[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2015\/09\/03\/sales-process-audit-crm\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2015\/09\/03\/sales-process-audit-crm\/","headline":"The sales process audit: 7 magic questions to ask (and answer)","name":"The sales process audit: 7 magic questions to ask (and answer)","description":"A sales process, like every other machine, needs maintenance. Learn how to conduct a sales process audit to understand your weaknesses and strengths.","datePublished":"2015-09-03","dateModified":"2023-03-29","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/marcia-yusavage\/#Person","name":"Marcia Yusavage","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/marcia-yusavage\/","identifier":298,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f9929f6ff16e34cd6d43daf18411658f8565960b4c0fd78662963005f1aa9afb?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f9929f6ff16e34cd6d43daf18411658f8565960b4c0fd78662963005f1aa9afb?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Future of Commerce","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","width":172,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/sales-process-audit-crm.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/sales-process-audit-crm.jpg","height":375,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2015\/09\/03\/sales-process-audit-crm\/","about":[{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/sales\/crm\/","name":"CRM","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Customer_relationship_management","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q485643"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/customer-experience\/customer-data\/","name":"Customer Data","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Customer_data","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q56278300"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/sales\/","name":"Sales","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sales","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q194189"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/sales\/sales-general\/","name":"Sales","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sales","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q194189"]}],"wordCount":1049,"keywords":["CRM | Customer Relationship Management","CRM Trends","Sales","Sales Process","Sales Process Audit"],"articleBody":"If you have a real, concrete sales process in place, pat yourself on the back. You\u2019re one of the few people who get that companies with a formal sales process audit in place generate more revenue. But after you\u2019re done congratulating yourself, take a step back.How well is that process actually working for you? Not on paper \u2014 in the real world.Establishing a sales process and never checking it is a bit like buying a car and never changing the oil. Sure, it will run for a while. Until it breaks down and leaves you stranded on the side of the freeway.      Top 3 ways to connect with customers in 2023                How can brands connect with customers amid constant change? Discover three ideas for becoming a consumer favorite.      The sales process audit: 7 stepsIf you want to really understand how well your sales process is doing, ask these seven questions. And be honest.Is it being followed?There\u2019s the theory. And then there\u2019s the reality.\u00a0If your sales process is ignored, it\u2019s not worth\u00a0the effort that went into creating it. Your organization is most at risk of a shunned sales process if your department has a high turnover rate or is rapidly expanding.\u00a0Everyone\u00a0has their own sales style, and that\u2019s fine. But new hires who aren\u2019t taught to respect the process may bring\u00a0their own personal philosophy to sales. And if they aren\u2019t being encouraged to follow it by their managers (see No. 5), they\u2019ll just ditch it.When was the last time it was updated?Your process should serve as the framework for your sales operation. But you shouldn\u2019t revere it like it\u2019s engraved on stone tablets and delivered to you by a sales messiah. It\u2019s a living document.If you notice that it\u2019s been many moons since the last time you\u2019ve updated your sales process, ask why. It might be because no one is following it, so there\u2019s just no reason to change something that\u2019s never used. Or it might be that no one has offered changes. Or they\u2019re afraid to.If you want ideas for changes, just ask your team. They\u2019ll have the boots-on-the-ground insight that can help you update your best practices. As an added bonus, they\u2019ll also feel more committed to the process. When you have a sales framework imposed on you, it can feel a bit stifling. But when you have a hand in actually shaping it, you\u2019ll just naturally more engaged and invested.Are there unnecessary steps?A main goal of any sales process should be to shrink to sales cycle as much as possible without harming long-term growth. Unnecessary steps in a sales process are like unnecessary parts to an engine. It just adds pointless complexity and wastes valuable resources. If any part of the process can be eliminated without harming sales, give it the axe.Are there missing steps?But at the same time, less isn\u2019t always better. Better is better. You don\u2019t want to miss out on sales by eliminating steps that could actually help bring in business. To take a simple example: how many times does your process recommend that you follow up with a lead that was unresponsive on the first contact attempt? Once? Twice? Three times?It\u2019s not an easy question. If the lead is dead cold and never gets back to you at all, you don\u2019t want to waste scarce time that could be better used pursuing warm leads. However, you also don\u2019t want to quit too early and possibly lose sales that could be earned with better persistence. It\u2019s possible that adding a step (additional follow up) might be worth the extra time investment. But you won\u2019t know unless you try it out and see how it works.Do managers reference it during training and coaching?All sales teams take cues from their leadership. If the managers respect the process, they\u2019ll work to emphasize its importance during meetings and coaching sessions. On the other hand, they view it as an unnecessary hindrance, or maybe just a loose guideline, they\u2019ll ignore it.If your process has an implementation problem, it might come from the top. If you don\u2019t have leadership on board, there\u2019s no hope that the rest of your team will value it. If you expect your process to work, everybody needs to understand why it exists. But your managers should value it more than everybody else.Is it baked into your CRM?Your sales team, your CRM, and your sales process should all sing the same harmonious tune. But sometimes the software you use to run your business is off key.If it\u2019s hard to track your sales process in your CRM, you\u2019re just encouraging your team to stop using it. Telling your staff to adhere to a certain process, but then giving them software that makes it difficult to track that progress is confusing. Mixed signals are like speed bumps for a sales operation. Take your process to your CRM\u2019s account representative. They should be able to advise the best ways to make your process and your software line up.How does the team feel about the process?Don\u2019t forget the human factor. Your team will be\u00a0the ones who are actually expected to follow the process. The more your team likes it, the better they\u2019ll feel about implementing it. If they dread checking off those boxes and taking the steps necessary to close those sales, your performance (and your turnover) will stunt your department\u2019s growth.The best way to learn how they really feel? Just ask them. Worried that you won\u2019t get honest feedback? Send an anonymous survey with Google forms. Your team will speak more candidly when they believe their comments and suggestions won\u2019t be linked to them personally.Everyone has a concrete sales process until they have to actually start selling. Asking the right questions through your sales process audit will guarantee that what you have on paper can hold up in the real world.  Digital selling.Interactive reports.Better outcomes.Try out the future of sales for free\u00a0HERE."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2015","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2015\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"09","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2015\/\/09\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"03","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2015\/\/09\/\/03\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"The sales process audit: 7 magic questions to ask (and answer)","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2015\/09\/03\/sales-process-audit-crm\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]