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Why is it important to document your sales process?

If you’re a sales professional, you probably know firsthand how challenging it can be to convert a potential lead into a customer. How successful your business becomes depends significantly on the number of leads you can handle within your pipeline and the satisfied customers you convert.

Sales representatives are usually in charge of getting information about your customers' needs and wants as well as interacting with them to convince them of your product's value. They are also responsible for developing long-term relationships with these customers to drive repeat business and cross-selling opportunities.

This is precisely why it is so important to document your sales process. This is necessary, so you can provide your salespeople with the proper tools, data, and knowledge to take advantage of every sales opportunity.

13 steps to include in your sales process documentation

Before you jump in, we have compiled a list of steps to successfully document your sales process.

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1. Title: This describes the aim of the document. It should be kept short and concise.

2. Executive Summary of the business sales process: Provide a brief summary of your business sales process. Also, discuss your company’s goal and vision.

3. Potential Leads: Next, you will provide detailed information on your targeted leads. This is important as it informs your salespeople how to generate leads and move them along the sales process.  

4. Lead Qualification: In this step, you will research your leads and qualify them based on some set parameters. After this, you will determine the key decision-makers, communicate with them, and plan a meeting. Categorise the needs of your leads, discuss issues and close the sale.

5. Prospects Outreach: Provide details of how your salespeople connect with leads. This could be cold calling or reaching out via direct message on LinkedIn.

6. User Needs: Provide details on how your team researches your prospect’s needs and challenges faced. This information can be compiled from your current customers and your support personnel.

7. Solutions: Explain how they can present their solutions to the prospects. You can gather data on the best ways to do this by reviewing customer behaviour and frequently asked questions.

8. Follow-up: Explain and describe the best ways your salespeople can follow up with your prospects and customers. This step is essential for faster closing of sales.

9. Dealing with Objections: Provide various methods of dealing with prospects and customer objections. This can include compiling pre-made answers to frequent objections your business handles.

10. Handling other issues: Walk them through steps of how to deal with other matters related to sales closure. Also, discuss how they can communicate with other departments.

11. Closing Sales: Describe your preferred method of closing a sale and how to convert leads to customers. We suggest creating template scripts of closing techniques your team can use to help them win new business.

12. Product Delivery: Provide the steps taken to deliver the product or service. This is a crucial step to ensure a quick and smooth onboarding experience.

13. Upselling Customers: Provide steps on how to upsell your current clients. That is, get them to purchase a product of higher value or more products.

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