Understand the main stages of the sales process
Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2025 4:31 am
A customer who seems like a perfect fit for your business solutions; the inability to move them forward in the sales funnel.
Does this scenario sound familiar to you? Then know that this "obstacle" that blocks the consumer's journey , preventing the purchase from being completed, may be in one of the stages of your sales process .
Especially in more complex negotiations, it is possible to detail each stage and adapt it according to the business plan. In fact, it can even be said that the success of a sales department is directly associated with the good execution of these phases . After all, in addition to having a qualified team, a company needs to organize how the team will operate.
Considering the relevance of the topic, we will answer the main questions related to the stages of the sales process in this post. Enjoy reading!
How important is it to develop a well-organized sales process?
Developing a well-designed sales process is essential because iceland mobile phone number its purpose is to guide — and serve as a guide — the entire sales force, detailing each action taken by customers and enabling the adaptation of generalist concepts to organizational strategies. All of this becomes much easier when there is a step-by-step guide to the beginning, middle and end of this path.
The reality is that, regardless of the area of activity, professionals who follow well-defined work processes tend to be more successful. Therefore, it is no different when it comes to the commercial segment.
Adopting structured methods "boosts" the results achieved by any sales team, allowing salespeople to organize their own routine, identify which page they are on with each potential buyer and avoid any setbacks when closing the deal. In addition, another advantage is the opportunity to establish a relationship based on trust with prospects , which brings more naturalness to the negotiation, since, in advance, there was a complete plan to reach the final stage.
This means that the conversion rate tends to increase, since each consumer is approached in a personalized manner, with the aim of identifying and meeting their needs . After all, when professionals see the best opportunities, the chances of closing a deal increase.
What are the steps in the sales process?
In general, the sales process is divided into eight stages, which are: prospecting, qualification, approach, presentation, proposal, negotiation, closing and after-sales. In this section, we will explain in depth how each one works.
1. Prospecting
Prospecting for new potential buyers can be one of the most complex stages of the sales process, as the team must be well prepared to interact with a variety of people to identify those who are interested in the solutions sold by the company. In this context, before starting this stage, a good practice to adopt is to collect some key data about the target audience, taking into account:
the factors that influence the purchasing decision;
the behavior and consumption habits of the market in which the enterprise operates;
the main pain points of customers, etc.
This way, it will be easier to select consumers who are the " perfect match " for your business. The idea, in fact, is to prospect those who have some connection with the company, using your customer portfolio, leads generated by the marketing department , recommendations from current buyers and more as a basis.
2. Qualification
After the prospecting stage is complete, the potential customer begins to be qualified in the pre-sale stage. At this stage, the sales team begins a kind of investigation into the needs of the leads, understanding in more depth how they can be met.
Qualification can also be done in advance by the marketing department using previously defined strategies. This is the time to conduct an initial survey — without the intention of selling yet. In other words, it is time to filter the list of leads and focus on the opportunities that seem most promising. A key tip at this stage is to use the SPIN technique, whose acronym includes:
situation , with open questions that allow you to assess the client's context and the situation they are trying to resolve;
problem , which uses more detailed questions that reveal specific problems to be solved by the buyer;
implication , the purpose of which is to discover the cause and consequence relationship, studying what will happen if the prospect does not resolve the obstacle;
need , which concerns what the customer needs to resolve the situation and how the company's solution can meet that need.
3. Approach
The approach is an essential step in the sales process , after all, it is the moment when the team tries to find out if the potential buyer is really ready to buy. In this case, the ideal is to try to answer some questions, such as:
Is the lead still showing interest in the solution?
Does he hold the purchasing decision power?
Does he have the financial resources to make the purchase?
Does the enterprise solution meet this client's needs?
Remember that, in this context, the type of language used, the gestures, the confidence conveyed and what is said are the details that form the basis for the approach, which can — and should — be personalized according to the peculiarities of each lead. Precisely for this reason, it is interesting to adapt the brand's communication to the target audience, considering their personality and preferences.
4. Presentation
At this stage, salespeople make a sales presentation to show prospects a little more about the company, the solutions offered to the market, and the advantages that can be perceived by closing the deal. Once again, personalization is important, and it is recommended to conduct this interaction taking into account the persona's pain points.
