B2B Sales Process: A 4-Stage Guide to Predictable Revenue
Most advice on B2B sales is terrible.
It’s a fog of acronyms, complex funnels, and talk of “crushing quotas.” It’s designed to make you feel like you need a secret handshake or a PhD in persuasion to sell your service to another business. This is “Complexity Theatre,” a colossal waste of your time.
Selling to another business isn't a dark art. It’s about brutal simplicity.
It boils down to two things:
- Identifying a specific, expensive problem a business is facing.
- Clearly explaining how your service solves that problem.
That's it. Everything else—the software, the scripts, the methodologies—is just a tool to help you do those two things more efficiently. If it doesn't help with one of those two goals, it's a distraction.
This brings me to my first major pet peeve: feature dumping. This is when a salesperson lists all the things their service does. We provide SEO, PPC, and social media management with monthly reporting.” Nobody cares.
They don't want to buy your hammer; they want you to build them a house. They want the outcome. Your features are irrelevant until they're tied to an expensive problem.
- Prioritise understanding specific, expensive problems businesses face and articulate how your service directly addresses those issues.
- Your sales process should focus on facilitating decision-making for buyers, rather than merely pushing a product.
- Maintain a hyper-specific Ideal Customer Profile to target the right prospects for meaningful engagement and increased sales efficiency.
The Gigantic Misunderstanding at the Heart of B2B Sales
The core misunderstanding is that B2B sales are about convincing someone to buy something. It isn't. It's about helping a professional buyer make a sound business decision.
They have a problem that is costing them money, costing them time, or exposing them to risk. Your job is to be the most straightforward, safest, and most credible solution to that problem.
Your entire sales process should be engineered to make their decision easier. Not to trick or pressure them, but to provide clarity.
When you shift your mindset from “selling” to “helping someone solve an expensive problem,” everything changes. Your emails become more direct. Your calls become more focused. Your proposals write themselves.
Before You Write a Single Email: The Non-Negotiable Foundations
Most failed sales efforts are lost before they even begin. The outreach failed not because the email template was bad, but because the thinking behind it was lazy. You need three things locked down before considering contacting a prospect.
Who Exactly Are You Selling To? (Beyond “Marketing Managers”)
“We sell to marketing managers” is a useless statement. It's too broad. A marketing manager at a 10-person tech startup has entirely different problems than one at a 500-person manufacturing firm.
You need a hyper-specific Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). Get granular.
- Industry: What specific vertical do you serve best? (e.g., SaaS, construction, private healthcare).
- Company Size: How many employees? What's their annual revenue? (e.g., 50-200 employees, £5M-£20M revenue).
- Job Title: Who is the person with the pain? Who holds the budget? (e.g., Head of Sales, COO, Founder).
- Pain Points: What specific frustrations keep this person up at night? (e.g., “Our lead quality is terrible,” “Our sales cycle is too long,” “We're losing deals to competitors with a better brand”).
A good ICP is a filter. It tells you who to ignore so you can focus all your energy on the people you can help.
What Expensive Problem Are You Really Solving?
Businesses do not buy services. They buy outcomes. They invest money to either make more money, save money, or reduce risk. Your service must be framed as a direct path to one of these three outcomes.
A web design agency doesn't sell “beautiful websites.” It sells a higher conversion rate that generates more revenue. A cybersecurity firm doesn't sell “penetration testing.” It sells a reduced risk of a data breach that could cost millions. A project management tool like Asana doesn't sell “task management.” It saves hundreds of person-hours lost to disorganised projects.
If you can't articulate the financial impact of the problem you solve, you don't have a B2B offering. You have a hobby. Quantify it. We help B2B service firms reduce their average sales cycle by 30%.” That's an expensive problem solved.
Why Should They Choose You Over Everyone Else (Including Doing Nothing)?
Your most significant competitor is rarely the company you think it is. Your biggest competitor is inertia—the decision to do nothing at all. Solving their problem has to be more urgent and more valuable than the pain of implementing a new solution and paying you.
Your value proposition needs to answer this question instantly: “Why should I, your ideal customer, choose you over any other option?”
A simple template is:
We help [Your ICP] solve [Expensive Problem] by providing [Your Unique Solution].
Example: “We help UK-based manufacturing firms reduce workplace accidents by providing on-site safety training that's engaging.” It's clear, specific, and speaks to a real business pain.
