Optimizing and visualizing the sales process has many benefits, including training sales representatives and improving the productivity of the sales team.
For example, a study by Harvard Business Review (HBR) found that companies with standardized sales processes see up to 28% increased revenue compared to those without.
In Japan, too , the importance of sales list of aruba consumer email digital transformation is strongly recognized, with "improving sales process efficiency" ranking as the number one important theme in the "Sales Planning White Paper 2023" conducted by "FORCAS.com" and compiled by major B2B companies .
However, some people may find it difficult and tedious to create a sales process from scratch. In this article, we will explain how to visualize your sales process and the steps to create a sales process flow diagram.
What is the sales process?
A sales process refers to a series of sales activities, such as creating a sales list, making appointments, negotiating, and closing a deal. Visualizing a sales process means dividing sales activities into individual steps and illustrating them in a diagram, which is generally divided into 5 to 8 steps.
In recent years, digital sales have become widespread, and more and more companies are adopting sales processes that are different from the old ones. For example, in HubSpot's 2022 report, 50% of companies are now using hybrid sales, and it has become the standard.
There are a variety of possible sales processes, and each company will need to come up with the optimal solution for determining which department will be responsible for each step, and what methods will be used to acquire leads.
Data showing that hybrid sales account for over 50% (HubSpot)
(Source: HubSpot )
For reference, we will explain the basic sales processes for BtoB and BtoC.
Characteristics and flow of the BtoC sales process
The BtoC sales process is the process of selling to general consumers, such as insurance, real estate, and automobiles.
In BtoC sales, prospective customers are purchasing products for themselves or their families, so their purchasing criteria are strongly influenced by personal tastes, tastes, emotions, etc. The time it takes to make a purchase is relatively short, and in some cases, the decision is made immediately.
Sales flows include visiting a sales store, calling the customer's home to make sales calls, or entering into negotiations after receiving an inquiry from the website.
Example: BtoC real estate sales process
BtoC real estate sales process
Characteristics and flow of the BtoB sales process
BtoB sales is sales activity targeting other companies, so the transaction amount is larger and the time required for consideration is longer compared to BtoC. In other words, the sales process is also longer.
The criteria for purchase decisions are based on needs and the benefits of implementation. In large organizations, the contact person, the decision maker, and the actual product users are often different, and there are multiple key people. Therefore, there is almost no immediate decision, and multiple proposals and negotiations are required from the time an appointment is made until the deal is concluded.
In the past, B2B sales was mainly outbound sales led by the sales department. However, in recent years, there are more cases where inbound sales are also conducted in cooperation with the marketing department, or cases where the sales department has completely switched to inbound sales.
