No-Nonsense Examples of Foolproof CRM Sales Processes
Defining a sales process is both an art and a science. Or, should I say…a science, then an art.
Good sales processes are both simple and comprehensive. They are easy to understand and also easy to scale. Scaleable sales processes are one of the most critical components of building a scalable company.
Here are a few examples of foolproof CRM sales processes:
Generic Sales Process or DNA Selling Process
This sales process was coined as the “DNA Selling Process” in a book by the same name by Patrick Henry Hansen. It is an excellent sales process to use for most companies, and can also be used as a starting point template for developing a more custom version for your business.
Stage Name |
Description |
Your Version: |
| Suspect | People who might want to buy your product. What common needs or attributes to these people have? |
? |
| Prospect | They want to work with you. They have answered an inquiry that you sent out, or they have come to your website and indicated that they may want to work with you. |
? |
| Qualified Prospect |
They expressed an interest in working with you, AND you have an interest in working with them. You have determined that they are a prospect who meets a minimum qualification level. |
? |
| Solutions Design |
If you have a complex sale, you may need to put together a proposal. Some industries may have configurations. |
? |
| Hot/Quote Sent |
You have given them a proposal or quote and are waiting to hear back or negotiating with them. |
? |
| Pending | You have received a written or verbal commitment to buy.
|
? |
| Closed-Won | The sale is finalized. | ? |
In addition to the sales stages above, it is helpful to have the following 3 variations of “Dead Lead”. Each of these can help give distinct insights into where your sales process is failing if you dig into your data.
| Dead | Bad Lead, Not Qualified. | |
| Hold | No longer forecasted. | |
| Lost | Lost sale to competitor, or no decision. |
Lastly, you’re going to want to forecast your leads’ statuses:
Forecast Status |
Description |
|
| Empty | Anything between new lead and forecasted sale | |
| Forecasted | A sale that is forecasted | |
| Not Forecasted | Because | |
| Closed Won | Is this lead likely to close? If so, why? | |
| Closed Lost | Or is the lead likely to be lost? Again, pinpoint why. |
