Steps in Sales Process with flow chart

by Vikrant G. Assignment help experts

Sales is not just a one-step “take the order” process. It involves many more steps and planning to obtain the final sale. In this assignment, imagine you are a sales rep for Hershey’s and you are currently promoting a new line of chocolates. You are targeting grocery stores for this product.

Create a flowchart either in Word or PowerPoint that walks through the sales cycle, from lead generation to closing the sale. Include:

Bullet points to illustrate the details and processes within each step.
Explanation of why each step is necessary.

Steps in Sales Process

In every business, sale involves a process of several steps. Skipping a step may result in loss of sale. Sales process can be unique depending on the features of the product or services, customer segment and internal process within the firm. The sales representative of Hershey’s will follow the following steps while targeting the grocery shops for new line of chocolates. These steps are described through a flow chart (Harrington, 2005).

Flow Chart of Sales Process

Generating lead

Qualifying lead

Approaching customer

Handling objections

Closing sale

Following up

Process Illustration

Lead generation: Lead generation is the identification of those firms and people most likely to buy the sellers offering. Sales lead will be obtained in several different ways mostly through advertising, trade shows. Conventions, direct mail or telemarketing programs will also be used by the firm to generate more leads or sales. The salesperson can generate lead through a referral or recommendation from a customer or business associates. The salesperson will see from which grocery shop can really generate leads. Another way of generating lead through networking using friends, business contacts, coworkers (Eades, 2003).

Lead generation is necessary because it finds the actual prospect for the salesperson. It saves the time of both the firm and the salesperson to find a customer for their product.

Qualifying leads: Prospect shows interest in the product, that time salesperson has the opportunity to qualify the lead. Lead qualification involves determining whether the prospect is having the following things or not (Berry & Cole, 2008).

· A recognized need: Whether the prospect is having need of the product or not. The salesman will see that whether there will be any market of chocolates or not.

· Purchasing power: It will be also noticed that the prospect will able to pay the price or not.

This step will help the salesperson to know about the default in the product and help him to move on to another prospect if the prospect wouldn’t pay for it.

Approaching customer: The salespersons will use the approach as a means of introducing themselves, their company and their product. During this approach the salesperson will conduct a need assessment about prospect situation (Harrington, 2005). The process enables the salespersons to know exactly about the customer need and will help them to demonstrate their superiority over their competitor.

Developing and proposing solution: After recognizing customer’s need the salespersons should develop a solution that can satisfy client’ problem and meet their need. It is necessary because it will make the prospect feel among the target group that the product is able to meet their needs. It will help the salespersons to precede forward their product (Gorman &Webb, 2006).

Handling objection: There might be many questions in the mind of the customers. The salesman will clarify each doubt of the prospects. Handling objection efficiently may make the prospect to buy the product. So it’s very important for salesman to clarify all doubts of customers (Lamb & McDaniel, 2008).

Closing the sale: At the end of the presentation, the salesman will ask the prospects that they are ready to buy or not. If all the questions will have been answered then they can sale their product. Negotiation plays an important role in closing of sale. Negotiation is a process in which the salesperson and the prospect both try to offer concession in order to arrive at sales agreement. The salesperson will never use price as a negotiable tool because it may affect the company profit. Instead of it, they can offer some extra packets if some additional packets be taken by the customers (Gorman &Webb, 2006).

Following up: Many salespersons believe in making sale is final in terms of selling their products. Once sale is made they forget their customer. Sales follow up may include the things like delivery of product in good condition; meet the prospect if still any confusion is there in customers’ mind. This would make customer loyal towards the company and it will be helpful in future for the company for generating lead for a new product (Eades, 2003).

References

Berry, J & Cole, A. (2008). Don't Stuff Up the Sale: The Definitive Guide to the Sales Process.

Wendy Berry Gorman.

Eades, K. (2003). The new solution selling: the revolutionary sales process that is changing

Way people sell. McGraw – Hill Professional.

Gorman, T &Webb, M. (2006). Sales and Marketing the Six Sigma Way. Kaplan Publishing.

Harrington. (2005). Business Process Improvement. Tata McGraw-Hill.

Lamb, C & McDaniel, C. (2008). Essentials of Marketing. Cengage learning.