How to create a sales process
A sales process is the repeatable, documented set of steps your team uses to turn a lead into a customer. Unlike a methodology (how to sell), a process defines what happens and when, so results stop depending on which rep happened to catch the deal.
The goal is repeatability: a new hire should be able to read it and know exactly what to do next on any deal.
Short answer
Create a sales process by defining the exact steps a rep takes from lead to closed deal, the entry and exit criteria for each step, and the actions and assets used at each one. Document it, train the team on it, then measure conversion at every step so you can fix the weakest link.
Step by step
Define the stages from the buyer's point of view
List the discrete phases a deal moves through, named for buyer commitments: Prospect, Connect, Qualify, Discover, Propose, Negotiate, Close. This mirrors your pipeline stages so the process and the CRM stay in lockstep.
Write entry and exit criteria for each step
For every step, define what must be true to enter it and what must be true to leave it. Clear criteria remove the "is this deal really qualified?" arguments and make stage data trustworthy.
Specify the actions and assets at each step
Document the exact plays: which email template, which discovery questions, which demo path, which proposal format. Attach the asset to the step so reps do not reinvent it.
- Qualify: BANT or MEDDIC questions plus a qualification call script
- Discover: a discovery guide and mutual pain document
- Propose: proposal template and pricing calculator
Set the expected timing and next-step rules
Give each step a target duration and a rule that no deal advances without a scheduled next step. Deals without a next meeting on the calendar are the leading indicator of slippage.
Document it in one place and train the team
Put the whole process in a single living document or in your CRM as stage guidance. Walk the team through it, role-play each step, and make it the standard everyone is coached against.
Measure conversion at every step and iterate
Track the pass-through rate between each pair of steps. The lowest conversion point is your constraint. Fix that one step, remeasure, and repeat. Small gains at the weakest link beat effort spread everywhere.
Common mistakes
Confusing a process with a methodology. MEDDIC and Challenger are methodologies (how to sell); your process is the ordered steps and criteria (what to do and when). You need both.
Building the process in a slide deck no one opens. If it does not live in the CRM where reps work, it will not be followed.
How Ardovo helps
In Ardovo, the sales process is not a document, it is the product. Stages, exit criteria, required fields, and the play for each step are enforced in the deal object, and Rook nudges reps when a deal is missing a next step or trying to skip a stage. The process runs itself.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a sales process and a sales methodology?
A process is the sequence of steps and criteria your team follows (what happens and when). A methodology is the philosophy and technique for how you sell within those steps, such as MEDDIC, SPIN, or Challenger. Use a methodology inside a process.
How many steps should a sales process have?
Usually five to eight, matching your pipeline stages. Each step should represent a meaningful buyer commitment with clear entry and exit criteria, not a minor internal task.
How do I get reps to actually follow the process?
Build it into the CRM so the next step is obvious, coach to it in every deal review, and make required fields and exit criteria enforce it. Processes that live only in a document get ignored; processes embedded in the tool get used.
How often should I update my sales process?
Review it quarterly against your conversion data. When one step consistently underperforms, redesign that step. Major changes to your market, product, or buyer usually warrant a fuller revision.