9 questions and answers about the sales process

Making your company grow requires some effort and considerable investment. However, all that energy and capital invested in the growth of your company, through the effective management of marketing strategies and technologies that automate processes, will be in vain if you do not have a defined business strategy, directed by the design of a process of sales also effective.

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A sales process is a roadmap carried out step by step and framed in a systematized business strategy, whose purpose is to carry out the sales of your company. Thanks to the sales process, you can define how your sales representatives are organized to achieve the goals.

The goal of the sales process itself is not simply to generate more sales but to increase the flow of customers through the systematization of the stages of said process. That is why focusing only on the results instead of the process that leads to them is a serious mistake;  however, many companies make this mistake when they are very eager to grow in the market quickly.

In this article, we have compiled 9 questions with their answers regarding the sales process, to eradicate all your doubts that you have surely raised at some point.

Why is it necessary to design your sales process?

The most important thing when designing a company's sales process is not to lose focus. Trying to cover more than what is possible can doom us to failure, as well as limit the growth of the company by reducing investment costs in technologies and staff training, so keeping an objective and realistic look can help you achieve the goal.

How long can a sales process take?

There is no specific standard of the necessary time that a sales process should last to be successful, since it depends on several factors, among them, the time availability of the potential client, the previous work of the exploratory meeting, investigation of the problem, analysis of the case, commercial proposal, and to this, we must add the time it takes for the lead to accept the proposal and decide to make a purchase.

In our experience, a typical sales process can take from 30 to 45 days, but this figure could vary depending on the factors mentioned above.

Something to keep in mind is that the more interested the potential customer is, the faster the sales process will be executed and you will achieve the desired sale, but to achieve that, you have to be very convincing in your proposal and show permanent interest in the needs of your customer.

3. How to measure the performance of your process?

The best way to establish a performance metric for your sales process is by setting commercial management indicators. In this way, you can obtain data from the management of your sales representatives on the deals that they manage to close, how long they do it and how much is the value of the sales.

4. How to get feedback from your customers?

This is more or less about generating love at first sight. Although it may seem like an exaggeration, customers value how they are treated, the words that sellers use to convey the commercial proposal, and their ability to actively listen to the needs of prospects and customers. Strengthen the bond with potential customers and real customers by resorting to empathy and security.

5. How far to bureaucratize your sales process?

Sometimes as much as you try to bureaucratize the sales process making it look as formalized as possible, seeking contact with the customer through strictly business channels, such as through an email or a phone call; there will also be times when your customers or prospects themselves ask you for a more informal talk from a platform such as WhatsApp (Spanish only).

In these cases, the sales representatives must, above all, give in to the requirements of their clients in those cases in which it facilitates the interaction between the commercial agent and the customer, and, therefore, help the sales process end in sales.

6. How rigid can your business process be?

Continuing with the previous question, rigidity of the commercial process is understood as the fact of adhering to a plan, an immovable structure, even if the context requires leaving that structure. However, in our experience, assuming this position is not a smart decision, since in a relatively long process that takes several stages to expect everything to happen as you planned it is, at best, naive.

It's better to plan a general structure of your sales process with the tasks you must carry out but in a flexible way. Remember that your customers and prospects are also busy people like you and if you remain closed-minded about their needs, they won't hesitate to look elsewhere for what they need.

7. How to implement your process successfully?

Your sales process should be clear and easy to understand, as well as make efficient use of time. Some points to keep in mind are the following:

• Define sales goals.
• Optimize an updated database.
• Demonstrate results based on real events that promote the credibility of your client.
• Analyze and monitor your progress.
• Stay positive and open to corrections and recommendations.
  
  

8. How often should you review your business process?

You must review your sales process periodically, to observe its progress, and based on it, adjust it according to the needs that arise. To do this, it is essential that you consult each change with your team and that you also inform your customers or leads when you introduce a change that directly influences the purchase decision.

9. What parts of the business process should be automated and what parts should not?

You should automate those tasks that represent a waste of time for your sellers, such as manual data uploads and repetitive tasks. Achieving this will allow you to use the time in your favor to do other activities that generate more value, such as dedicating more time to a commercial proposal or strengthening the bond with your customers and prospects.

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These were the questions and answers around the sales process that you have surely asked yourself and maybe you were not sure if you were doing things correctly. Now, you know it and you have the power to improve it to assure the success of your company.