Core Stages of the B2B Sales Process

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While every B2B sales process may have unique nuances, a common set of stages guides interactions from initial contact to post-sale support.

Navigating the B2B Sales Funnel
A well-defined sales funnel helps organize efforts and track progress.

Lead Generation and Prospecting: This initial stage focuses on identifying potential customers (leads) who align with the ideal customer profile. This can involve inbound marketing (content marketing, SEO), outbound efforts (cold calling, email outreach), networking, referrals, and leveraging sales intelligence tools. Effective prospecting is about identifying businesses with a shop genuine need for your product or service.
Lead Qualification: Not all leads are created equal. Qualification involves assessing whether a lead is a good fit and has the potential to become a customer. This often uses frameworks like BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline) or MEDDIC (Metrics, Economic Buyer, Decision Criteria, Decision Process, Identify Pain, Champion) to determine a lead's readiness to buy. Unqualified leads should be nurtured or deselected to optimize sales resources.