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Sales Training Modules for 7 stages of Sales Cycle:

A sale is a 7 step process irrespective of product or service categories. These 7 stages are sacrosanct
across industries and geographies. All marketing and sales professional have agreed on the
complexities involved on each of these 7 stages.

Organisations need to plan out an adequate sales training methodology to support its sales force on
each step of this 7 stages cycle for its own success.

The selling skills required for each of these 7 steps vary from one another and requires a deep
understanding of the salesman’s ability and consumer behaviour.

The sales training catalogue also needs to be designed on the 7 stages requirement format.
Mechanisms need to be implemented to mend the gap areas of the sales persons’ skills at each level.

Stage 1:
Prospecting – It’s basically the hunting stage of ‘Sales Cycle’. It requires customer interaction and
meetings. The salesperson needs to hunt profiles that are looking out for a solution for their ‘pain’.
Skills Required: Product Knowledge, Industry knowledge, Market insights.
Recommended Training Program: The art of cold calling, Cold calling Techniques, Telephone
etiquettes etc.

Stage 2:
Lead Generation - In this stage, the salesperson needs to identify prospects are willing to share their
information and details to fix their need or ‘pain’.
Skills Required: Customer Interaction, Techniques of Need Analysis.
Recommended Training Program: Methods of Need Analysis, Art of Lead Generation.

Stage 3:
Prospect Qualification- In this stage a salesperson needs to assess the prospect against parameters
like intent, interest, ability to pay etc.
Skills Required: Listening skills, Assessment Skills, Solution Mapping skills.
Recommended Training Program: Methods of Sales Qualification

Stage 4:
Sales Presentation: In this stage the salesperson needs to communicate his proposals and solutions
to the prospect.
Skills Required: Product Knowledge, Competition knowledge, Communication Skills.
Recommended Training Program: Professional Selling Skills Program.
Stage 5:
Objection Handling: Every salesperson needs to go through this unavoidable stage. Queries and
objections should be taken positively and to be addressed professionally.
Skills Required: Communication skills, product Knowledge, Evidence sharing skills.
Recommended Training Program: Major Account Penetration Program

Stage 6:
Closing the deal: It is the most important decision making stage. With elimination at every stage, few
deals come up to this level.
Skills Required: Negotiation Skills, Communication Skills, Relationship Skills, Product knowledge
Recommended Training Program: Major Account Selling Skills program.

Stage 7
Reference Generation: An effective salesperson should not leave the ‘sales cycle’ at stage 6. He
should always try for generating reference from his customers. A reference from existing customer is
always appreciated.
Skills Required: Relationship Management Skills, after sales servicing skills.
Recommended Training Program: The techniques of Relationship Management, Up-selling
techniques.

In few of the stages ‘Off the Job’ may fit in but in most of the 7 stages, ‘On the Job’ training should
bring an ideal outcome. The sales trainer needs to play the role of a ‘mentor’ than a ‘teacher’.

The sales trainer should run the program on the job and need to conduct refresher programs for the
weak candidates. The training modules also require several role plays and group activities (part of Off
the Job training) before going on for live testing.