the deal.
Sales Process Vary Based on Company and Products

Sales processes can vary significantly based on the company and products
being sold. Here are some key points to consider:

● Length of the Sales Cycle: Some products require a longer sales cycle
due to their complexity, price, or the decision-making process of the
customer. This can impact the sales process, as it may require more
touchpoints or a different approach.

● Sales Team Structure: Different companies may have different structures

for their sales teams, such as inside sales, outside sales, or a
combination of both. This can affect how the sales process is executed and
the resources available to the sales team.
Sales Process Vary Based on Company and Products/2
● Target Audience: The target audience for a product can vary greatly
between companies. For example, a B2B company may focus on selling to
specific industries, while a B2C company may have a broader target
audience. This can impact how the sales team approaches potential
customers and the messaging used in the sales process.

● Product Complexity: Products with complex features or applications may

require a more consultative sales process, where the salesperson needs to
provide guidance and educate the customer on the product. This can
involve more in-depth conversations and product demonstrations.