Typical stages of a B2B sales cycle
- Prospecting: finding potential customers.
- Qualification: checking fit, need, budget and timing.
- Discovery: understanding the prospect’s situation and goals.
- Proposal: presenting a solution and a price.
- Negotiation: handling objections and agreeing on terms.
- Closing: signing the deal.
- Onboarding and follow-up: delivering, and building the relationship for repeat business.
Measuring the sales cycle
Track the average time from first contact to closed deal, the conversion rate between stages and where deals stall. A CRM makes these numbers easy to see.
How marketing can shorten it
- Answer common questions and objections with content, before sales has to.
- Share case studies, prices or price ranges, and a clear description of how you work.
- Nurture leads with helpful emails until they are ready.
- Hand over leads quickly, with context about what they have read and asked.
Sales cycle example
A company that sells accounting software to small firms has a sales cycle of about three weeks: a first visit to the website, a trial, a call, a proposal and a decision. A company that sells payroll systems to enterprises has a cycle of nine months, with a team of buyers, a security review and a pilot. The two should not use the same marketing plan, even if both sell “software”.
How to shorten the sales cycle
- Find the stage where deals wait the longest, using CRM data.
- Answer common objections earlier, with FAQs, case studies and pricing information.
- Qualify leads sooner so time goes to buyers who are ready.
- Give prospects tools to decide, such as comparison sheets and demos.
- Follow up promptly at each step.
- Involve decision-makers early.
Sales cycle mistakes
- Pushing for a close too early and losing trust.
- Not following up between stages.
- Measuring the average only, which hides fast and slow deal types.
- Ignoring the time before the lead reaches sales.
Sales cycle FAQs
How does it relate to the customer journey?
The sales cycle is the seller’s view of the steps. See customer journey and lead nurturing.
How long should it be?
It depends on price and complexity. See CRM and account-based marketing.