A sales flowchart is a document that shows each step a salesperson should take as they nurture a prospect into a paying customer. Having this kind of framework can help your sales team understand the language they should use and the steps they should follow.
Sales expert Anthony Iannarino says he has seen sales teams without a sales flowchart struggle to engage with prospective buyers. But when they refine their process and get everyone on the same page, these teams see their sales skyrocket.
Sales flowcharts don’t need to be overly complex, and they don’t need to take a significant amount of time to create. In this of Promotional Consultant Today, we’re breaking down the framework into six key elements that Iannarino recommends including in your sales flowchart.
1. Lead sources. A sales flowchart should help sales reps determine how to proceed based on the type of lead they are pursuing. For example, a lead coming in from an email requires a different approach than a lead coming in from an inbound phone call.
2. Qualification. The best sales flowcharts delineate the different approaches you might take with a marketing-qualified lead (MQL) and a sales-qualified lead (SQL), Iannarino says. Your flowchart might also provide a method or approach to nurturing an MQL that hasn’t acted beyond completing a form. Most SQLs are more mature, with the contact taking some action to engage with the company, suggesting a different approach that provides a faster response.
3. Preparation and research. Salespeople typically gather the most accessible information, when they should be focusing on how to create value for prospects. Iannarino says generating insights can be as simple as searching Google to identity challenges and opportunities that would create better conversations with your potential buyers.
4. Sales conversations. Your sales flowchart should also outline the sales conversation. Sales reps should be able to see clear paths on how they can keep the sales conversation moving forward. Give your team talk tracks for common objections and teach them the language to use that can build trust with potential buyers.
5. Closing process. Do your sales reps know what comes after “the ask?” In your sales flowchart, outline the different steps, which may include obtaining credit information from the buyer, scheduling a kickoff meeting or getting a legal team to review a contract.
6. How to add new value. The best retention strategy is to continue creating new value, Iannarino says. Don’t get so consumed with landing new clients that you fail to grow your existing ones. Be sure to include ways to cross-sell and upsell in your sales flowchart.
A sales flowchart can clarify next steps for your sales team and help them keep prospects moving through the funnel. While every team’s flowchart looks a little different, you should ensure yours includes the key components above.
Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: Anthony Iannarino is the founder and CEO of B2B Sales Coach & Consultancy, a boutique sales coaching and consulting firm. A global business leader, he speaks more than 60 times a year to audiences around the world.
