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. 

[wh10990]

5 steps pretty simple

[santiagosalazar]

Our sales process has 7 steps, covering the full lifecycle from initial lead qualification to deal closure and onboarding. It begins with lead generation and qualification, followed by initial contact and discovery, then a meeting to understand the client’s needs. After that, we move into proposal preparation and presentation, commercial analysis and negotiation, contract signing, and finally onboarding and operational setup. This structure allows us to maintain control, ensure quality validation at each stage, and optimize conversion efficiency while supporting a consultative sales approach rather than a purely transactional one.

[JMcCormick6]

My process involes 5-6 steps from the moment you reach out to the client until the sale is closed. 

[REvangelista4]

My encounters in my previous roles we have 6 to 8 process. from lplanning to execution upt to generating sales. But there are process that we have to skip since it doesnt apply with the customer activity.

[AMahoney]

We currently ahve 6 stages in our process and are evaluating them.  We have a variety of different products we sell - some buyers are unique to a singular product and some cross over.  I don't want to make the process more complex but am wondering if I need unique processes for different teams.

[mohamedـradwan]

my work involves seven different stages that help me succeed knowledge, preraration, presentation, overcoming obstacles, follow up and acquisition. these steps are fundamentally based on honestyand a cheerful demeanor

[ISingh48]

My sales process sits somewhere in between with around 5 or 6 stages, from first contact to close.

[FOlukanni-Jol]

My company's sales process is in 7 stages and it is a longer sales cycle that is typical of B2B sales.

[OVoleika9]

We have 7 stages

[NickFratto]

We have 7 stages in our sales process 

[Enabel]

My sales approach follows five key stages: awareness building, outreach, discovery, value demonstration, and conversion.
I begin by identifying the right prospects, then initiate contact to open a genuine conversation and understand their current challenges. Once I confirm a good fit, I demonstrate how our solution addresses their needs and adds value. The final step is guiding them toward a confident decision and ensuring they feel supported and successful from the very start.

[jjl112]

The CRM my org uses has 5 steps before being able to mark a Deal as Closed - Won. We do require quite a bit information along the way too, with about 30 something fields that are required at the end of the sales cycle. 

[FCordero5]

From my point of view, my sales process typically follows seven key stages: prospecting, qualifying, discovering needs, presenting solutions, handling objections, closing, and following up. Each stage helps me move from identifying potential buyers to building trust and ultimately securing the deal. I focus on understanding the buyer’s journey and tailoring my approach at every step—whether I’m asking the right questions during discovery or making sure the follow-up feels personal and valuable. It’s not just about selling; it’s about guiding someone through a decision with clarity and confidence.

[RoRoo30]

The seven steps of a typical sales process help salespeople find potential clients and build lasting relationships. Prospecting is the first step, during which you find potential leads. Connecting is the next step, during which you get in touch and begin establishing a rapport. The next step is qualifying, which helps you ascertain whether the lead is a good fit for your service or product. After qualifying, you give a presentation in which you illustrate how your solution satisfies their requirements. Handling objections is the next step, in which you address any worries the buyer may have. After that, you close the deal or agreement. Following up is the last step, which guarantees client satisfaction and creates opportunities for the future.

[RRonquillo]

There are five stages in my sales process: prospecting, connecting, qualifying, presenting, and closing. I start by finding potential customers, then build a connection to understand their needs. After qualifying leads, I present my products and highlight their benefits. Finally, I close the sale and ensure customer satisfaction.

[TBajenting]

How many stages are in your sales process?

We currently use a 5-stage sales process. It starts with prospecting to identify potential customers, followed by qualification where we filter leads based on fit and need. After that, we move into the presentation/proposal stage where we show the solution and discuss pricing. Then we go through negotiation to handle questions, concerns, and adjustments. Finally, we end with the closing stage where we secure the agreement and finalize the sale.

[TerenceG]

I never counted the number but these are the steps we took:

1. COLD STAGE - Lead Qualification - Checking if a lead is qualified. If qualified, then provide documents on WhatsApp/Email and over phone else lead is sent to churn.
2. WARM STAGE - Follow-up/Negotiation on mostly rates or sometimes delivery/completion date
3. HOT STAGE - This stage is close the deal or Loose your job. 
4. REVISE STAGE - If for whatever reason a Hot lead is missed its send to Marketing team to send mails or messages which would make him interested and return.

So you can say we had 3 stages and 4stages if we missed the boat.

The industry which I have based the above details is from 2 industries - Real Estate & EdTech.

[ALawton5]

the sales process are in the inbetween, it is not overly complex but it is not fully transactional either. the steps to follow are the five main rules: prospecting, initial contact, need assessments, proprosal/negotiation, and then closing the sale, 

[dyg]

In our process, we have 5. We are still evaluating whether are not we either have too much process or not enough process.

[HPark9]

I am the new sales operations manager for my company. RIght now we have 9 stages. Out of those 9 stages 4 can be consolidated or eliminated. My goal in the next 60 days is to reduce to 5 which will clean up the company pipeline.