The sales process is one of the most essential parts of any company. Sales can be a grueling job, and in many industries, a 10% success rate is considered elite. This is why it is so important to develop concrete sales processes within your company. And as the owner/entrepreneur of a small growing business, it is your responsibility to get this dialed in.

While many sales reps can talk their way into any deal, the old “wine and dine” shtick doesn’t work quite as well as it used to. The top companies have a well-defined and organized sales process that allows the owner and the sales team to stay on top of their day-to-day tasks while continually pursuing new opportunities.

Now, there is no set-in-stone “definition” of a sales process. Every industry is different, and within each sector, every company is unique. What works for one organization may be a horrible idea for another. But what’s important is that you have a defined sales process for your team. Creating uniformity across your team when it comes to standard operating procedures will help you better evaluate sales numbers and analyze the data.

Ask yourself the following questions to help build a comprehensive sales process that is unique to your business:

How do you prospect for new customers?

Before you can bring in any revenue, you need to find out who you want your customers to be. I’ve previously discussed different lead generation strategies and methods for targeting new customers and finding leads. But what’s most important is that you have some sort of process. Whether you employ a lead generation team, purchase leads from a database or participate in social media, it is all part of the sales process. You also want to ensure your efforts yield quality leads. Pare down your raw data to be sure that you aren’t wasting time with unqualified leads.

How do you make that initial connection?

This is when you or your sales team makes the first attempt to speak with somebody at the company — whether it be the final decision maker or someone who can point them in the right direction.

In what ways do you gather information?

When you or your sales team have connected with the intended target, you can begin the information gathering process. This involves asking all the important questions and trying to determine where the prospect may have a use for your services.

When we say, “intended target,” it doesn’t necessarily mean the final decision maker, by the way. It could be someone at lower levels in the company who can simply provide a little bit of information about their operations and pain points.

Think of this as the research phase, where the sales rep gets as much data as possible so they can move forward with the next step.

What does your pitch/presentation look like?

Now that you have a good amount of information about the prospect, you’re ready to pitch your product or service. In some cases, you may be putting together an actual slideshow to present in person or over a video conference at an agreed-upon time. Other industries have a quicker sales cycle and the pitch might come on the same phone call as the information gathering.

No matter the length of your sales cycle, you should have a scripted pitch or presentation template that can be easily altered to address your prospect’s needs. This is all part of the process.

What’s your strategy for overcoming objections?

This is the part that sends so many people running away from sales. It is simply not easy to hear no over and over again. But every successful salesperson has heard no far more times than they’ve heard yes. The best ones are able to meet every rejection with a rebuttal of their own.

Being able to handle sales rejection doesn’t mean that you are going to win every deal — far from it. But it does mean that you will be able to keep moving forward without feeling like you lost. Make sure you have a plan of attack for the most common rejections in your industry and curate new concepts for every unique rejection that you hear.

How do you close the deal?

If you’ve managed to make it past most of the rejections, it is time to close — or at least attempt to close. Again, this might happen in one phone call or it may take weeks or even months. The most important thing is to ask for the customer’s business and affirm and reaffirm that they are ready to sign the contract.

Are you effective at following up?

Many industries still rely on transactional sales, but the majority of companies are moving toward relationship-based sales. In my experience, it is more efficient and saves time and money in the long run. The best in sales are staying in contact with their customers on a regular basis and continually looking for new opportunities.

How do you bring it all together?

Now that you’ve thought about the parts of the sale, it’s time to bring it all together. Write it out in a flow diagram. Draw a box around each action, a diamond around each decision (a yes/no) and connect them with lines so the path is easily identified.

Is your magic present?

Once you have this all written out, you need to add the magic sauce. This is all about are your connections. What kind of communication do you have with the client between each stage of your sales process? Is it “wow” communication — original, branded and designed to delight and excite your potential customer?

Sales need to be clearly defined and then trained within your organization so it is consistent across your team and across time. Only then can you collect data, improve the process and increase your sales. If you increase your sales, your revenue goes up. And if your business is high-performing you can achieve your personal “champagne moment.”

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Nine Questions To Help You Define Your Sales Processes