Sales Stage Workflow–A Sample

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Sales stage workflow reflects the best sales practices of a company’s sales “rainmakers”. It identifies both the major stages of the sales cycle and the activities that need to be accomplished within each stage; i.e., the sales process. Often a company will identify multiple workflows that differ by product, market or opportunity type. The sales stage workflow is often referred to as the sales checklist. Not unlike a pilot’s checklist that insures that even the most experienced and seasoned pilot covers all the bases. The workflow or checklist insures consistency and discipline across the entire sales team, significantly improves the quality and accuracy of the forecast, and provides guidance to the sales professional on what the top performers do to win business. Below is a sample checklist that could be used as a starting point for the development of a company’s sales process.

Prospect Stage:
? Prospect fits our target customer criteria
? Prospect’s vision and key operating goals documented
? First contact made (phone, letter, email, or personal)
? Potential opportunity identified
? Initial meeting scheduled and confirmed

Qualified Stage:
? Written Sales Call Plan completed for initial meeting
? Agenda and preliminary information sent to prospect
? Initial meeting completed
? Need-to-buy confirmed – prospect is a real opportunity for us
? Decision making process participants and roles identified
? Problem owner identified
? Potential Inside Sales Person (ISP), sponsor, identified
? Prospect agrees to follow-on meeting

Discovery Stage:
? Buying Issues and Decision Criteria identified and prioritized
? Competition and competitive strengths and weaknesses identified
? Allies, Enemies and Neutrals identified
? Decision making process charted and confirmed with our ISP
? Our team agrees on our proposed solution and presentation strategy
? Project funding identified

Developed Stage:
? Prospect agrees to contact/visit our reference customers
? Proposed solution presented to prospect
? All prospect’s issues and questions captured
? Preliminary business case (ROI & Payback) completed
? Implementation plan and resource plan completed
? Pricing, implementation & resource plan approved by our management

Proposed Stage:
? All prospect’s issues and questions resolved
? Final proposal completed and submitted to prospect
? Proposal review meeting completed with prospect
? Legal contracts submitted to prospect’s legal department
? Decision date confirmed with prospect

Closed Stage:
? Order received and accepted
? Signed contracts received and accepted
? Implementation initiated
? Invoice sent to customer
? Revenue booked and credited this month
? Won-Loss report completed
? Customer satisfaction confirmed
? Customer agrees to be a reference site

Mike Ehrensberger
Sales Force Systems, LLC
Since 1995 Mike Ehrensberger has concentrated on sales performance and effectiveness training and tools with Sales Force Systems. Earlier, he spent 1 years with Teradata Corporation in sales management and customer support management positions.

1 COMMENT

  1. Very good info, thank you. We have found at that as data is flowing through sales stages, and reported, salesteams can improve dramatically. Data like sales stage durations, times, potential dollars at each sales stage are easily understood. Training can now focus on improving efficiency across the salesteam including channels.

    Good Selling,
    Jim Romano
    CEO DataForceCRM
    http://www.dataforcecrm.com

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