How many stages are in your sales process?

[KyleJepson]

Sales processes vary a lot from industry to industry and even team to team. Do you have a long sales cycle with lots of steps, or is your sales process simple and transactional? Maybe it's somewhere in between. Share the number of steps in your process below. (No need to share any company secrets--just the number will do!)

*To learn more about this, check out the How to Map a Sales Process lesson via HubSpot Academy. 

[Neyazi]

We have 7 stages

1/ Prospecting.

2/ Lead Qualification. 

3/ Needs Discovery.

4/ Solution Presentation.

5/ Objection Handling.

6/ Closing.

7/ Post Sales follow up.

[AlePerotti]

We follow a 6-stage process: Prospecting, Qualification, Prove Value, Proposal, Negotiation, Close

[Mohammedmu101]

The number of stages in a sales process typically depends on the complexity of the product or service and the target market. However, most standard B2B sales processes have between 5 to 7 stages. According to HubSpot, a common 7-stage sales process includes:

Prospecting

Connect and Qualify Leads

Research the Company

Present the Product or Service

Handle Objections

Close the Deal

Follow Up and Nurture

Source: HubSpot Academy – How to Create a Sales Process: Steps & Definition

If your sales process is more transactional (like e-commerce or retail), it could be as short as 2–3 steps (e.g., awareness → consideration → purchase).

If you're in a high-value or enterprise environment, the process could involve 10 or more steps, including multiple approval layers, stakeholder engagement, and contract negotiations.

[hgonzalezc]

I don´t have a specific case, but do you notice that a few of the sales processes have post-sale stages?

[MAkoyi]

1. Prospecting – Find and qualify potential customers.

2. Greeting – Welcome and build rapport.

3. Needs Assessment – Understand customer needs and preferences.

4. Presentation – Show the right vehicle and highlight benefits.

5. Test Drive – Let the customer experience the car.

6. Objection Handling – Address concerns and questions.

7. Negotiation – Discuss pricing, financing, and terms.

8. Closing – Finalize the sale and paperwork.

9. Delivery & Follow-up – Deliver the vehicle and check in after the sale.

[VMald]

1. Getting leads from marketing efforts

2. Identify they're in fact ICP

3. SDRs prospect and book an intro call with an AE

4. AEs have as many meetings are needing based on the prospect's buyer journey and DMs, or relevant parties 

5. Hand off to onboarding

6. Implementation

7. Go live date + hand off to CS 

8. Quaterly check-ins

[KBonebrake]

In most of the systems I work with today, there is an open loop between customer feedback and sales. I often try to fill this space and seek improvements in this space but find that if systems aren't 100% adapted then improvement is difficult. To have a system adapted, the need for the system, and the improvement gleaned from the system will have to be clearly communicated. 

[SSamanta15]

1. Searching

2. identifying if going to move to contract

3. Contact established

4. Qualification

5. Proposal

6. Negotiation

7. Close the contract

[jwaldo]

There are 7 stages in the sales process

[LWu47]

1. Searching

2. identifying if going to move to contract

3. Contact established

4. Qualification

5. Proposal

6. Negotiation

7. Close the contract

[campbellcollett]

As a B2B Service Provider, we need to:
- Lead Gen.
- Pre-qualify using data tools.
- Create awareness via touch point one (social proof, personalization, curiosity)
- Motive via touch point two (reassurance, trust, low pressure engagement)
- Action via touch point three (loss aversion, reaction, likeability)
- Presentation (increase in further value + PMF for ICP)
- Proposal
- Close
- Post-purchase sucess (education, value placement, effort to avoid post-purchase regret)

[PRMN]

A b2b sales guy will need to
Identify the requirement (thru' cold calling, lead gen)
Contact the buyer 
Motivate Or Inspire the buyer why he has to consider your product
Prepare a Proposal
Demonstrate / Present your Product, get the customer agree to accept a proposal quote
Send a Quote
Negotiate rates and business terms and finalise the quote
Develop the Prototype Design to suit customer requirement and present the sample
Get the Contract signed 
Go for Production 
Be part of QC
Deliver the Product in the committed time frame with the committed product specs
Close the Process and focus on Post Sales Customer Feedback 
Follow up on the Feedback 
And the customer is yours forever - for a long period!

In case of Individual Buyer's Journey

Identify - the need
Awareness - search online and check with friends and community
Consider - check the competitor products and consider what suits you better
Decide - decision to purchase a particular brand product
Purchase
Track
Experience the Product/ Brand
If you liked become a loyal customer


 

[EdwinAmargar]

1. Discovery

2. Engagement

3. Website visit

4. Order

5. Confirmation

6. Tracking

7. Delivery

6. Feedback

8. Nurturing or going back to 2 which is Engagement 

[Elena_Tilmaciu]

There are 8 total stages in the sales process:

1. Discovery
2. Proposal
3. Demo/Presentation
4. Negotiation
5. Contract Agreement
6. Development
7. Delivery & Close
8. Request feedback

[BenjaminEllis]

Probing and closing are the main ones. 

[JShanks1]

There are 8 total stages in sales: Discovery, Demo, Qualified, POC, Price Quote, Review, Park, and Closed won

[achapin1]

We have 8 stages: Discovery, Demo, Qualified, POC, Price Quote, Review, Park, and Closed won

[Kumaran807]

We have 8 stages: Discovery, Demo, Qualified, POC, Price Quote, Review, Park, and Closed won. 

[CBoulanger]

I've got six in my process. After this course, I'll be reviewing that. I've seen companies with as many as 15.

[HMitchell2]

We have six stages including closed.