Publications
Publications
- September 24, 2024
- Harvard Business Review (website)
4 Steps That Can Optimize Your Sales Process
By: Frank V. Cespedes, Scott Peterson and Daniel Weinfurter
Abstract
Sales is a performance art where outcomes matter, so most advice here focuses on closing the sale. But a close is the result of actions and choices that occur earlier in the process: how much time and effort to spend on customer discovery (understanding what and to whom you are selling), lead qualification (separating the suspects from true prospects), and performance management (time spent on training, reviews, and other activities that help to create a continuous improvement culture in business-development efforts). Each element is more important when interest rates (and therefore working capital costs) rise and selling cycles lengthen. This article discusses what one company did to improve how it allocates effort in these areas, and the implications for pricing, cost-to-serve, cash-conversion cycles, and profitable growth in many other businesses.
Keywords
Citation
Cespedes, Frank V., Scott Peterson, and Daniel Weinfurter. "4 Steps That Can Optimize Your Sales Process." Harvard Business Review (website) (September 24, 2024).