7 steps and 6 tips to master your sales cycle

Understanding your company's sales cycle is essential, because to turn prospects into customers (and ideally into loyal customers), your sales staff need to use a well-honed strategy.

The sales cycle is an invaluable tool for determining the various stages involved in achieving the Holy Grail: closing a sale.

But what are they? Are there differences between B2B and B2C activities? And what actions and good practices need to be applied throughout the sales process to maximise your chances of achieving your objectives?

Sales teams, get ready to make your sales take off!

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What is the sales cycle?

Introduction to the sales cycle

The sales cycle is defined as the series of stages involved in turning a prospect into a customer. It is therefore a precise diagram, a methodology to be followed, enabling you to :

• frame and control your sales actions as effectively as possible ;
• evaluate your performance (for example, you can analyse the length of your sales cycle from one month to the next, or compare it with that of rival companies);
• detect any weaknesses and identify areas for improvement.

It is therefore important that each company takes the time to set up its own sales cycle, to "map" it, in order to determine the best approach to follow to achieve the ultimate goal: getting the sales contract signed!

The different types of sales cycle

The classic sales cycle is traditionally broken down into seven stages, which we will describe in more detail below.

However, many experts agree that there are 3 different types of sales cycle:

• The short sales cycle, or "one shot": this is mainly used for products or services where the stakes are low, or where the sums involved are small. This pattern is very common in B2C sales.
  
  
• The R1/R2 sales cycle, or two-stage selling: this cycle, which mainly concerns tradespeople, consultants and service providers, comprises :
  • a phase of discovering the prospect's needs,
  • then a stage in which you present your sales proposal, deal with objections and, in the best-case scenario, close.
    
    
• The long, or complex, sales cycle: a long process reveals a greater need for reflection, as is often the case in B2B.

B2B sales cycle VS B2C sales cycle: what are the differences?

Sales cycle management is a process that applies to both B2B and B2C, since in both cases it is essential to follow a well-honed strategy.

However, there are a few differences:

💡 The BtoB sales cycle is generally longer, especially if your company deals with large accounts. Indeed, in this context, the questioning is in-depth, the decision-makers compare several suppliers (as part of a call for tenders, for example) and the approval of several individuals is generally required.

💡 In BtoC, we are dealing more with a short sales cycle, or "one shot": only one person is involved in the purchasing decision. What's more, the thought process is quicker, particularly when the potential buyer is in direct contact with the offer, at a point of sale for example.

The 7 stages of the sales cycle

The sales cycle differs from one company to another, since it depends on a number of factors (target clientele, nature of the product or service being sold, etc.).

Here, however, is the classic diagram:

Stage 1: sales prospecting and initial contact

This first stage in the sales process consists of looking for prospects. This involves identifying people, companies or organisations likely to be interested in your sales offer, using a variety of channels:

• marketing, particularly inbound marketing
• professional social networks
• face-to-face meetings at trade events,
• door-to-door canvassing, etc.

Once the leads have been identified, it's time to make initial contact:

• by phone,
• by email
• on professional social networks, etc.

Stage 2: prospect qualification

From the outset, the sales department gathers the information needed to understand the profile of the prospect or company.

In this way, they can make sure that they are the right person for the job. There's no point, for example, in spending time negotiating with an organisation that doesn't have the budget to buy your solution!

Stage 3: identifying needs

An effective sales approach must focus on the potential customer's needs, not on the product or service on offer.

To identify these needs, the sales force talks to the prospect, using open-ended questions to pinpoint the issues to be resolved:

• Are you experiencing problems with your current service provider?
• What are your short-term and long-term objectives?
• What would you like to change now to achieve these objectives? Etc.

Stage 4: presentation of the offer

The fourth stage involves presenting the prospect with a sales pitch based on the needs identified earlier: "We understand that you are experiencing such and such a problem. We've understood that you have a particular problem, and our offer can help you solve it in a particular way. ".

Thanks to this customer-centric approach, you can personalise the presentation of your products or services to make your pitch more impactful and arouse your customer's interest.

Step 5: Dealing with objections

Chances are that your prospect will raise objections (price of your solution, lack of interest in the added value it provides, resistance to change, etc.).

It's up to you to respond to them, using a positive approach based on listening to their needs and sources of motivation. For example, if the person you're talking to is worried about the high price of your product, remind them of the excellent ROI they'll get from using it.