A good tip is to show successful business cases to make the presentation more convincing. In addition, at the end, it is recommended to make sure that the lead is still interested in following the process and can be taken to the next stage.
5. Proposal
If the sales presentation is successful — and the lead shows interest in what your company offers — the next step will be to prepare the sales proposal, which, in simple terms, is a document that describes in more detail the values, deadlines, features and other information about your solution. Some of the elements that cannot be left out are:
the supporting data;
the schedule;
the presentation of the solution;
the confidentiality term etc.
If the proposal is accepted, it is important to formalize it in a contract. This will ensure legal security for all parties involved.
6. Negotiation
Negotiation is the stage in which the terms, prices and other information presented in the commercial proposal are finally defined. In this context, something extremely important to ensure the security and success of negotiations is to establish a reservation point — which refers to the definition of the "least favorable" conditions that can be accepted for closing the purchase, such as the minimum price that can be charged for the solution sold.
In other words: don't "give up the game", but allow yourself to retreat as far as your objective allows, when necessary. In addition, avoid showing anxiety as much as possible and never give in without receiving something positive in return.
7. Closing
After the negotiation, it is time to close the deal. At this stage of the sales process, it is necessary to provide the customer with any additional information — such as the delivery date and shipping method — and briefly clarify what was agreed upon, so that there are no doubts.
A good tip, if at this stage the person still shows some hesitation and/or indecision, is to have a "final concession" reserved, as long as it is not something very important to you. This way, you will be able to add this detail to the initial agreement, creating a really tempting offer to close the sale.
8. After-sales
Believing that the sale ends at the closing stage is a mistake, since after-sales is the stage in which contact with the customer is maintained to solve any future problems. In fact, this is one of the most important phases for customer loyalty .
Furthermore, when done well, this step helps maintain a positive image of your company, encouraging customers to promote and recommend your solution. In this case, just remember to inform people that they will be served by other professionals, if that is the case.
We have seen that developing the stages of the sales process is essential to better structure commercial negotiations and that these phases can be carried out in a short period of time, allowing the team to be more agile and efficient in their activities. Furthermore, by implementing it, the chances of achieving previously established goals increase, since there is now a guide that guides the actions of salespeople, helping them to transform potential buyers into loyal customers.
Does this scenario sound familiar to you? Then know that this "obstacle" that blocks the consumer's journey , preventing the purchase from being completed, may be in one of the stages of your sales process .
Especially in more complex negotiations, it is possible to detail each stage and adapt it according to the business plan. In fact, it can even be said that the success of a sales department is directly associated with the good execution of these phases . After all, in addition to having a qualified team, a company needs to organize how the team will operate.
Considering the relevance of the topic, we will answer the main questions related to the stages of the sales process in this post. Enjoy reading!
How important is it to develop a well-organized sales process?
Developing a well-designed sales process is essential because iceland mobile phone number its purpose is to guide — and serve as a guide — the entire sales force, detailing each action taken by customers and enabling the adaptation of generalist concepts to organizational strategies. All of this becomes much easier when there is a step-by-step guide to the beginning, middle and end of this path.
The reality is that, regardless of the area of activity, professionals who follow well-defined work processes tend to be more successful. Therefore, it is no different when it comes to the commercial segment.
Adopting structured methods "boosts" the results achieved by any sales team, allowing salespeople to organize their own routine, identify which page they are on with each potential buyer and avoid any setbacks when closing the deal. In addition, another advantage is the opportunity to establish a relationship based on trust with prospects , which brings more naturalness to the negotiation, since, in advance, there was a complete plan to reach the final stage.
This means that the conversion rate tends to increase, since each consumer is approached in a personalized manner, with the aim of identifying and meeting their needs . After all, when professionals see the best opportunities, the chances of closing a deal increase.
What are the steps in the sales process?
In general, the sales process is divided into eight stages, which are: prospecting, qualification, approach, presentation, proposal, negotiation, closing and after-sales. In this section, we will explain in depth how each one works.
1. Prospecting
Prospecting for new potential buyers can be one of the most complex stages of the sales process, as the team must be well prepared to interact with a variety of people to identify those who are interested in the solutions sold by the company. In this context, before starting this stage, a good practice to adopt is to collect some key data about the target audience, taking into account:
the factors that influence the purchasing decision;
the behavior and consumption habits of the market in which the enterprise operates;
the main pain points of customers, etc.
