Sales can often feel like a moving target, especially when you’re running a small business with limited time and resources. One day, you’re closing deals with ease, and the next, you’re wondering why potential clients are not responding to you anymore.
If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. You’re not doing anything wrong per se, but there might be something missing in your strategy, like a clear, repeatable sales process. Think of it as your step-by-step game plan to turn curious prospects into loyal customers. It helps you stay focused, track what’s working, and give your customers a consistent experience that builds trust.
In this article, we’ll walk you through five simple but powerful steps to create a sales process that works for your business.
What is a sales process?
A sales process is a framework that guides how you turn potential customers (called leads) into actual buyers. Let’s say you’re running a small business that sells custom kitchen supplies. You and your team likely follow a few key steps, like talking to leads, showing off your products, and answering questions, which all lead to landing a sale. That is a sales process at work, and it mainly runs on consistency to get the ball rolling for your business.
Why is a sales process so important?
As a small business owner, having a sales process is vital to growing your company, as it gives you structure, clarity, and control over how you sell. Instead of guessing what to do next with each potential customer, you have a clear path to follow. That means less stress, fewer missed opportunities, and better results. Remember, time and resources are limited, so you can’t afford to waste effort on trial and error.
What are the 7 stages of the selling process?
1. Prospecting
Prospecting is the start of the sales process, which is finding potential customers who may need your products or services. You can scout leads through social media, cold calls and emails, referrals, and networking events. The main goal is to identify people worth reaching out to.
2. Making contact
Once you’ve found your prospects, it’s time to contact them. This could be through a phone call, an email, a DM, or a friendly chat at a local place or event. Your first contact should be warm, helpful, and focused on learning about them. This means that you shouldn’t tell them your sales pitch right away, since that may discourage them from talking to you again.
3. Qualifying the prospect
Now it’s time to figure out if they’re a good fit. Do they have a real need for your products or services? Can they afford it? Are they ready to make a decision soon? This stage helps you avoid wasting time on leads that aren’t likely to convert.
4. Nurturing the prospect
Not everyone buys right away, and that’s okay. This step is about staying in touch and building trust. You might share helpful tips, send them updates, or check in from time to time. You’re keeping the relationship warm until they’re ready to move forward.
5. Solution presentation
When the time feels right, you show them exactly how your product or service solves their issue. This could be a demo, a proposal, or a simple conversation. The key is to focus on them and how your offer makes their life easier, better, or more efficient.
6. Objection handling
It’s totally normal for people to have concerns or questions. Maybe they’re worried about the price, timing, or results. Your job here is to listen carefully and respond with confidence. Often, just being honest and clear is enough to ease their doubts.
7. Closing
This is the last yet exciting part: when they say “yes”! You send over the contract, take the payment, or book the service. Make this step as smooth and simple as possible. And don’t forget: even after the sale, great follow-up can lead to referrals, repeat business, and long-term success.
How to build your own sales process workflow
1. Define your sales objectives
Before you can get anyone to buy from you, you need to know what you’re trying to achieve. Are you aiming for a certain number of new customers each month? Do you want more repeat purchases? Get specific and realistic about your goals, as this gives you and your team a clear target to hit.
2. Create buyer personas
A buyer persona is a fictional representation of your target audience. They help you learn about your customers’ needs, challenges, and what will make them agree to buy your products or services. When you know exactly who you’re talking to, you can tailor your pitch, messaging, and offers to enrich customer relationships and close deals faster.
3. Map the customer journey with the sales process
Every sale is like a story that begins when a customer first discovers your business and ends when they decide to buy. By mapping out this journey, you can see each step a potential customer takes, from finding out about your product to weighing their options and finally making a decision. Once you have this clear roadmap, it’s much easier to spot where your sales process could be smoother, faster, or more effective.
4. Outline and document your sales playbook
A sales playbook is a handy guidebook for your team, as it includes your company’s sales process, best practices, and other relevant procedures. Think of it as your team’s cheat sheet for finding leads, handling calls, following up, and closing deals. Having this all written down is a game-changer when training new hires or helping your current team sharpen their skills.
5. Leverage the right customer relationship management tools
You don’t have to keep all this in your head (or on sticky notes). A good CRM (customer relationship management) tool helps you track leads, follow up on time, and see where every deal stands at a glance. Another important thing you should consider is integrating AI into your sales plans, as it can help expand your research, analyze data, and gain insights to improve your strategies.
Tips to improve the sales process
Sell solutions, not features
Whenever people buy a product, it’s because they think it could do something for them. Instead of listing features, focus on how these features can help in solving a problem. For instance, don’t just say that a pan is nonstick; describe how it can help cook healthier meals. When you speak in terms of benefits, you connect with what your customer cares about.
Always evaluate performance against concrete metrics
You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Set clear metrics to track how well your process is working, like the time it takes to close a sale and the average number of deals made in a month. Regularly reviewing these numbers helps you see what’s working and what’s not, so you can make changes before problems arise.
Periodically update target buyer personas
Your customers’ preferences change over time, so you should also update your buyer personas. There are various reasons for these changes, including current trends and new challenges that didn’t exist some time prior. Take time every few months to revisit, research, and revise your personas to ensure they still reflect who you’re selling to.
Use automation to speed up repetitive tasks
Time is essential, especially for small businesses. Automate the simple tasks, like scheduling appointments, creating follow-up emails, and setting meeting reminders. AI tools can do a lot of the heavy lifting, so you can focus on communicating with leads and closing deals.
Take discovery calls from unlikely customers
Sometimes, you will meet your prospect where you least expect them to be. Even if you’re skeptical, take those discovery calls, as they might surprise you with an urgent need, a bigger budget, or a referral to someone in their network.
Invest in training, especially in soft skills
Sales isn’t just about revenue, it’s about giving a good customer experience. According to a study, 73% of people list customer experience as an important factor for their purchasing decisions. It’s important to sharpen your team’s skills in soft skills like active listening, empathy, and handling objections gracefully, as they’re essential in building trust and relationships.
Keep sales calls concise
Not all customers have the time to listen to your sales pitch for hours. A focused, efficient sales call shows you value their schedule while still concisely getting your message across. Have a plan, hit the important points, ask thoughtful questions, and wrap it up with clear steps.
Never underestimate following up
Most deals don’t close on the first try. Following up is where a lot of sales actually happen. Don’t be afraid to check in, send that reminder, or ask if they have any questions. People are busy and appreciate the extra step taken. Consistent, respectful follow-up shows you’re serious, keeps you top of mind, and often gets you the deal when someone else gives up.
Simplify the sales process with better customer relationship management
Now that you’ve learned how to build an effective sales process for your small business, it’s time to improve it with better customer relationship management tools. That’s exactly what Bookipi is here for. We’re more than just software; we’re your partner in keeping your business organized and your sales flowing.
With Bookipi, you can:
- Create contracts
- Build your website
- Manage your sales pipeline
- Generate and send invoices
- Collect secure digital signatures
- And utilize a wide range of tools that are tailored to both big and small businesses alike.
Give Bookipi a try today and see how simple it can be to run your business efficiently.
