BLOG POST

How To Build A Sales Process That Actually Works

Reading Time: 7 min read
How To Build A Sales Process That Actually Works blog hero image
There was a company that sold strong, unbreakable glass. For many years, they had one top-performing salesperson who consistently crushed their revenue goals. At a company meeting, they asked him, “What’s your secret? How do you sell so much more than everyone else?”
He said his pitch involved going into a prospect’s home with two glasses – a regular one and the unbreakable glass they sold. First, he’d put the regular glass on a table and smash it with a hammer. Glass will go all over the floor. Then, he’d take the unbreakable glass and smash it too, but it wouldn’t break at all. After showing this, the salesperson would simply give the customer an order form to fill out.
Ryan Tracy tells this story, and this “wow moment” of smashing the glasses is what made that salesperson so successful year after year. It was a unique way of selling that their competitors didn’t do. And that’s a big problem for many businesses – their way of selling is just like their competitors. There’s nothing special about it.

The truth is that you need a good, defined way of selling to grow sales. But your process should also make things simpler, not more complicated. An effective B2B sales process takes out the guesswork so you can focus on closing more deals. Below, we’ll give you tips on how to build a sales process that will help you move the needle for your business.

Tip 1: Keeping It Simple Is Better

Do you know what’s worse than not having a defined way of selling? Having one that’s so complicated that no one uses it. A process with too many steps and people passing deals around is a sure way for sales to get stuck or lost.
The best sales process is simple and easy to follow. They have a small number of distinct stages. As a rule, the fewer stages the better. Each stage should represent an important shift in the sales process, not just minor changes. There should be no confusion about what actions lead to each stage.
A simple, clean sales process can look like this:

Tip 2: Define Clear Entry & Exit Criteria

Since each stage represents a real shift in status, you need to clearly explain the requirements to enter and exit that stage. These are essentially the “rules” that dictate when a lead advances to the next step of the process.
  • The entry requirements define what actions a lead needs to take to move into that stage of the sales process.
  • The exit requirements establish what needs to happen for them to progress beyond that stage.

Both requirements should be straightforward things you can easily check. There should never be two stages where it’s unclear which one the lead should go into next.

For the “MQL” stage, the entry requirement is just having a meeting booked on the calendar. That’s it. Now, how does the lead exit that stage? The exit requirement is attending that meeting.
See how clear and simple that is? Now, what stage they go into next depends on the entry rules for that next stage.

Tip 3: Reduce Unnecessary Friction As Much As Possible

In any sales process, there should be very little friction. There’s nothing that will sabotage your sales process more than unnecessary roadblocks.

Now, what does ‘friction’ mean? It’s whenever the customer has to do a lot of work on their own.

Deals get stuck when the buyer has to jump through many hoops and put in a lot of effort. Your process should make it as easy as possible for prospects to keep moving forward through the stages.
Friction can happen when a prospect has to sign up for a free trial and start using it themselves. In this case, it might be better to get the prospect to sign up during your first call with them. Send them the link, get them on the platform, and show them around a little. Get that momentum going.
Anytime you require a prospect to take an extra step, ask yourself if it’s needed. Do they need to start a free trial before you can discuss the next step? Or can you just skip that friction point?
FiveRings Marketing quote that reads The more work you can do for your prospects at each stage of the sales process, the smoother the process will be.
For example, if you need a prospect’s data to give a full demo, don’t make them go find it. Have sample data ready so you can do that part of the demo without stopping. Little changes like this reduce the chances for deals to get stuck.

On the flip side, it’s okay to add some purposeful friction when it’s helpful. We intentionally add a stage to provide more value that makes us different. But the extra work is minimal since we handle most of it.

The main point – Anything you can do for your prospects instead of them, then do it. Do as much work as you can for them. Keep that momentum going when you already have their attention.

Tip 4: Map Activities to Stages

Your sales process should outline the sales activities for each stage, not just the stages themselves. It shouldn’t just have stages and then say ‘go’. You need to plan out activities like, what steps will you take after this stage? What happens after your discovery call?

Let’s say you’ve sent your prospect a proposal so your prospect’s in the “Proposal” stage. But at the same time, is there anything else besides the proposal that needs to be happening in this particular stage? Any conversations that should also be taking place?
For any given stage, you need to plan out the key sales activities, conversations, resources, etc. that move that opportunity along. What is the goal and purpose of each stage? What context, collateral, or follow-up is required.
Maybe the “Demo” stage involves an initial walkthrough of your product’s top features. But it could also include activities like addressing objections, bringing in subject matter experts, or mapping out a plan.
You have to provide structure to your process. Your sales team should know exactly what to do to progress a deal at any given point.

Tip 5: Find A Differentiator In Your Sales Process

FiveRings Marketing quote that reads Stand out by selling differently, don't just copy how your competition does it. Study their tactics and come up with something unique.

Here’s where most sales processes fall short – they mimic what their competition is doing rather than standing out.

If your process feels completely detached from your unique value prop and way of selling, you’re missing a HUGE opportunity. You’ve got to differentiate how you sell compared to how your competitors sell.

Study your competitors. Then find smart ways to make your sales process different from theirs. Maybe at some point, you can have your company’s leaders meet the leaders from the company you’re trying to sell to. Like your CEO joining a call with their CEO. That would make your process stand out.

Or maybe you’re able to give them a much better experience overall. Provide value and useful insights throughout the process that they can use, even if they don’t end up buying from you. Another idea is doing a very high-quality assessment of their needs or showing them the value they’d get, as part of evaluating if you’re a good fit.
Make sure whatever you do showcases that you think strategically and provide real value. That will make you different from companies that just quickly jump into their regular sales pitch.

Tip 6: Introduce "Wow" Moments

Have you considered adding real “wow” moments that capture your prospects’ attention? Too many sales processes are boring. They’re way too predictable and fail to emotionally engage people.
Get creative and find ways to surprise your prospects throughout the process.
Show them something thought-provoking, impressive or just plain cool.
Give them an experience they won’t get from your competitors.
Come up with things that will create an emotional reaction, something that will shock or excite them in a good way when they aren’t expecting it.
It could be something simple like sharing an interesting fact or success story that makes them see their situation differently. Or maybe bring in a visual or interactive demo that they didn’t expect to see. Add in little surprises whenever it makes sense.
For example, if you sell a cybersecurity product, you could show them some vulnerabilities in their systems. Doing something like that would get their attention and make your sales process memorable.
What we’re trying to say here is to delight your prospects with surprises and unexpected moments. That will make your process stand out compared to your competition.
Is there a shock factor you could potentially introduce?

How To Build A Sales Process: The Bottom Line

The main point is that your sales process should provide a simple framework for moving opportunities forward in a step-by-step way. By making it less complicated and ensuring it fits your business, you avoid dropping any potential sales and increase efficiency.
Was this guide on how to build a sales process helpful for you? If so, we’d love to share more tips to help you get more sales.
At our agency, we help B2B companies like yours build a predictable sales process that consistently gets you meetings booked and drives sales. Our customized approach focuses on reducing friction, adding value, and creating surprising “wow” moments that make you stand out.

If you need help optimizing your sales process for better results, we’d be happy to help. Just reach out to us, and our team can look at how you sell now and create a new process for you. Set up a time here to discuss how we can improve your sales!

Scroll to Top

Welcome To

FiveRings Marketing - Helping B2B Tech Companies Go To Market

Login to the client portal to view your dashboards and reporting statistics.

FiveRings Marketing - Helping to grow your b2b sales

Your go-to revenue partner for B2B tech companies