The Modern B2B Sales Process: A Simple, Four-Stage Map
Forget complex 12-stage funnels. The process can be simplified for a small business owner into four logical phases. Think of it as a map, not a rigid script.
- Identify: Find the right businesses and the right people to talk to.
- Connect: Earn the right to have a conversation through intelligent outreach.
- Explore: Diagnose their problem with the precision of a surgeon.
- Advise: Prescribe your solution and make a clear business case for it.
That's the journey. Now let's walk through it.
Stage 1: Identify (Finding the Right Doors to Knock On)
This is the most critical stage. Getting this right makes everything else easier. Bad prospecting is like trying to grow crops on concrete.
Forget Huge Lists; Find Hyper-Relevant Targets
The old way was to buy a list of 10,000 emails and blast them all. This is spam, and it's monumentally stupid. Your goal isn't to talk to everyone; it's to speak to the right one.
Aim for a small, highly curated list of 20-30 companies per week that perfectly match your ICP. A list of 20 ideal prospects you've researched is worth more than a list of 2,000 random contacts.
Your Primary Tool: LinkedIn Sales Navigator
For B2B prospecting, LinkedIn Sales Navigator is the undisputed king. It's worth every penny. You can use your ICP as a search filter to build those hyper-relevant lists.
Here are some powerful filters to use:
- Geography + Industry + Company Headcount: This is your base filter. (e.g., United Kingdom, Information Technology, 51-200 employees).
- Keywords in Profile: Search for titles like “Head of Demand Generation.”
- Recent Activity: Filter for people mentioned in the news or posted on LinkedIn in the last 30 days. These are active users.
- “Leads with recent job changes”: A new executive often looks to make changes and bring in new partners. This is a powerful buying signal.
What to Look For: Buying Signals
A buying signal is an event that suggests a company might be ready to buy. Your job in the identification stage is to look for these signals.
Examples of potent buying signals include:
- A new executive hire: A new VP of Sales will likely want a new CRM or sales training.
- A recent funding announcement: They have cash and are under pressure to grow.
- Hiring for a specific role: A company hiring 10 new salespeople needs a way to generate leads for them.
- Announcing expansion into a new market: They will have new operational and marketing challenges.
When you find a company that matches your ICP and shows a buying signal, it goes to the top of your list.
Stage 2: Connect (Getting a Real Human to Talk to You)
You have your list. Now you need to have a conversation. This is where most people resort to terrible, self-serving templates. Don't be one of them.
The Anatomy of a Cold Email That Doesn't Get Deleted
A good cold email has one purpose: to get a reply. It's not to sell your service. It should be short, relevant, and easy to respond to.
It has four parts:
- Relevance: The first sentence must prove you've done your homework. Reference a buying signal. “Saw you're hiring a new team of SDRs.”
- Problem: State the problem you solve that is relevant to them. “Typically, when companies rapidly scale their sales team, lead quality becomes a major bottleneck.”
- Potential Value: Hint at the positive outcome. We help B2B tech firms double their qualified lead flow in 90 days.
- Low-Friction Ask: Ask for interest, not a meeting. “Open to learning more?” is better than “Can I have 30 minutes of your time next Tuesday?”
Bad Email:
Subject: Intro
Hi Jane, I'm John from Awesome Corp. We are a leading provider of synergistic marketing solutions. We offer SEO, PPC, and content marketing.
Can we book a 30-minute demo next week to show you how we can help you?
Good Email:
Subject: Your new SDR team Hi Jane, Congrats on the new SDR hires.
Scaling a team like that often puts a strain on generating enough high-quality leads to keep them busy.
We help SaaS companies like yours build marketing engines that produce a predictable stream of qualified demos.
Worth a brief chat?
See the difference? One is about them. The other is about you.
The Follow-Up: How to Be Persistent Without Being a Pest
It often takes 5-7 touchpoints to get a response. Persistence is key, but it must be the right kind of persistence. This leads me to my second pet peeve: the “just checking in” email.
Never, ever send an email that says “just checking in” or “wanted to bump this to the top of your inbox.” It adds zero value and screams desperation.
Instead, every follow-up should add new value or a new perspective.
- Share a case study: “Thought you might find this case study on how we helped [Similar Company] solve [Similar Problem] interesting.”
- Share a relevant article: “Saw this article on [Industry Trend] and thought of your team.”
