Every company may have its own naming conventions, but most B2B sales processes follow these core steps:
Lead Generation:
This is where the journey starts. Reps identify and reach out to potential prospects through cold outreach, inbound campaigns, referrals, or networking.
Qualification:
Not every lead deserves your time. At this stage, reps qualify the opportunity to make sure the prospect has the need, budget, authority, and urgency to buy.
Discovery:
The sales rep dives deeper to uncover the buyer’s real pain points, goals, and decision process. Great questions lead to great positioning later on.
Presentation or Proposal:
Based on what was uncovered, the rep delivers a tailored demo, proposal, or offer that clearly solves the problem and highlights ROI.
Handling Objections:
Rarely does a B2B deal close without resistance. Reps must address concerns, clarify doubts, and often reframe the value.
Negotiation and Closing
This is where final terms are discussed, contracts are reviewed, and the deal is pushed over the finish line.
Onboarding and Follow-up
In B2B, the real relationship starts after the deal closes. This stage ensures smooth onboarding, delivery, and future upsell potential.
If this structure feels familiar, it’s because it flows naturally from the B2B sales principles we already covered in
this post.
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Why Mastering Objections Matters:
