{"id":4103,"date":"2014-01-06T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-01-06T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/creator\/?p=4103"},"modified":"2020-04-03T18:01:24","modified_gmt":"2020-04-03T22:01:24","slug":"secret-building-successful-sales-process","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/secret-building-successful-sales-process","title":{"rendered":"The secret to building a successful sales process"},"content":{"rendered":"

At ElasticSales, we\u2019ve had the privilege of working with dozens of early-stage startups, helping them establish their sales processes. Some ask us to build their process from the ground up. Many come to us solely looking for guidance as they develop their own sales processes and teams. In both cases, the best campaigns are those in which the founders are actively involved with developing the process, or have conducted their startup\u2019s early sales themselves.<\/p>\n

For tech entrepreneurs without sales experience, here\u2019s how you build a sales process for your startup from the ground up.<\/p>\n

Begin Customer Outreach as Early as Possible<\/h3>\n

The best thing you can do to develop your sales process is to get out there as early as possible. That Lean Startup mentality works just as well in sales as it is for development. Spend a week, even a few days, picking up the phone and cold-calling your customers. During these early calls you\u2019ll get a sense of their challenges, objections you might face, and direct customer feedback about your product. You might even realize a key aspect of your product that needs to be tweaked before you push hard into the market.<\/p>\n

As a founder, YOU absolutely need to do this before handing it off to someone else. Conducting preliminary outreach to your customers will help you better understand them, their needs and your market place. You can then refine your product as you develop your sales process.<\/p>\n

Do a Full Walk-Through<\/h3>\n

Walk through simulated conversations. Begin by finding the lead and travel through the complete sales process. End by handing the customer off to your support team. Do this with colleagues who understand your space, then try your pitch out on someone who doesn\u2019t. (Outsiders quickly notice problems and inefficiencies.) These scenarios not only give you great practice before implementing your process, they\u2019ll help you identify gaps in it. Say on your first call you get a customer\u2019s credit card \u2014 then what? How do you process the payment? Who do they speak to next? Mock calls are a great way to practice your pitch and refine the logistics of a sale.<\/p>\n

Establish Qualifying Criteria<\/h3>\n

Qualifying criteria are a list of traits that make someone a good fit (qualified) to buy your product. It sounds easy enough, but lots of young companies have no idea what they need to know about a customer to make a sale.<\/p>\n

So how do you develop qualifying criteria and track them?<\/p>\n

Common criteria for leads are:<\/p>\n