- Offer a specific idea: “Had a quick idea about how you could improve your landing page conversion. No strings attached.”
This reframes you from a persistent salesperson to a helpful expert.
Stage 3: Explore (The Art of the Discovery Call)
You got a reply. You booked a call. Now the real work begins. The biggest mistake people make on a discovery call is that they start pitching. Stop.
Your Only Goal: Shut Up and Listen
The purpose of a discovery call is not to talk about your service. It is to diagnose the prospect's problem with extreme clarity. Your goal is to understand their current state, their desired future state, and the gap between them.
Follow the 80/20 rule: the prospect should talk for 80% of the call. You are a doctor asking questions to diagnose an illness. You wouldn't prescribe medicine before you understood the symptoms.
Questions That Uncover Real Pain (And Budget)
Your questions should be open-ended and focused on business impact. Companies like Gong.io have built an entire business on analysing sales calls, and the data is precise: top performers ask more profound, insightful questions.
Go beyond surface-level problems.
- “What's the biggest challenge you're facing with X right now?” (Problem)
- “Can you walk me through what that looks like today?” (Context)
- “What have you tried in the past to fix this?” (History)
- “What happens if you don't fix this? What's the impact on the business in 6 months?” (Consequences)
- “If you could wave a magic wand, what would the ideal solution look like?” (Desired Outcome)
- What is this problem costing you, in terms of time, revenue, or resources?” (Quantified Pain)
That last question is the most important. If you can get them to state the cost of the problem in their own words, you've just anchored the value of your solution.
Stage 4: Advise (Presenting Your Solution, Not Your Product)
Only after you have a crystal-clear diagnosis can you present your solution. This is not a generic demo. It's a prescription tailored to the pain points you uncovered in the discovery call.
Connect Every Feature to a Business Outcome
Remember Pet Peeve #1? Now is the time to avoid it like the plague. Structure your presentation around their problems, not your features.
Instead of: “Our platform has a reporting dashboard.” Try: “During our chat, you mentioned you lack visibility into your marketing ROI. Our reporting dashboard solves that by giving you a single view of which channels drive revenue, so you can stop wasting money on what isn't working.”
Every single thing you present must be a direct answer to a problem they told you they have.
Dealing with Objections: It's a Request for Information
Objections are not a “no.” They are a request for more information or reassurance. The most common are price and timing.
- Price Objection (“It's too expensive”): This usually means you haven't established enough value. Re-anchor the price to the cost of their problem. “I understand. You mentioned the problem is currently costing you around £50,000 per quarter. This solution is a £15,000 investment to fix that. Can you walk me through how you're thinking about that ROI?”
- Timing Objection (“It's not the right time”): Uncover the real reason. Is it budget cycles? A competing priority? Ask, “What are the priorities currently more pressing than solving this issue?”
The Price Conversation (And Why You Shouldn't Hide It)
This is my third and final pet peeve: hiding the price. It's an infuriatingly common tactic in B2B sales. Refusing to give even a ballpark price until after 90 minutes of demos is disrespectful and signals you're not confident in your value.
Be prepared to talk about price early. If a prospect asks, give them a range. This qualifies them. If their budget is £500 and your solution starts at £10,000, everyone should know that in the first 10 minutes, not after two weeks of calls. Value-based pricing is about anchoring your fee to the outcome you deliver, and you can't do that if you treat the price like a state secret.
The Simple Toolkit for a One-Person Sales Army
You don't need a £100,000 tech stack. You need three simple tools to run this process as an entrepreneur or small business owner.
A CRM That Works For You (Not the Other Way Around)
A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool is your single source of truth. It's where you track your deals, manage your follow-ups, and keep notes on your prospects. Don't overcomplicate it.
Start with something simple like HubSpot's free CRM. Your only goal is to create a visual pipeline (e.g., Identified > Connected > Meeting Booked > Proposal Sent > Closed) and move deals from left to right. If you're spending more than 15 minutes a day updating it, it's too complex.
A Calendar Link
Back-and-forth emails to schedule a meeting are a form of torture. Use a tool like Calendly or HubSpot's meeting scheduler. It removes friction and makes booking time with you trivially easy for a prospect. Put the link in your email signature.
A Simple Proposal Template
Your proposal shouldn't be a 40-page document. It should be a 2-3 page summary of your conversation.
