What is the sales pipe?

Sales pipe or sales process is a number of events that are manifested from the identification of the potential customer to the maintenance of the customer account to the closure of the sale. As a culmination of an event in a business transaction, selling is the only most important process that defines the state of business in business. Theorists tried to divide the sales pipe into recognizable steps to turn the process into a discipline that can be measured, studied and taught, rather than something that simply happens in the customer's whim. Most people who study the sales pipe will divide this process into four phases that include a few steps. The names of phases and steps may vary depending on the terminology of a person conducting, but the basic theory is essentially the same during the sales cycle. The development of opportunities, assessing the need, fulfillment and maintenance includes four main categories of contacts that range from identification to closure.

Opportunity development includes two steps. The seller mustidentify a new opportunity and start communication. This will often include a set of fit criteria to a random group of sales potential customers. The sale process only starts when the management is confirmed as a good fit or probable customer.

The needs of the needs of the needs contains steps that determine the expressed and unexplained customer needs. The seller could have a completed request or survey. Common interactions may include the development of the scope of work or looking at samples. The intended result is to have a qualified buyer with needs identified and agreed.

Fulfillment includes the development and design of a solution that will suit the customer's needs. The next steps include Proposal and Bargaining assessment. Finally, this process culminates with a sales order and money exchange. This is a typical end of the Sales Order process because interactionIt resulted in tangible sales, but it is not the end of the sales pipe.

Some sales pipe studies identify the fourth category of account maintenance interaction. Customers always have the potential to become repeated customers and can be a source of recommendations. Maintenance -related steps include periodic monitoring and development of a continuing relationship that can lead to a pipe restart.