Sales Methodologies

You use sales methodologies to define the typical steps that a sales representative might complete to close a particular type of sale. Sales methodologies define the milestones associated with a type of sale, and they assist sales representatives in completing all of the predefined tasks and activities that have proved to help close a specified type of sale.

Sales methodologies are also used to calculate the amount of potential revenue that is associated with each active opportunity for pipeline purposes. When you create a methodology, you create sales cycle steps for that methodology. You then assign a probability percentage to each sales cycle step. When a sales representative creates a sales opportunity, they associate it with a sales cycle step. When the sales representative enters a monetary amount on the opportunity, the system calculates, using the probability from the sales cycle setup, the amount of potential revenue associated with the opportunity.

Using sales methodologies with predefined milestones, activities, and action plans helps the sales team to focus on the right task at the right time. It also helps them manage each potential sale effectively and efficiently.

You can also set up sales drivers for each sales methodology. Sales drivers represent the issues that are important to a customer, with regard to a particular sales. You can also assign importance to each sales driver.