Curious to know what people say or how they break down their sales process when being asked in an interview.
In interviews what is your response to "walk me through your sales process"?
16
countingmyinterest
Politicker
14
Account Executive
I start by walking them through the calls/objectives.
Ex, I sell 30-75k ACV deal. Pretty lean organizations, maybe about 2-3 layers of bureaucracy.
Call 1: Discovery w/SDR or high level convo about objectives (if self-sourced). Usually 5 min maxCall 2: More discovery about process/objectives – mix with light bit of demo. (30-45 min). Try to sell next step in the process of including other references in the call. Bring up budget and get an idea of scoping a quote.Call 3: Get buy-in from other stakeholders – could be demo. Include pricing and go over it.Call 4: Go over contract and see who else needs to be involved. Reassure value/ROI. Create mutual action plan.Call 5: Mutual action plan and map out signatory timeline/request for signature. Talk about post-sale handoff.Call 6: Celebrate closed-won and handoff to CS
Ex, I sell 30-75k ACV deal. Pretty lean organizations, maybe about 2-3 layers of bureaucracy.
Call 1: Discovery w/SDR or high level convo about objectives (if self-sourced). Usually 5 min maxCall 2: More discovery about process/objectives – mix with light bit of demo. (30-45 min). Try to sell next step in the process of including other references in the call. Bring up budget and get an idea of scoping a quote.Call 3: Get buy-in from other stakeholders – could be demo. Include pricing and go over it.Call 4: Go over contract and see who else needs to be involved. Reassure value/ROI. Create mutual action plan.Call 5: Mutual action plan and map out signatory timeline/request for signature. Talk about post-sale handoff.Call 6: Celebrate closed-won and handoff to CS
ChumpChange
Politicker
1
Channel Manager
Great walkthrough.
punishedlad
Tycoon
1
Business Development Team Lead
Thank you for putting in the effort so I don't have to.
Sunbunny31
Politicker
0
Sr Sales Executive 🐰
This is a solid outline.
countingmyinterest
Politicker
4
Account Executive
Don't forget to give credit when you use it ;)
Maximas
Tycoon
0
Senior Sales Executive
Good one!
Diablo
Politicker
0
Sr. AE
Great organized answer
RandyLahey
Politicker
0
Account Executive
Nice work! I like this outline a lot.
DalJigsaw
Contributor
0
Business Development and Account Manager
Damn good stuff.
Pachacuti
Politicker
13
They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy
I ask them “what do you mean by sales process”. It differs from company to company, product to product, and industry to industry. There is no perfect sales process. There is just the one which worked for that deal.
Now if they mean “what’s my sales methodology“. That’s completely different. My methodology is to ask questions. Lots of them. Create the conversation. Build the relationship. Let them know I care (even when I don’t).
Lead them down the path without them knowing it. Make it natural. Understand their buying criteria and THEIR buying process.
That’s how I do it.
Now if they mean “what’s my sales methodology“. That’s completely different. My methodology is to ask questions. Lots of them. Create the conversation. Build the relationship. Let them know I care (even when I don’t).
Lead them down the path without them knowing it. Make it natural. Understand their buying criteria and THEIR buying process.
That’s how I do it.
goose
Politicker
5
Sales Executive
This needs more upvotes. Anyone who responds with their "selling" process is going to be stuck in SMB, transactional sales.
CuriousFox
WR Officer
3
🦊
GOOOOOOOSSSSSSEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!
goose
Politicker
1
Sales Executive
Hi
redpanda
Contributor
0
MidMarket Account Exec
Can you elaborate on this please? I feel the same but I'd like your thoughts on it
goose
Politicker
1
Sales Executive
In my opinion, sales can be compared to competitive sports. Take football, for example. Your sales process might be “run first, dominate the line of scrimmage, be aggressive on first down, whatever”. Think about Bill Walsh scripting the first fifteen plays of the game. If you find yourself down 14 in the first quarter you are going to want to modify your process. Get more aggressive. If you are down 21 in the fourth quarter you may need a different process.
GideonW
Executive
1
Client Engagement Manager
I usually describe the “ideal” sales cycle, brief outline of each of the meetings, and give 1 or 2 examples of me going through that process with a current client.
HVACexpert
Politicker
1
sales engineer
Do people get asked this often? I’ve never been asked
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
i first start off by breaking it down high level: Prospecting, discovery, demo, closing
then give a few details about all of them:
Prospecting: how i qualify an account, what my out reach looks like
Discovery: how I approach it, how i structure a disco call, a few questions i askDemo: how i structure demos to make them solid, and what my next steps areClosing: how i go from "yes" to signed contract
ill keep it kind of high level, and then say something like:
"happy to dive into that in more details depending on what you want to focus on"
then give a few details about all of them:
Prospecting: how i qualify an account, what my out reach looks like
Discovery: how I approach it, how i structure a disco call, a few questions i askDemo: how i structure demos to make them solid, and what my next steps areClosing: how i go from "yes" to signed contract
ill keep it kind of high level, and then say something like:
"happy to dive into that in more details depending on what you want to focus on"
Justatitle
Big Shot
1
Account Executive
Really I try to keep it simple. Discovery, understand if there is a fit or not and are we a good fit. Demo, show why we are a good fit. 18 rounds of legal redlines and 4 new internal processes my champion magically just found out about and then moving the opportunity to Closed Lost... any questions?
GingerBarbarian
Opinionated
1
Lead Sales
Every organization has a different sales process, so it may help to break it down in a certain way. The most simplified process I have found is
Intro
Short Story
Presentation
Close
Rehash (Referrals / expansion)
Most sales processes that I have seen have fallen into these steps in some way.
Intro- Social media webinar
Short Story- Email list with call-to-actionPresentation - Demo
Close: FulfillmentRehash: Ask for referrals.
Odds are you can break these steps down in your own process and keep the story similar. Likewise, framing it this way gives you a way to understand and frame their own process too.
Intro
Short Story
Presentation
Close
Rehash (Referrals / expansion)
Most sales processes that I have seen have fallen into these steps in some way.
Intro- Social media webinar
Short Story- Email list with call-to-actionPresentation - Demo
Close: FulfillmentRehash: Ask for referrals.
Odds are you can break these steps down in your own process and keep the story similar. Likewise, framing it this way gives you a way to understand and frame their own process too.
DalJigsaw
Contributor
0
Business Development and Account Manager
Thank you!!!
kelvin26
Fire Starter
-1
administrative manager
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22 comments