“I’m a one-person business. I don’t need a sales process. I just talk to people.”
We hear this all the time. And it’s usually said by someone whose sales go up and down like a roller coaster, with no clear idea why.
What a sales process actually is
A sales process isn’t a corporate playbook. It’s simply the same steps, in the same order, every time someone shows interest. It answers: what happens when a lead comes in, what do I ask, when do I ask for the sale, and what happens if they don’t buy yet?
Why it matters, especially when you’re small
- Consistency: your results stop depending on whether you’re having a good day.
- Improvement: you can’t fix what you can’t see. With steps, you can find exactly where people drop off.
- Time: you stop spending hours with people who were never going to buy.
- Growth: when you’re ready to hire, you have something to teach. Without a process, only you can sell.
A simple five-step process
- Respond fast. Reply to every new inquiry within hours, not days. Speed alone wins deals.
- Qualify. Check four things: do they have a real need, the means to pay, the authority to decide, and a reason to start soon?
- Discover. Ask about their situation, goal, obstacles and the cost of doing nothing. Then summarize it back to them.
- Recommend and ask. Present only what fits, then clearly ask for the decision.
- Follow up. A planned sequence for everyone who doesn’t buy yet.
Track three numbers
Each week, count: new conversations, sales asks made, and sales closed. Within a month you’ll know exactly where your process needs work.
Sales is the level most businesses skip
In our 8-level method, Sales sits right after Marketing, and it’s where most businesses lose the most money. Find out whether it’s your weakest level with the free Mirrorline Audit. If leads come in but don’t buy, start there: The Obsidian Technique gives you a complete process you can use tonight, and our sales coaching builds one around your business.