A lot of business owners have Sales Pathitis: they look at Salespeople as manipulative. They think that Sales people are slimy and try to take advantage of others. They think they don’t need “sales” and try to avoid having any sort of sales process in place.

The truth is… You’re selling yourself every day. You’re selling your ideas, your products and your services. You’re selling yourself to other people at work, to your friends and family, and even to strangers on the street. So why shouldn’t you have a Sales Process? If you don’t know how to sell effectively, or if you just hate the idea of it, then you are missing out on great opportunities for growth in your business.

The real question is: How much does “not having a sales process” affect our overall business performance? The more we allow ourselves to have feelings of discomfort or shame about sales, the more susceptible we are to avoid it. And when you avoid doing something that’s necessary for your business, it hurts your bottom line.

A Sales Process is a way to structure your sales activities and interactions so that they are predictable, repeatable, and profitable. It helps you create a consistent approach to selling, which will lead to better results and higher profits.

Without a sales process in place, you’re at the mercy of your emotions and the ever-changing business environment. You may find yourself reacting to situations instead of proactively planning out what needs to be done next. This leads to missed opportunities, mistakes, and wasted time.

You can’t just create a sales process and hope for the best.

Your sales funnel is only as good as the steps in it. If you don’t have enough steps, or if you put too many steps in the wrong order, your sales process will fail.

And if your sales process fails, then you won’t be able to close deals and make money.

So how do we know what goes where?

Here’s how I would approach it:

Step 1: Prospect Qualification

This step is about getting your prospects’ attention and giving them something valuable in return for their contact information (which we’ll use to move them down our funnel).

If you’re having trouble getting people’s attention, try sending out an email campaign, try running Facebook/Instagram ads, or try posting in Facebook groups related to your industry or niche. You could also include a “free guide” in your email signature that leads people back to a landing page with more information on what they need.

Once someone has given us permission to send them information, we can move them down our sales funnel by offering free resources that educate them about our industry and/or product line (like a blog post or ebook), so that they understand the value of what we have to offer.

Step 2: Make it easy for people to buy from you.

That doesn’t mean getting in their face saying BUY NOW… but once someone is interested in what you have to offer, make things as simple as possible for them to either schedule in for a call or even purchase your product or service. Try using step-by-step booking calendars so prospects can schedule a time to speak with you, or try using an application form to collect their contact details and relevant information.

Step 3: Follow up.

Don’t just leave it at that—follow up with your prospects, both via email and phone if possible. This will show them that you care about their interests and needs, and make sure they get the most out of the experience. If you’re following up by email, try sending out a series of emails instead of one long message. This will make it easier for your prospects to digest and respond. And use humor in your voicemails or emails. No one loves an annoying salesman, but everyone loves a funny one.

Step 4: Close the deal.

Once you’ve set up a call or meeting with someone who’s interested in your product or service, be sure to close them on whatever offer or proposal you have available at that time. Make sure you have the skills to close the deal and avoid leaving your prospects with any doubt about whether or not they should work with you. If you don’t have those skills, consider hiring a sales coach to help you out.

If you’re interested in learning more about how to build a sales funnel for your business, schedule a call with a Sales Pathway Expert who will walk you through the entire process step-by-step: Book a Call