Short blog series (part-8) Sales process and strategy
- Manyanshi Joshi
- Oct 8
- 4 min read
Here’s a clear and concise breakdown of Sales Process and Strategy — with both defined and structured in a way you can adapt to your business or project.
🔁 Sales Process (Step-by-Step Framework)
The Sales Process is the step-by-step workflow your sales team follows to move prospects from interest to purchase. Here's a typical 7-step structure:
1. Prospecting
Goal: Identify potential customers (leads).
Tools/Methods: LinkedIn, CRM data, cold outreach, events, referrals, inbound leads.
2. Qualification
Goal: Determine if the lead is a good fit (i.e. budget, need, timeline).
Frameworks: BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timing), MEDDIC, CHAMP.
3. Needs Discovery
Goal: Understand the buyer’s pain points, goals, and context.
Method: Ask open-ended, diagnostic questions. Build rapport and trust.
4. Presentation/Demo
Goal: Show how your product/service solves their problem.
Best Practice: Customize the pitch to their specific needs. Focus on value, not features.
5. Handling Objections
Goal: Address concerns that could block the sale.
Approach: Use empathy, data, case studies, and success stories.
6. Closing
Goal: Finalize the deal.
Tactics: Trial close, assumptive close, urgency-based close (limited-time offer), or consultative close.
7. Post-Sale / Follow-Up
Goal: Ensure satisfaction and open the door to upsell, referrals, or retention.
Method: Onboarding, check-ins, customer success programs.
🎯 Sales Strategy (Big-Picture Plan)
The Sales Strategy is your long-term plan to consistently hit revenue goals. It aligns with marketing, product, and customer success.
Key Components:
1. Target Market & ICP (Ideal Customer Profile)
Define your perfect customer: industry, company size, budget, challenges, decision-makers.
2. Value Proposition
Clearly articulate why your solution is better or different.
Focus on outcomes, not features.
3. Sales Channels
Direct (in-house sales), indirect (partners/resellers), inbound (website, content), outbound (cold calls, email, social selling).
4. Sales Methodology
Choose a selling style that fits your product:
SPIN Selling (complex B2B)
Solution Selling
Challenger Sale
Inbound Sales
5. Tech Stack
CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce)
Sales Engagement (Outreach, Apollo)
Automation tools, analytics, lead scoring, etc.
6. KPIs & Metrics
Track:
Sales cycle length
Close rate
Lead-to-opportunity conversion
Revenue per rep
Customer acquisition cost (CAC)
7. Team Structure & Incentives
Structure: SDRs, AEs, Sales Engineers, CSMs.
Incentives: Commission plans aligned with goals (e.g., new business, renewals, upsells).
✅ Example: B2B SaaS Sales Strategy Snapshot
Element | Example |
ICP | 50–500 employee tech companies |
Value Prop | Cut onboarding time by 60% |
Channel | Inbound + Outbound SDRs |
Methodology | Solution Selling |
CRM | Salesforce + Outreach.io |
KPIs | 20% close rate, 30-day sales cycle |
The sales process and strategy framework works very differently depending on whether you're running a small business or a large business (enterprise) — primarily due to differences in resources, team size, sales cycle complexity, and customer base.
Here’s a direct comparison to help you understand how to adapt the process and strategy for each:
🔍 1. Sales Process: Small vs Large Business
Stage | Small Business | Large Business |
Prospecting | Usually done by the founder or a small team; heavily reliant on referrals, cold emails, and inbound. | Specialized roles (SDRs/BDRs); advanced tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Apollo, or ZoomInfo. |
Qualification | Often informal; gut-feel based, quick conversations. | Structured using BANT, MEDDIC; documented in CRM systems; often multi-stakeholder. |
Needs Discovery | Quick discovery via 1:1 calls, minimal stakeholder involvement. | Complex discovery; multiple meetings; often includes cross-departmental needs (IT, finance, ops). |
Presentation/Demo | Lean pitch decks or live demos by the founder/sales rep. | Customized presentations, technical demos, sometimes POCs. |
Objection Handling | Handled on the fly, less formal documentation. | Sales playbooks with objection rebuttals; often involves legal and procurement. |
Closing | Faster close, fewer decision-makers, shorter sales cycle. | Multiple approvals; legal reviews; longer cycle (3–9 months). |
Post-Sale/Follow-Up | Manual onboarding, follow-ups via email/phone. | Dedicated Customer Success teams, onboarding programs, QBRs. |
🎯 2. Sales Strategy: Small vs Large Business
Component | Small Business | Large Business |
Target Market | Niche markets, specific geographies or verticals. | Broad segments, multiple verticals, global regions. |
Sales Goals | Survival and early growth; getting early customers. | Scaling revenue, increasing market share, expanding into new markets. |
Sales Channels | Primarily direct, founder-led or small team. | Multi-channel: direct, channel partners, inside/outside sales, resellers. |
Team | Small, agile (1–3 people doing everything). | Structured teams (SDRs, AEs, SEs, CSMs, RevOps). |
Tech Stack | Basic tools: CRM (HubSpot), email outreach, spreadsheets. | Enterprise-grade tools: Salesforce, Salesloft, BI dashboards, AI forecasting. |
Sales Methodology | Informal or hybrid (whatever works). | Formal training in Challenger, MEDDIC, Solution Selling. |
KPIs | Simple: number of calls, deals closed, revenue. | Detailed metrics: pipeline coverage, quota attainment, CAC, LTV, churn. |
✅ Practical Tips by Business Size
🧑💼 For Small Businesses:
Focus on founder-led selling initially.
Use lightweight tools like HubSpot CRM (free), Calendly, and Notion.
Build strong referral loops and word-of-mouth.
Keep the sales process agile and fast — learn and iterate quickly.
Sell based on relationships and value, not just features.
Focus on high-probability ICPs to reduce wasted effort.
🏢 For Large Businesses:
Invest in sales enablement, onboarding, and training.
Use CRM + RevOps tools to track and manage pipeline at scale.
Segment sales teams by territory, industry, or product line.
Focus on account-based selling and land-and-expand models.
Build deep data-driven sales forecasting and performance tracking.
Ensure alignment between sales, marketing, and customer success.
🎯 Summary: Key Differences
Feature | Small Business | Large Business |
Sales Cycle | Short (1–4 weeks) | Long (3–9 months) |
Decision-Makers | 1–2 | 5–10+ |
Process | Informal, flexible | Formal, structured |
Tech Stack | Lightweight | Advanced, integrated |
Resources | Limited | Scalable, specialized |
✅ Conclusion: Sales Process and Strategy
A well-defined sales process and a smart sales strategy are essential to driving consistent revenue and long-term growth — no matter the size of the business.
🔁 The Sales Process ensures:
Predictability in converting leads into paying customers
Better understanding of customer needs and objections
A repeatable system to train and scale sales teams
🎯 The Sales Strategy ensures:
Alignment with business goals
Focus on the right target market and value proposition
Optimal use of channels, tools, and team resources
Scalability and adaptability as the business grows
👥 Small Businesses need:
Agile, founder-led selling with fast feedback loops
Lightweight tools and a narrow target focus
A flexible, learning-based approach to refine messaging and fit
🏢 Large Businesses need:
Structured, specialized sales teams and methodologies
Data-driven strategies, advanced tech stacks, and scalable processes
Deep customer relationships and long-term account growth (land & expand)
🧠 Final Thought:
"Sales is not just about closing deals — it's about building trust, solving real problems, and delivering value consistently."
Mastering both process and strategy gives your business a competitive edge — helping you close more deals, faster, and with the right customers.
Thanks for reading!!!
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