💡 You're also likely to come across recurring objections. It's worth picking them up and sharing them with the rest of your sales team, so that together you can build a sales pitch to counter them.

Step 6: Concluding the sale

This final stage marks the conclusion of the sale, or closing, with the signing of a contract, the payment of an invoice, and so on.

At this stage, any objections expressed by the customer should be dealt with, and the next steps in the process clarified.

Stage 7: Customer follow-up and loyalty

It can cost up to five times less to retain a customer than to win a new one.

INIT

Keeping track of your new customer and implementing loyalty-building measures (marketing initiatives in particular) is an excellent way of boosting your company's profitability.

Not only will you keep them in your customer portfolio... but there's also a good chance they'll recommend you to their network!

Examples of sales cycles to get you started

Airbus: a B2B sales cycle

Airbus, the European aircraft manufacturer, illustrates a complex and lengthy B2B sales cycle, typical of heavy industry.

When it comes to identifying needs, airlines or governments issue a requirement, such as fleet renewal, energy transition or modernisation.

Then, for the consultation phase, Airbus contacts the decision-makers to understand the project's technical, economic and political criteria.

The offer is co-developed with the customer, integrating customised configuration, maintenance, crew training, etc.

The negotiation process can last several months, with significant contractual, legal and financial adjustments (guarantees, deadlines, options).

Once the agreement has been signed, Airbus plans production, organises delivery and then monitors operations over several years.

👉 This type of sale is based on long-term relationships, strong technical expertise and major financial stakes.

Nespresso: a B2C sales cycle

Nespresso, the Nestlé Group's coffee subsidiary, operates on a short B2C sales cycle, but one that is carefully designed to maximise conversion.

To attract customers, the brand relies on a strategy of emotional content and premium advertising, promoting the coffee lifestyle.

Then, via a shop or online, visitors discover the machines and capsules, often accompanied by demonstrations or welcome offers.

The prospect's buying decision is influenced by offers of discovery packs, discounts or free trials.

The cycle concludes with a seamless buying experience online or in-store, with a powerful CRM to track orders.

As for its loyalty strategy, Nespresso turns its buyers into regular customers thanks to its subscription programme (capsules delivered to the home).

👉 This strategy enables Nespresso to combine a short cycle with repeat purchases.

6 tips for mastering your sales cycle

Tip 1: Identify your own sales cycle

Every organisation has its own specific characteristics. As a result, the structure and duration of the sales cycle vary from one company to another.

It's up to you to identify your own processes to improve performance and integrate new recruits more easily.

💡 Rely on :

• On feedback from your teams. How are they structured? What resources (channels, tools, pitches, etc.) are used?
• but also their results in terms of lead generation, number of closings, length of sales cycle, etc.

Tip 2: Define clear objectives

If the aim of a sales cycle is ultimately to improve sales performance, it's easier to optimise your actions by aiming for clear, predefined objectives. Do you want to shorten the time between making contact and closing? Improve your conversion rate? Increase the average value of contracts signed? Each objective has a direct impact on your sales actions.

Set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound) objectives at each level: volume of qualified leads, conversion rate per stage, average cycle time, post-sales retention rate, etc. This will enable you not only to prioritise your efforts, but also to quickly identify any sticking points that need to be corrected.

☝️ For example, if your objective is to reduce the sales cycle by 20%, you will concentrate your efforts on automating administrative tasks, clarifying your value proposition from the discovery phase onwards, and improving the responsiveness of your teams during the negotiation phase.

Tip 3: Train and motivate your sales teams

You can have the best CRM and the best strategy, but if your sales people are neither trained nor committed, your sales cycle will remain flawed. Sales performance depends above all on human skills.

Regularly training your teams will shorten the sales cycle and increase conversion at every stage. According to a study by Southern New Hampshire University, investment in sales training can generate an average return on investment of 353%, or €3.53 in additional revenue for every euro invested. Better still: salespeople who feel supported in their development are more likely to stay and perform over the long term.

But training alone is not enough: motivation plays a key role in ensuring consistent results. This requires :

• realistic objectives
• recognition of efforts,
• close management,
• appropriate incentives.

Tip 4: Focus on your prospects

Knowing the profile of your prospects, their needs and their position in the buying process means being able to identify the most appropriate way of approaching them.

At the same time, avoid focusing your sales pitches and presentations on your company. The customer must remain at the heart of your concerns, and your role is to support them to help them solve their problems and meet their challenges.

