Sales Process...Should I have one?

Let consider the following definition...

proc·ess /?pr??ses,?prō?ses/ - "a series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end"

Does the aforementioned definition sound like something useful when talking about sales? Well consider the following antonyms of process...

Disorganization, chaos, confusion, disarray, disorder, unruliness, inactivity, inaction, idleness, dormancy, abstention, motionlessness...Are any of these a good description of your current sales efforts? If the answer is "yes" and I imagine for most of you it is, then the answer to the original question is a resounding YES, you need a sales process!

The definition of "process" is a series of steps to achieve a goal and in this case a closed sale. What are the steps you should use? It can differ depending on the product or audience that you are selling too, but there are some very basic steps that make sense in any sales situation and modified as required.

1. Identify a prospect or a lead that can be helped by the solutions you can provide.
2. Understand that prospects needs and wants. What are the pain, fears and threats either conscious or subconscious for that prospect? This step of the process requires a deep dive into the customers business and that you gain a very deep understanding to enable the development of the most appropriate solution. Be mindful at this step, if you can not provide a solid solution, then your best choice would be to tell the customer exactly that and move on to the next opportunity, if you try to force a sale, it will end in disappointment for you and your prospect.
3. Identify the solution you can offer that will alleviate the pain, fear or threat and address the needs and wants of the prospect. Remember, that customers' needs and wants will not always align with the pain, fears and threats, you will most probably have to help them understand these. This is why you spent so much time originally understanding the prospects business thoroughly.
4. Price and only price is not a reason to engage with a prospect! If this is all the discussions contain, then move on to the next opportunity.
5. Determine if the customer is really committed to your solution and is willing to apply their resources of manpower and dollars toward the solution. If they are not committed, you need to understand the resistance and get them to put some 'skin' in the game, or you will do a lot of work that will most likely end with no sale.
6. Get the customers commitment to your solution. You will note that nowhere have I mentioned preparing or submitting a price proposal, if you have walked through the process correctly and gained the prospects trust and commitment to your solution you can go to the final step in the process.
7. Prepare and submit the pricing proposal. This should be nothing more than a formality if you have brought the prospect through the process.

This is a basic set of steps that I personally use and teach as a sales process and is applicable to virtually all products and markets. The advantage is that as you move through the process, you have steps that you can "check" off as completed and if you are not able to get past one, then in all likelihood there was never going to be a sale to begin with.

Thoughts?