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10 ways to create a repeatable sales process in today’s modern digital age

Writer's picture: Petra SprekosPetra Sprekos

In the fast-paced, modern digital age, creating a repeatable sales process is essential for businesses of any size and industry. With a myriad of choices and channels available to buyers and varying generational preferences, businesses must hone in on ten fundamental areas to develop a robust and repeatable sales strategy. While this list is not exhaustive or set in stone, nor is it a playbook on how to get it all done, focusing on these areas will set your business apart from the competition. 



1. Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)


Clearly defining your target audience is crucial for tailoring your sales strategies effectively. In today's diverse and dynamic market, understanding the specific needs and preferences of different customer segments is more critical than ever. This approach allows you to connect with buyers on a deeper level and deliver solutions that truly resonate with them.  It is no surprise that our research study Sales in Focus ’24 earlier this year showed that this is one of the top priorities for sales leaders today.


ICP’s are needed for targeted and relevant lead generation, and a well-defined ICP fosters team focus and sales effectiveness.  By having a clear ICP, your sales team can focus their efforts on the most promising leads, using strategies and approaches that are most likely to succeed with each segment. For example, you might use different sales tactics for start-ups compared to established corporations, recognising that each requires a unique approach to address their specific needs and buying behaviours.



2. Value Propositions


Articulating the unique benefits and solutions your product or service offers is essential to stand out from the competition. In today's saturated market, a compelling value proposition can make the difference between winning a customer and losing them.


Dr Alexander Osterwalder developed a value proposition framework to ensure that there is a fit between the product and the market. It is a detailed tool for modelling the relationship between two parts of Osterwalder’s broader Business Model Canvas: customer segments and value propositions.


The Value Proposition Canvas can be used when there is need to refine an existing product or service offering or where a new offering is being developed from scratch.


value proposition framework

Supporting this research, the very first step in developing or redefining your value proposition is analysing your customer’s pain points by identifying the specific problems and challenges faced by your target audience. You should start by directly talking to your customer-facing teams (look outside sales too) and look at the data you have internally. You may also consider conducting surveys, interviews, and market research to gather insights directly from your customers if you do not have enough. 


Work on clearly articulating what makes your product or service unique and why it will be of value to your customers. Focus on features that directly address the pain points of your ICPs. Use simple and clear language to explain how these features translate into tangible benefits.  As part of this process, you should analyse your competitors’ offerings and identify areas where your product excels. This is often the part that is missed but most useful. By investing the time and effort to develop tailored value propositions, you can better connect with your customers, address their specific needs, and ultimately drive growth and success for your business.



3. Documenting the Buying Process


Understanding and mapping out the buyer's journey is essential for aligning your sales efforts with their decision-making stages. This process allows you to identify key customer touchpoints and potential friction points, ensuring that you can effectively service both prospective and existing customers.


This process is by far the more extensive yet critical stage of the sales strategy. It starts by gathering the data on your buyers, then it moves into breaking down the key stages of the buying journey typically this includes awareness, consideration, decision, and post-purchase stages. Each stage represents a different mindset and set of behaviours that the buyer goes through.


document the buying process

As part of this, you will then analyse pain points and friction areas where customers face challenges or obstacles. We often include the broader team in this section as there are a lot of hidden gems in the process that often get surfaced by those undertaking it.


Aligning sales and marketing strategies tailored to address the specific needs and concerns at each stage of the journey then make up part of this process together with implementation and testing improvements.  This could involve optimising your website, refining your sales pitches, enhancing customer support, or creating targeted content.



4. Sales Approach and Sales Channels


Now that you have a clear understanding of your ICP, value propositions, and the buyer’s journey, the next crucial step is to determine the most effective sales strategies and channels to reach and engage your target customers. This ensures you maintain a consistent approach and effectively service all markets.


There is no real easy way to do this, but a great place to start is by understanding your customer preferences and behaviour, and understanding where your ICP spends their time and how they prefer to be contacted.


Decide whether an inside sales approach, outbound sales approach, or a combination of both is most effective for your business. Consider factors such as the complexity of your product, the length of the sales cycle, and the level of customer support required. You will then choose the most effective channels to reach your ICP. This will vary based on your target market and their preferred methods of communication.



5. Sales Enablement, Content, and Tools


Equipping your sales team with the necessary resources, content, and tools is crucial for enhancing their productivity and success. This involves providing them with the right materials and technology to improve sales conversations, manage leads effectively, and optimise the pitch process.


