🃏 A Fragile Sales Process Won’t Close Deals – Here’s How to Fix It

Welcome to Sales Skills For Founders, a weekly newsletter with one actionable skill for sellers who are tired of tips, tricks, and scripts. AI isn’t going to close deals for you so let’s master sales, one skill at a time.

Today’s Skill: The Sales Process

Here’s a question every seller should ask themselves:

Is my sales process clear?

The sales process isn’t a tool for you alone; it’s a roadmap for your buyer, too. If you are unsure on how they should buy your product then how the heck are they supposed to know?

One reason time can lapse in the sales process and drag on longer than needed is because we fail to know our own criteria for how someone should buy from us. So, let’s create one and be crystal clear about the steps.

The “sales process” steps should be kept internal to you but by knowing what you need to know to help them you’ll be able to communicate and ask better questions to either disqualify them or move them toward a purchase decision.

Let’s dive into what it takes to establish this foundation.

Step 1: Defining Your Sales Process

There are endless versions of sales process structures, with all kinds of steps and labels. Here's a simple, effective one I use. It will fit with minimal effort into a CRM and it will help you build a mature, forecast-ready pipeline.

Feel free to steal it.

For simplicity, let’s begin the sales process when we schedule a discovery call (introductory call).

Some might consider prospecting to be the start. I don’t. Prospecting is another big aspect of sales but the sales process doesn’t begin until we have a defined lead and can create an opportunity from it. Let’s assume you’ve done that. Now, we can apply our framework.

 Pro tip: Sellers often confuse the stages and aren’t sure why one prospect is in one stage or another. So, we'll set exit criteria to know when to move prospects from one stage to the next.

Step 2: Stages & Exit Criteria

Qualification

This is where initial discovery happens, and we assess whether the prospect is a viable fit. Depending on how the lead came in, you may have a lot of information or very little. To make this a worthwhile opportunity, there must be a clear need that your solution can address.

Exit Stage Requirements: There is a known need/problem with clear next steps.

Evaluation

At this stage, we explore the prospect's needs. We check how well our solution aligns with their goals. You might have a few presentations, bring in more decision-makers, and discuss costs. This stage often requires the most time, as it is where we iron out key details.

Exit Stage Requirements:

• Prospect has a commitment to solving their defined problem.

• Budget is available and you’ve had at least a “ballpark” discussion around costs.

• We are in agreement that our solution is still viable and could be a fit for them.

Proposal

Here, we advance the conversation, focusing on pricing, technical details, and partnership expectations. We clarify the contract review process and approvals. We also address any criteria before the buyer chooses a vendor.

Exit Stage Requirements:

• We’re the “Vendor of choice” they want to partner with.

• We have identified a timeline to start the project (and/or) get an agreement executed.

Purchasing

This stage is about partnership readiness. It involves finalizing agreements and mapping the next steps. This is often a brief stage. We address final contract redlines, payment terms, and any last-minute items.

Exit Stage Requirements:

• Signed agreement

Closed-Won

Now, the partnership begins! Set up invoicing, complete details, and schedule a kick-off call. Most organizations, especially startups, stop here. We are going to add one more step. "Closed-Won" marks the start of the partnership. A kick-off call aligns everyone.

Exit Stage Requirement:

• Kick-off call completed.

Onboarding

This stage focuses on providing a seamless client experience from signing of contract until the initial stages of kicking off are completed. Whoever is selling the deal should stay engaged, even if other team members or contractors handle the next steps. This is when we ensure the client gets the service they signed up for. We also lay the groundwork for testimonials and future referrals.

Exit Stage Requirement:

• The client has launched and is operational.

Closed Lost

It’s inevitable: some deals will end up in “Closed-Lost” at various points in the sales process. The key is to be decisive and honest about each opportunity. Don’t let deals linger in your pipeline without clarity on their status or the next steps. The last thing you want is a bloated pipeline filled with stagnant deals and no momentum. Disqualifying is a good thing. It means you are clear on who you want to work with.

Pro Tip: Set a follow-up task to reengage a "Closed-Lost" opportunity 3-6 months in the future to see if things changed. Keep your pipeline lean and focused on real, active opportunities but don’t disregard some opportunities where timing was the main reason they couldn’t move forward.

The Power of a Clear Process

As you learn each stage, you'll know what to do to progress a prospect. You’ll also develop a keen sense of when information is missing and when to dig deeper. The last thing we want is to move a prospect along too soon, only to discover misalignment later.

At the end of the day, your goal is clear:

Stop wasting time on unfit prospects. Focus on the right ones.

A defined sales process is the foundation that allows you to do that.

Your Action Item

Evaluate your current sales process and make necessary tweaks to know your stages and exit criteria. They don’t have to be exactly like mine. You just need to know why yours exist and how they are going to help you properly evaluate and guide your prospects.

Do this and you’ll have a much clearer picture of your pipeline.

A topic we’ll explore next week.

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