London School of Sales is your hub for the most comprehensive online sales programmes, all CPD accredited. We offer tailored solutions to refine your sales performance, whether you’re new to sales or seeking improvement. Explore the Sales Process & Prospecting: Optimising Pipeline & Closing Success Programme details and your potential learning outcomes here. Enrol now if it fits your needs or discover other sales programmes.

Sales Process & Prospecting Programme Module Details

A systematic and well-defined sales framework, applied consistently, is the key to driving exceptional sales results. Learn how to streamline your sales process, differentiate between the different buyers and maximise conversion efficiency.

Module 1 – The Sales Cycle

Sales is not entirely unpredictable and adding some structure to the process can help create consistency and stability. In this module, you will:

1. Assess the importance of understanding the sales cycle.
2. Explore the 7 steps in the sales cycle. 
3. Discover the factors that drive sales as well as those that hinder them. 
4. Evaluate a ‘normal sales cycle’ and how to manage unexpected delays.

Module 2 – Buyer Persona

Too often, salespeople focus on themselves and on what they are offering as opposed to what their prospect needs or wants.  In this module, you will:

1. Discover what a buyer persona is. 
2. Determine how to connect the dots between the marketing target audience profile, marketing persona, and buyer persona. 
3. Explore the 5 distinct types of buyers and how to engage them. 
4. Review how to engage with economic buyers and their gatekeepers.
5. Identify how to create a buyer persona.

Module 3 – Prospecting

Prospecting is often considered the toughest part of sales, and many salespeople struggle with it. It’s important to understand the prospecting process and ensure you have the right planning and focus in place. In this module, you will:

1. Review what prospecting involves and why it is important.
2. Differentiate between leads vs. prospects and prospecting vs. lead generation. 
3. Explore the 5 steps to prospect effectively. 
4. Evaluate the importance of benchmarking and setting prospecting goals.

Module 4 – Sales Cadence

To nurture and guide the sales process a sales cadence can help create awareness, generate engagement, and build momentum. In this module, you will:

1. Discover what a B2B sales cadence is. 
2. Review why and how you use a sales cadence within the sales process. 
3. Identify how to develop an effective sales cadence. 
4. Explore the 7 components of a sales cadence.

Module 5 – Pipeline Management

This module offers a framework for building a consistent sales pipeline, measuring results, adapting to market changes, and continuous development of your understanding. In this module, you will:

1. Discover what pipeline management is, and why it matters. 
2. Identify the elements to consider when developing the sales pipeline. 
3. Explore the stages in the sales pipeline process. 
4. Learn proactive sales pipeline management for better prospecting and conversion.
5. Determine how to proactively review and feed the sales pipeline.

Module 6 – Metrics and Forecasting

Have you heard the expression that sales is a numbers game? In some ways, this is true, but it’s also a game of performance where you can control the outcomes. In this module, you will:

1. Recognise the importance of measuring sales performance metrics.
2. Identify how to calculate sales benchmarks and visualise sales pipelines.
3. Explore the difference between sales potential and sales forecasting. 
4. Discover how metrics support the sales process.

Module 7 – First Customer Meetings

The prospect has agreed to meet with you, showing interest in you, your company, and your products/services. The meeting’s success will determine the opportunity’s progress. In this module, you will:

1. Evaluate what the objective of the first customer meeting is.
2. Review the 4 meeting stages and how to plan for each.
3. Identify some common mistakes salespeople make in first meetings.

Module 8 – Creating & Maintaining Urgency

The inability to create and maintain urgency often delays opportunities in the sales process. When barriers exist, this leads to a lengthening of the sales cycle and a pushback on decisions.  In this module, you will:

1. Identify the importance of maintaining urgency at the sales process’s outset.
2. Understand how identifying pain points and needs can drive urgency.
3. Evaluate strategies for building urgency from the start of the process.
4. Review why asking for the business is part of the maintaining urgency process.
5. Identify the non-buying signals that you need to watch and listen out for.

Module 9 – Sales Negotiation

In every transaction where a need is being fulfilled, there is an opportunity to negotiate. This two-way process is beneficial for both the seller and the buyer. In this module, you will:

1. Review what negotiation is.
2. Explore effective negotiation management from pre-negotiation to reaching an agreement.
3. Identify your non-negotiables and list of tradeable elements when negotiating.
4. Explore the rules of negotiation and what to actively avoid.

Module 10 – Negotiation with Procurement

Companies use procurement teams to streamline and standardise purchasing, including vetting, sourcing, and negotiation, for effective and efficient operations while maximising value and minimising costs. In this module, you will:

1. Review what the role of procurement is.
2. Identify why companies use procurement teams.
3. Explore the procurement mindset, their objectives, and how they operate.
4. Discover how to proactively work with procurement teams.

Module 11 – Closing the Sale

Closing a sale, similar to reaching a mountain’s summit, marks the peak of effort, strategy, and perseverance. Unlike a mountain with a defined summit, sales can close at various stages. Recognising these points and formally asking for the business is crucial. In this module, you will:

1. Examine the formality of closing a sale, including various techniques to use.
2. Evaluate the buying signals you need to be listening to and looking out for.
3. Understand how showing empathy during sales process delays can enhance relationships.
4. Assess strategies for managing delays.
5. Realise the final critical steps once you close the sale.

Whatever your sales challenges, London School of Sales is here to support you. We’re on a mission to transform the perception of sales from within, creating an environment where sales professionals can thrive and access the tools, skills, mindset, and understanding required to master the sales process.

Our online courses, aligned with your values and sales objectives, cover everything to unlock your potential with self-paced and remote learning. Enrol now to ‘Sales Process & Prospecting: Optimising Pipeline & Closing Success’ Programme. Or, explore our other sales programmes.