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Marketing work is only the beginning of sales success, it is there where the leads will be captured and then passed on to the sales team to make the magic happen. But what happens when it doesn't? It is possible that the work of both departments is isolated and everyone goes their own way.
To rectify this it is necessary to create or refine your sales development process, which will allow your leads to go from cold to warm and guide the right prospects to the final purchase.
A complete sales process includes the following steps.
- Prospecting
- Connection and qualification
- Research
- Presentation
- Handling objections
- Close
Each of these steps is crucial for a positive sales outcome, since a potential customer who is interested in your brand will not necessarily be ready to buy.
By effectively completing each stage, your team will know exactly which prospect and when to offer the product or service. This will make closing the deal much easier.
>>How to build a sales process for your team? Guide for Sales Managers and Directors
According to HubSpot, 40 % of sales representatives say prospecting is the most challenging aspect of a sales process, followed by closing with 36 %, and qualification with 22 %.
That's why it's important that every component of your process is strategically designed.
5 essential components of every sales development process
Here is a list of 5 elements that cannot be missing in a strategically designed sales development process.
1. A CRM that supports the workflow
According to Inc, a properly integrated CRM system can improve your customer service by 50%, and generate a return on investment of $2.5 to $5.6 for every dollar invested.
With this software, your sales team will collect useful information from your customers to perform prospecting activities. It will also demonstrate whether the methods used are being effective and which prospects are ready to move to the next level of the sales process.
2. A robust lead qualification system
It is important to define the processes that will indicate at what point a lead becomes a prospect, and when he is ready to close the sale.
When your salespeople approach an unqualified lead, valuable time is wasted and a potential customer could also be lost. In fact, this is how 67% of sales are lost.
The sales process should be carefully established in a playbook, so that it can be followed by your teams quickly and effectively, and avoid bypassing the stages of the buyer's journey.
101 sales qualification questions
that you should implement.
3. A central content management portal
One of the jobs of the sales team is to guide the potential client through the sales process, and to achieve this, it is necessary to offer educational and attractive content. However, it is common for sales reps to spend a lot of time searching for the right information to share.
In some cases, they end up selecting very ambiguous or ineffective topics, which are not adapted to the stage of each prospectus.
That is why it is advisable to create a content database, in which each topic is labeled and classified according to the different buyers and the stages of the buyer's journey. This will save time and increase your chances of success.
4. Sales analysis
The best way to measure the efficiency of a process is through metrics. These analyses show you how well each stage of the sales process is performing, which materials are most effective according to the prospects and their position in the buyer's journey, and other relevant data.
However, to achieve a result in line with reality it is important that your teams consistently record the necessary data. Any omissions will cause reports to generate erroneous information. This is where a CRM becomes a sales ally.
5. A means for collaboration and feedback
Sales do not depend only on a small group of people. The bridge between marketing and sales must be strengthened to ensure that both teams bring quality to improve the sales process day after day.
And when we talk about effective processes, it is important to include a feedback mechanism that allows constant communication between departments.
Just as marketing members can report on the nuances and challenges their potential customers represent, salespeople will provide data on the availability of prospects and the ease of conversion. An integrated strategy will be the key to success.
>>Lead vs. Prospect vs. Opportunity: How to move from one to the other?
Albert Einstein said "if you're looking for different results, don't always do the same thing." This phrase can apply to any aspect of life, and is perfectly reflected in sales.
As your process is designed with more care and strategy, you will get more qualified leads and therefore more sales.
If you are not reaching your sales goals, at Innova Marketing Solutions we can help you create an effective sales development process, which will allow you to obtain greater return on investment and closed deals. You can contact us here!