This way, it will be easier to select consumers who are the " perfect match " for your business. The idea, in fact, is to prospect those who have some connection with the company, using your customer portfolio, leads generated by the marketing department , recommendations from current buyers and more as a basis.
2. Qualification
After the prospecting stage is complete, the potential customer begins to be qualified in the pre-sale stage. At this stage, the sales team begins a kind of investigation into the needs of the leads, understanding in more depth how they can be met.
Qualification can also be done in advance by the marketing department using previously defined strategies. This is the time to conduct an initial survey — without the intention of selling yet. In other words, it is time to filter the list of leads and focus on the opportunities that seem most promising. A key tip at this stage is to use the SPIN technique, whose acronym includes:
situation , with open questions that allow you to assess the client's context and the situation they are trying to resolve;
problem , which uses more detailed questions that reveal specific problems to be solved by the buyer;
implication , the purpose of which is to discover the cause and consequence relationship, studying what will happen if the prospect does not resolve the obstacle;
need , which concerns what the customer needs to resolve the situation and how the company's solution can meet that need.
3. Approach
The approach is an essential step in the sales process , after all, it is the moment when the team tries to find out if the potential buyer is really ready to buy. In this case, the ideal is to try to answer some questions, such as:
Is the lead still showing interest in the solution?
Does he hold the purchasing decision power?
Does he have the financial resources to make the purchase?
Does the enterprise solution meet this client's needs?
Remember that, in this context, the type of language used, the gestures, the confidence conveyed and what is said are the details that form the basis for the approach, which can — and should — be personalized according to the peculiarities of each lead. Precisely for this reason, it is interesting to adapt the brand's communication to the target audience, considering their personality and preferences.
4. Presentation
At this stage, salespeople make a sales presentation to show prospects a little more about the company, the solutions offered to the market, and the advantages that can be perceived by closing the deal. Once again, personalization is important, and it is recommended to conduct this interaction taking into account the persona's pain points.
A good tip is to show successful business cases to make the presentation more convincing. In addition, at the end, it is recommended to make sure that the lead is still interested in following the process and can be taken to the next stage.
5. Proposal
If the sales presentation is successful — and the lead shows interest in what your company offers — the next step will be to prepare the sales proposal, which, in simple terms, is a document that describes in more detail the values, deadlines, features and other information about your solution. Some of the elements that cannot be left out are:
the supporting data;
the schedule;
the presentation of the solution;
the confidentiality term etc.
If the proposal is accepted, it is important to formalize it in a contract. This will ensure legal security for all parties involved.
6. Negotiation
Negotiation is the stage in which the terms, prices and other information presented in the commercial proposal are finally defined. In this context, something extremely important to ensure the security and success of negotiations is to establish a reservation point — which refers to the definition of the "least favorable" conditions that can be accepted for closing the purchase, such as the minimum price that can be charged for the solution sold.
In other words: don't "give up the game", but allow yourself to retreat as far as your objective allows, when necessary. In addition, avoid showing anxiety as much as possible and never give in without receiving something positive in return.
7. Closing
After the negotiation, it is time to close the deal. At this stage of the sales process, it is necessary to provide the customer with any additional information — such as the delivery date and shipping method — and briefly clarify what was agreed upon, so that there are no doubts.
A good tip, if at this stage the person still shows some hesitation and/or indecision, is to have a "final concession" reserved, as long as it is not something very important to you. This way, you will be able to add this detail to the initial agreement, creating a really tempting offer to close the sale.
8. After-sales
Believing that the sale ends at the closing stage is a mistake, since after-sales is the stage in which contact with the customer is maintained to solve any future problems. In fact, this is one of the most important phases for customer loyalty .
Furthermore, when done well, this step helps maintain a positive image of your company, encouraging customers to promote and recommend your solution. In this case, just remember to inform people that they will be served by other professionals, if that is the case.
We have seen that developing the stages of the sales process is essential to better structure commercial negotiations and that these phases can be carried out in a short period of time, allowing the team to be more agile and efficient in their activities. Furthermore, by implementing it, the chances of achieving previously established goals increase, since there is now a guide that guides the actions of salespeople, helping them to transform potential buyers into loyal customers.