Every year, we work to help organizations better clarify their sales process naming and staging in their CRM systems.
Whether you have an Inside Sales Team, BDR or SDR Sales Team, Outside Sales Team or Field Sales Team, this stuff really matters.
We’ve always believed there is a difference between a Stage Name and an Exit Criteria. We believe anything that is an actual discussion or activity is an exit criteria. As an example, Demo is not a stage name. Demo is an activity either under the Discovery or the Selection process of your sales process.
We’ve laid this out in specific detail as a “Best Practice” for Staging and Sales Process. Of course, please change it to make sure things align with your own business model.
We are aware of CRM engagement by sales people is not always easy, and, yes, we also know there is such a thing as “field creep” on your CRM Opportunity Page. So again, please use the below as a best practice/guideline for building your sales process in your CRM. Lastly, before you make changes to your CRM, be sure you are aware of any reporting or dashboards that could be affected by changes.
Stage 0 – Identification
- Exit Criteria – Intro Call Scheduled
- Exit Criteria – Intro Call Completed
- Intro Call Completed
- Intro Call DQd
Stage 1 – Qualification
- Exit Criteria – Pains Identified and align with our solution at high level
- Exit Criteria – Demo Scheduled
- Exit Criteria – Initial implementation date discussed
- Exit Criteria – Next meeting confirmed with actual acceptance
- Exit Criteria – ECONOMIC IMPACT Exercise to their pains are starting to be discussed
Stage 2 – Discovery
- Exit Criteria – Demo Completed
- Exit Criteria – Specific Use Cases discussed and VERBALLY confirmed as a priority by client
- Exit Criteria – Prospect CONFIRMS our solution is better than current state, competitor etc.
- Exit Criteria – ECONOMIC IMPACT – Exercise completed and confirmed by prospect.
- Exit Criteria – Competition identified (Others, do nothing, etc.)
- Exit Criteria – Understanding if “buying committee” is involved
- Exit Criteria – Understanding of selection process
- Exit Criteria – Defining close date
- Exit Criteria – Defining onboarding process
- Exit Criteria – Next meeting/ demo scheduled and confirmed on the calendar
- Exit Criteria – Commercial terms discussion, but not “confirmed”
- Exit Criteria – Confirming ALL parties in the decision making process
- Exit Criteria – Confirming ALL parties in the approval process
- Exit Criteria – Confirming, “At this stage, what could possibly stop this from moving forward?”
- Exit Criteria – Next meeting scheduled AND accepted on calendar
Stage 3 – Selection
- Exit Criteria – Competitors confirmed
- Exit Criteria – Differentiation specifically confirmed
- Exit Criteria – Confirmed competitor “betters” are actually important in making the decision
- Exit Criteria – Bake-off criteria identified
- Exit Criteria – Confirmed timeline for decision making
- Exit Criteria – Confirmed timeline for implementation
- Exit Criteria – Begin discussion of larger approval process
- Exit Criteria – Begin discussing the legal process (aka redlines)
- Exit Criteria – Commercial Terms confirmed (specific to ECONOMIC IMPACT exercise
- Exit Criteria – Confirm the date of you will send a proposal / contract
- Exit Criteria – Confirm date you will be able to walk through the proposal with the prospect
- Exit Criteria – Confirm who else will review proposal/contract
- Exit Criteria – Confirm “normal” response time to approving (redlines) once a proposal/ contract has been sent.
- Exit Criteria – Confirming, “At this stage, what could possibly stop this from moving forward?”
- Exit Criteria – Next meeting scheduled AND accepted on the calendar
- Exit Criteria – Does this mean we have a deal and all that is left is paperwork?
Stage 4 – Negotiation
- Exit Criteria – Meeting occurs with final decision-makers including finance when necessary.
- Confirmed commercials terms, add-ons, etc.
- Exit Criteria – Confirm date to get contract signed back
- Exit Criteria – Confirm launch date
- Exit Criterial – Confirm implementation date
- Exit Criteria – Confirming, “At this stage, what could possibly stop this from moving forward?”
- Exit Criteria – Contract sent for signature
Stage 5 – Closed Won/Lost
- Exit Criteria – Received signed contract
Need help with your sales process and staging update? Whether you have an Inside Sales Team, BDR or SDR Sales Team, Outside Sales Team or Field Sales Team, we help organizations better clarify their sales process naming and staging in their CRM systems. Book a time to chat about your goals here.
