Scott’s thoughts on the Sales Process

Sales Process, Sales Process , Sale Process! When asked what one of the biggest factors in having a successful CRM implementation I always respond Sales Process. Sales is not some magical gift that you are born with , its hard work and a repeatable process that makes sales. I think that if you speak with any good sales person they will tell you that they have a process that they follow to move the prospects closer to sale. This process can typically be broken down into stages for example : Stage 1 meet with the client, qualify determine their needs. Stage 2 develop a solution and build a vision , Stage 3 and so on…..This is where a CRM product becomes very powerful, you can build these stages in the system and create automated workflow to remind the salesperson of the next task or step in the sales process. This will keep them on track and following the correct process. Another process you can roll into your sales process would be to have verifiable outcomes at each of the stages to prove that the sale has moved to the correct sales stage. From a Owners or Sales Managers perspective this also gives the ability to measure and forecast your sales based on the process you are following. Effectively measuring each potential sale at each stage, often referred to as a sales pipeline. So if you’re thinking about implementing a CRM product for tracking your sales be sure to have a well thought out sale process. – Scott