Sales Training Article: The Benefits of a Defined Sales Process

By Gary Walker, EVP of Channel Sales & Operations, CustomerCentric Selling® – The Sales Training Company

“Are there any benefits to following a defined sales process?”

Would you agree that most salespeople typically hate to be held to a documented/prescribed sales process? Would you also agree that regardless of the direction and training they have been given, they prefer to do what they have always done – with or without the desired success?

Unfortunately, we are creatures of habit. It takes courage to change. But for salespeople and their management, with the courage to adopt and follow a defined ‘customer-centric’ sales process, there are many benefits, such as:

  • Understanding where the prospect is in their evaluation/buying process
  • Following a set of clearly defined steps, sales best practices, that take the prospect from interest development to closure
  • Improved productivity/efficiency
  • Improved personal sales effectiveness
  • Reduced cost of sale
  • Improved forecasting accuracy
  • Increased WIN rates
    • In a report published by CSO Insights entitled Optimizing Sales Performance for the High Tech Market, sales organizations that adopt and implement a defined sales process where sales rep adoption is actively managed and changes to the process are made proactively as needed, enjoy a WIN rate of 55.2% compared to 40% to those that don’t.

Do yourself, your sales team and your company a favor. Invest in adopting and implementing a defined sales process. The potential benefits to everyone are HUGE.


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