💡 Why not use buyer personas to identify the profile and typical interests of your potential customers?

Tip 5: Use the right tools

Using the right sales management software, such as a CRM (customer relationship management) tool, saves your sales teams time on administrative work. So they can concentrate on the customer relationship itself, which generates more value.

In addition, CRM software automates the management and facilitates the analysis of prospect and customer databases in order to :

• identify the hottest leads, using scoring functions for example,
• identify the commercial steps you need to take to retain your customers,
• visualise the concrete impact of your actions on buying behaviour.

Examples of CRM software:

• Axonaut: easy to use and ergonomic, Axonaut is a mix between CRM and ERP. It automatically generates the customer lifecycle. Thanks to a Kanban view that can be fully customised for all sectors of activity (name of stages, number of stages, etc.), you can better visualise your sales process from prospecting to invoicing.
• Hubspot CRM: easy to learn and use, this intuitive sales management platform is designed for marketing and sales teams. Fully customisable, its pipeline in Kanban view allows you to track every opportunity, from contact to closing. With its built-in automation (reminders, tasks, scoring), dynamic contact records and synchronisation with emails and calls, it helps you structure a complete sales cycle, without friction or extra cost.
• Sellsy CRM: combines sales management and invoicing in an all-in-one, easy-to-use tool. Its customisable pipeline in Kanban view allows you to track every stage of the sales process, from prospecting to signing the quotation. Thanks to its native integration with the quotation, invoice and automatic reminder modules, Sellsy streamlines the sales cycle while facilitating customer follow-up.

Tip 6: Measure and analyse the effectiveness of your sales cycle

The sales cycle is bound to change as your business and market evolve.

Remain agile and adapt constantly by :

• assessing your strengths and successes
• identifying your weaknesses and bottlenecks to define areas for improvement,
• seizing new opportunities.

To do this, implement performance indicators (KPIs) at each stage of the cycle: average cycle time, conversion rate per phase, loss rate, average value of opportunities, etc. This data will enable you to identify exactly where you're saving time... and where you're losing it.

☝️ For example, if you find that 60% of your leads get stuck between the sales proposal and signature, it may be time to review your offers, your negotiation approach or your follow-up timing. Conversely, if certain stages show excellent performance, use these good practices as a basis for duplicating them elsewhere.

Also remember to cross-reference quantitative data with qualitative feedback from your sales staff and customers. A well-configured CRM, combined with regular reviews with your teams, will give you a clear, actionable view of the real performance of your sales cycle.

How can you optimise your sales cycle with AI?

By 2025, artificial intelligence will have become an essential lever for streamlining and strengthening your sales cycle. It transforms every stage of the customer journey with concrete, directly usable tools.

The first benefit of AI is the intelligent prioritisation of prospects. Using predictive scoring, tools like Creatio analyse past behaviour and engagement signals to identify the leads most likely to convert. As a result, your teams can focus on the best opportunities, at the right time.

Another advance is the automation of repetitive tasks. As we showed you earlier, CRM software incorporates AI-driven workflows to automate follow-ups, adapt messages according to prospect behaviour or generate reports. You gain in responsiveness while reducing internal friction.

AI also enables you to forecast sales more accurately. By combining historical data, market context and real-time data, it refines your forecasts and helps you adjust your sales strategy more quickly.

In terms of customer relations, conversational AI improves the quality of exchanges. Chatbots, voice assistants and automated messaging adapt in real time to the needs expressed and the emotions detected, boosting satisfaction and conversion.

Finally, conversational analysis tools (voice, email, chat) provide you with invaluable insights: recurring objections, signals of intent, individual performance, etc. All of which means you can continually sharpen your sales pitch.

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Summary of our guide to an agile, high-performance sales cycle

Creating a sales cycle isn't about ticking boxes, it's about building a living process that evolves with your market, your teams and your customers. This guide has given you the keys to achieving this: laying solid foundations, setting clear objectives, equipping your sales staff, monitoring your indicators, and above all... staying on the move.

The challenge? Gaining efficiency without losing quality. Automate without dehumanising. Structure without rigidifying. Thanks to levers such as training, continuous analysis and artificial intelligence, you can transform each stage of the sales process into an opportunity for growth.

In short: a high-performance sales cycle is one that listens, learns, adapts and, above all, converts with impact.