End-to-End Helppage for Selling Journey

Please click on the elements on the page to get further information on each of the stages, processes and responsibilities. You can save this page to your bookmarks to easy access content whenever you need it.

Stage Overview

Stage Sales Objectives Coach / Customer Activities Exit Criteria (Entry Criteria for Next Stage)
Long-Term Development “LTD” Capture potential future opportunities so that you can build a plan to move these into pipeline Build multi-year roadmap. Spoke with target. Next steps agreed to. Reasonable expectation that opportunity will close in rolling 12 months. Sales moves to correct stage.
Sales Accepted Lead SDR’s primarily owns this stage.  Sales has 15 days to determine if there is sufficient reason to believe the Lead has potential and should be pursued by Sales. Admit pain. Spoke with target. Next steps agreed to.  If there is a reasonable expectation that opportunity will close in rolling 12 months, Sales accepts (moves to Stage 20); otherwise Sales rejects and Closes the Opportunity lead or moves to LTD
Qualify Determine if there is sufficient reason to believe there is an Active Pipeline Opportunity* with potential to close within 12 months by assessing pain points, solution fit, and prospect’s willingness to engage in discussion of BANT and value hypothesis. Admit pain may be obstacle to achieving business objectives.  Assign a Coach/Sponsor and disclose key stakeholders.  Discuss BANT process and agree to Evaluation. Mutual Evaluation Plan Delivered to Coach/Sponsor, BANT plan discussed with Coach and BANT issues identified.  If blind RFP, cannot move to Stage 30 until shortlisted. NDA presented to protect customer. NDA signed to protect [Vendor].
Discovery Discover customer pain points, business objectives, organizational structure, and how to frame pain to set stage for [Vendor] solutions through deep understanding customer’s business case / value hypothesis process. Demonstrate willingness to support.  Gain buy-in to Evaluation Plan from all Key Stakeholders.  Attend Discovery Session.  Verify pain and relief. Discovery meetings complete, and next steps (demos, decision-maker presentations) scheduled.  Org Chart & Power Base chart developed, and decision-maker known. Evaluation plan confirmed, verbally or in writing.
Teach / Prove Convince customer our solution has superior capability to address pain now.  Continue to frame pain to our advantage.  Quantify benefits of relieving pain.  Identify compelling event to close and propose economic terms. Key Stakeholders agree our solutions would relieve pain and have objections answered.  Confirm approvers and all steps necessary for company to acquire SaaS. Close Plan Agreed to By Sponsor. [Vendor] selected or shortlisted to two. Pricing submitted for approval prior to presenting to customer. Formal proposal or term sheet with pricing provided and customer is negotiating back.  Met with procurement to validate & verify all steps necessary for company to acquire SaaS.  Value confirmed.
Negotiation Negotiate business and legal terms including Press Release and Case Study. Involve all necessary Stakeholders in commitment to Close Plan. MSA, OF, SLA, SOW, Signed.  If opportunity gets stalled or lost, designate as Lost (if Close Date will be greater than 12 months move to LTD).
Closed Won Transition to Services and Customer Success using new Services Methodology (includes customer reason for buying and definition of success). Work with internal teams to obtain PO.
Closed
Qualified Out 		Deemed not a fit for the foreseeable future.
Closed
Lost 		We competed and lost to competitor or Do Nothing.