Sample Checklists for Selling

Pilots, regardless of their experience level, complete a pre-flight checklist every time they get on a plane. The pre-flight checklist helps to ensure that no critical step is overlooked or forgotten even if the pilot is in a hurry or preoccupied with other issues. In the same way, a sales process checklist can help you to track each stage of the sales cycle and is the first step to creating a sales process plan.

The specific form of your sales process will vary depending on the nature of your products and the type of prospect you sell to. A salesperson selling expensive manufacturing equipment to large companies will have a much longer and more complicated process than a salesperson selling used books to consumers. However, any salesperson, regardless of product type, can benefit from a checklist review. Here are examples of both a simple and a complex sales process checklist that might suit your needs.

Basic Sales Process Checklist

Prospecting for Leads
❑ Lead list checked against the database for duplicates
❑ Lead fits basic prospect requirements (e.g. income level, type of business, etc.)

Setting Appointment
❑ Initial contact made (phone call, email, in-person visit, etc.)
❑ Pre-qualification completed
❑ Appointment scheduled
❑ Researched prospect to determine needs

Presentation
❑ Final qualification completed – the prospect is a true opportunity
❑ Prospect needs assessing
❑ Decision maker identified
❑ Purchasing process and requirements identified
❑ Next steps determined (scheduled a second meeting, collected RFP requirements, etc.)

Closing
❑ Prospect objections and questions addressed
❑ Appropriate product/service type selected and accepted
❑ Customer signed contract
❑ Asked customer for permission to use as a reference or testimonial
❑ Asked customer for referrals

Post-Closing
❑ Reported sale to sales manager
❑ Order processed and filled
❑ Sent thank you note to customer
❑ Followed up to confirm customer satisfaction
❑ Resolved any questions or problems

Here is a more complicated checklist suitable if you have a slower sales process or deal with more complex sales situations, like selling to multiple decision makers.

Complex Sales Process Checklist

Prospecting for Leads
❑ Lead list checked against the database for duplicates
❑ Lead fits basic prospect requirements (e.g. income level, type of business, etc.)

Setting Appointment
❑ Initial contact made (phone call, email, in-person visit, etc.)
❑ Pre-qualification completed
❑ Appointment scheduled
❑ Researched prospect to determine needs
❑ Sent meeting agenda and requirements to prospect

Initial Presentation
❑ Final qualification completed – the prospect is a true opportunity
❑ Prospect needs assessing
❑ Decision maker identified
❑ Purchasing process and requirements identified
❑ Next steps determined (scheduled a second meeting, collected RFP requirements, etc.)

Information Collecting
❑ Prospect priorities, issues, and requirements documenting
❑ Competitor comparative strengths and weaknesses assessed
❑ Prospect internal advocate(s) identified
❑ Prospect internal opponent(s) identified
❑ Purchasing process documented and approved
❑ Sales team and other collaborators briefed
❑ Project funding applied for and approved

Development
❑ Prospect contacts and/or visits industry references
❑ Proposal submitted to prospect and any requested revisions completed
❑ Contracts submitted to prospect's legal team for approval
❑ Closing date determined

Closing
❑ Prospect objections and questions addressed
❑ Appropriate product/service type selected and accepted
❑ Customer signed contract
❑ Asked customer for permission to use as a reference or testimonial
❑ Asked customer for referrals

Post-Closing
❑ Reported sale to sales manager
❑ Order processed and filled
❑ Sent thank you note to customer
❑ Followed up to confirm customer satisfaction
❑ Resolved any questions or problems