Question: A colleague at another company has developed a sales process with four steps in it. They are concerned that the process is too short. What would you tell them?
- “If the process is robust enough to support the needs of your sales team, it doesn’t matter how long or short it is.”
- “Shorter processes are easier for salespeople to remember and execute, so having such a short process is ideal.”
- “Don’t forget to include steps for places where a sale runs into trouble. Have you considered adding steps for following up, rescheduling meetings, and finding a new point of contact?”
- “Four steps might actually be too long. The ideal sales process has three steps: prospect, demo, close.”
Explanation
The effectiveness of a sales process is determined by how well it supports the sales team’s activities and aligns with buyer needs, not by the number of steps. A shorter or longer process can be equally effective if it includes all critical rep-focused actions and buyer-focused outcomes. Flexibility in design allows teams to tailor stages to their selling context. Robustness, clarity, and consistency are more important than length for driving predictable results and accurate forecasting.
Why the other options are incorrect
Shorter processes are easier for salespeople to remember and execute, so having such a short process is ideal overemphasizes memorability over effectiveness.
Don’t forget to include steps for places where a sale runs into trouble. Have you considered adding steps for following up, rescheduling meetings, and finding a new point of contact assumes the current process is incomplete without evidence.
Four steps might actually be too long. The ideal sales process has three steps: prospect, demo, close incorrectly prescribes a fixed ideal length rather than focusing on alignment with sales needs.
Source for verification
HubSpot Knowledge Base – How to Build a Sales Process
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