If we think of a sale as customer As end users, perhaps we will only see the specific moment of the transaction, but if we put ourselves in the shoes of a marketing expert, this would be just one more step in the whole process. To close a sale, it is essential to carry out a preliminary analysis of the brand, the competition, the sector and the products; and then, we will need to design a sales cycle strategy in which each of its seven stages involves specific, well-defined actions.
If you’ve studied marketing, market research and sales, I’m sure you already know this, but the hardest part isn’t securing a conversion; it’s knowing your audience so well that you can win them over, and being so creative that you never stop surprising them – that’s how you build their loyalty.
Discover the 7 stages of the sales cycle
As the competition evolves, improves, innovates and grows, it is necessary to pay closer attention to the sales cycle, as the actions we take at each of these stages will be decisive. But let’s start by defining what these stages are and what this seven-step process involves.
- Research or prospecting: Potential customers are identified and sought out. Research is carried out and data is collected on potential customers who may be interested in the product or service on offer.
- Grade: At this stage, the quality of the prospects identified in the previous stage is assessed. An analysis is carried out to determine whether they meet the criteria set for becoming actual customers. This involves establishing whether they have needs that can be met by the product or service and whether they have the financial means to purchase it.
- Connection: The aim of this stage is to attract attention. This marks the start of interaction with the potential customer, which will take place via the channels most frequently used by our target audience: social media, email marketing, organic search and offline media. It is important to tailor the message and its format to each of these channels.
- Introduction: Now is the time to present the products and services on offer in greater detail. Their features, benefits and added value are highlighted, which will set them apart from the competition. The aim is to persuade the potential customer and demonstrate how the product or service can meet their needs.
- Feedback and objections: At this stage, the salesperson addresses any criticisms or doubts raised by the customer. They listen to the customer’s concerns and provide convincing answers and arguments to overcome the objections and build the customer’s confidence.
- End of sale: The sale is finalised, with the customer accepting the terms and conditions of purchase. This stage is important not only because we achieve our objective, but also because we have secured the customer’s trust and commitment, which we must then maintain.
- Follow-up: It is at the final stage that we need to implement the most creative and innovative customer loyalty strategies to ensure that the customer is not drawn to another brand and that an emotional bond is formed, which will encourage them to choose us whenever they need one of our products or services.
How to make your first online sales
As you know, every business is unique, with its own brand, identity, objectives and target audience; however, we’d still like to guide you through the most commonly used tactics for generating initial sales – or, failing that, a portfolio of leads – so that you can continue to refine your sales cycle strategy in a more informed way.
If you already have a product that has been analysed, is niche and has been tested on a small scale, you are ready to take the following steps:
Drive traffic to your website: In the early stages, it’s very important to build brand awareness. To do this, you’ll need to develop an SEO strategy (to drive organic traffic to your website) and a paid advertising strategy on Google Ads (to increase visits from users targeted by interest and other filters). Of course, these are the most basic steps you should take, but you should also consider investing in more aggressive strategies such as affiliate marketing or lead generation via social media.
Influencer campaigns: If your target audience is active on social media and your product is well-suited to these platforms, don’t hesitate to run influencer marketing campaigns to boost brand awareness. You can offer discounts and other benefits via these digital influencers’ profiles to generate leads.
Within these two broad categories of strategies for making your first sales, there are many different approaches and possibilities you can explore. Keep an eye on our blog to find out more about trends in digital business!
How to build stable, long-lasting relationships throughout the sales cycle
Once you’ve secured your first few sales, the hardest part comes next: getting customers to buy from you again. To do this, you need to get one step closer to your customers, involve them in your brand values and, of course, reward them for placing their trust in your business. Here’s how you can do it:
Send an email…with exclusive offers: make them feel special with discounts, birthday wishes and gifts, an engaging newsletter featuring content that offers solutions, and anything else you can think of that might be of interest to your closest audience.
Organises events exclusively for top clients: if your brand lends itself to it, you can also continue to strengthen connections in the real world. Events are a great way to enhance the user experience and take it from the digital realm into the tangible world, which sets you apart from your competitors and reinforces brand recall.
What about you? Have you ever put these or other strategies into practice? Do you think it’s important to work thoroughly through every stage of the sales cycle? At Educa.Pro, we continue to research the latest trends and news in the digital world. Follow us – we’d love to share it with you!