Leveraging technology and tools to streamline your sales processes and enhance productivity is a key element of your sales approach. This includes CRM systems, marketing automation platforms, sales analytics, and communication tools.  Understanding and defining how they can support and enable your sales process is a key ingredient in defining the right sales approach and channel to market.


There are some great technologies also now to store and share this content both internally and externally, and once again from our Sales in Focus ’24 study, sales businesses today are investing heavily in this space.


sales enablement, content & tools




6. Daily Sales Activities & Cadences


Now that the sales process and approach are firmly established, the next crucial step is enabling success by maintaining momentum and focus through consistent sales activities and routines. This stage is vital for driving sales outputs, fostering customer growth, and ensuring retention and it starts with call volumes and activity levels but also extends out to pipeline management and meeting minimum expectations around data entry activities for example or retention levels.  These activities should be directly aligned with the sales quotas as well as your overall sales goals and strategy.



7. The Lead Process


To ensure a steady flow of potential customers, it is crucial to implement a structured process for lead generation, qualification, and conversion. This structured approach helps optimise lead generation efforts, ensures a diversified strategy, and improves conversion rates. This includes but is not limited to defining lead generation strategies, establishing lead generation criteria - to qualify leads based on their potential value and likelihood to convert, developing a lead nurturing process as well as lead conversion tactics and finally using automation to drive effectiveness through the process.  A lot of CRMs can help you do this, but it’s about defining the process that works first and then optimising it as you go.  This should never be a set and forget and lead generation tactics should be proactive and should find leads not simply be reactive.



8. Nurturing Customers


Businesses that retain customers well understand their customers’ needs and preferences and develop strategies to build and maintain relationships with customers.  Nurturing customers effectively can significantly improve retention rates, customer satisfaction, and ultimately, the lifetime value (LTV) of your clients. Some tactics and approaches to do this that have been very successful in many B2B businesses today include linking customer service with sales and providing that end-to-end consistant experience for the customer.  High-quality customer service is a cornerstone of customer satisfaction and retention. 


Another tactic we are seeing more and more of is personalised interactions and tailored messaging that address the specific needs and interests of each segment.  Thought leadership and creating value through content and education providing valuable content helps customers get the most out of your products or services and keeps them engaged but also helps them grow as a business at the same time. 


nurturing customers

Not new, but one thing we are seeing a comeback from in B2B land is loyalty programs that can incentivise repeat business and reward customers for their ongoing engagement.  And finally building a community around your brand can enhance customer loyalty and create a sense of belonging.  There are more tactics, but these are the ones we are seeing get some real traction across a wide range of industries and customer segments.



9. Sales Capability


To drive sales excellence and maintain a competitive edge, it’s essential to continuously invest in the training and development of your sales team. This not only enhances their individual skills but also ensures they are equipped to handle the evolving demands of the market.


This process starts with being super clear on the capabilities you need, documenting them and identifying the gaps and recruiting against them both within and outside the organisation, across both sales and marketing.  When I talk about recruiting, I also talk about it in the vein of what skill sets do we need to bring in versus how we can upskill our team, and then developing a program to support this, ongoing.  Our Sales in Focus ’24 research showed that despite sales teams still not investing heavily enough in training and development, areas such as business acumen, digital capability together with “the basics” are all key areas of focus on the leaders of today to support business growth in the modern digital age. McKinsey research also confirms digital is a key area required for upskilling sales teams, as it now affects every part of the decision journey.


building sales capability


10. Measurement & Reporting


Finally, to maintain a competitive edge and drive continuous improvement, it's crucial to regularly track and analyse sales performance metrics. This practice not only helps to identify areas that need enhancement but also ensures accountability within the team. By closely monitoring key metrics, such as conversion rates, average deal size, sales cycle length, and customer acquisition costs, you can gain valuable insights into your sales process and identify patterns or issues that need addressing. You should also talk about these same metrics across the business and create common language and visibility across the business.  Sales and growth are not just a sales job, it’s a business-wide task and unless the entire business is aligned growth will be harder to find.  Sales in Focus ’24 also spoke about an increase in investment by Sales Orgs in data and analytics technology to support centralised customer data and enhanced insights for both reporting and performance.


By concentrating on these areas when deciding or optimising your B2B sales process, businesses can develop a repeatable and scalable sales strategy that leads to consistency, clarity in operations, and a greater chance of achieving sales effectiveness, driving growth, and ensuring long-term success.


 

At Arktic Fox, we help B2B and sales business with all areas of the sales process and sales strategy.  To find out more about our services and how we can support your growth objectives visit our services here or contact us.

 

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