It should include:
- The Problem: A summary of their challenges, in their own words.
- The Proposed Solution: A clear outline of how you will solve those challenges.
- The Scope & Deliverables: Exactly what they will get.
- The Investment: The price is stated clearly.
- The Next Steps: What happens after they sign?
How To: $10M: Sell Your Knowledge And Make Millions
You have a skill, but you’re not making millions from it because you lack the system. This book is the blueprint to change that. It’s not theory; it’s the exact copy-and-paste funnels, ad scripts, and sales systems to build a multi-seven-figure coaching or agency business.
As an Amazon Partner, when you buy through our links, we may earn a commission.
Measuring What Matters: Forget Vanity Metrics
Don't get distracted by metrics like email open rates or clicks. They are mostly noise. Focus on the three metrics that actually predict revenue.
- Number of Qualified Conversations per Week: How many discovery calls did you have with prospects who fit your ICP and have a real problem you can solve? This is the leading indicator of future sales. Aim for a consistent number each week.
- Total Pipeline Value: What is the total value of all the deals you have in your “Proposal Sent” stage? This tells you what you could close in 30-60 days.
- Win Rate: What percentage of your proposals turn into closed deals? A healthy win rate is typically 25-35% or higher. If it's lower, there's likely a problem in your discovery or proposal stage.
Track these three numbers on a whiteboard if you have to. They are your business's vital signs.
Your Sales Process Is a Product. Keep Iterating.
This framework isn't static. Your B2B sales process is a product that needs to be constantly tested and improved. Did a specific email template get more replies? Do more of that. Did a particular question of discovery uncover a tremendous insight? Add it to your standard list.
A robust sales process is the engine of a service business. It’s what turns your expertise into predictable revenue.
Of course, even the best sales engine needs fuel. That fuel is a steady stream of interested prospects, often resulting from bright, targeted marketing. A great sales process combined with excellent digital marketing services is how small businesses stop competing and start dominating their niche.
Selling isn't complicated. It's a process of helping. Strip away the jargon, focus on solving expensive problems, and you'll build a sales engine that works.
Frequently Asked Questions about B2B Sales
What are B2B sales?
B2B (business-to-business) sales are the process of selling products or services directly from one company to another company, rather than to an individual consumer. These sales typically have longer cycles, higher deal values, and involve multiple decision-makers.
What is the most critical stage of the B2B sales process?
The “Explore” or discovery stage is arguably the most vital. A deep and accurate diagnosis of a prospect's problem is the foundation for a compelling proposal and a successful sale. Without it, you are just guessing.
How long is a typical B2B sales cycle?
It varies wildly by industry and deal size. Small deals (under £5,000) might take 30-60 days. Larger, more complex solutions (£50,000+) can easily take 6-12 months.
How many follow-ups are appropriate in B2B sales?
Studies show it can take 5-8 “touches” to get a response. As long as each follow-up provides new value (a case study, an article, a new idea) rather than just “bumping” the email, you can be persistent without being a pest.
What is the difference between B2B and B2C sales?
B2B sales involve a professional buyer making a rational, ROI-driven decision on behalf of their company. B2C (business-to-consumer) sales typically involve an individual buyer making a more emotional, personal decision with a shorter sales cycle.
What is a CRM, and why do I need one?
A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is software that helps you track all your interactions with prospects and customers. You need one to stay organised, manage your sales pipeline, and ensure no opportunities fall through the cracks.
Should I put my prices on my website?
Yes, standardised services can be a great way to qualify leads. For complex, custom solutions, it's often better to provide a range or use “pricing starts at…” to set expectations without locking yourself in before you understand the full scope of the client's problem.
What's the best way to handle the “it's too expensive” objection?
Re-frame the conversation around value and ROI. Contrast the investment in your solution with the documented cost of their problem. If the problem costs £100,000 and your solution is £20,000, it's not expensive; it's a profitable business decision.
What is an ICP (Ideal Customer Profile)?
An ICP is a precise definition of the perfect customer for your business. It goes beyond demographics to include company size, industry, revenue, and the specific business pains they experience that you are uniquely qualified to solve.
How do I find decision-makers in a company?
LinkedIn Sales Navigator is the most effective tool. You can search by job title (e.g., “Chief Technology Officer,” “VP of Marketing”), seniority level, and company to identify the specific individuals who likely have the authority and budget for your services.
What is solution selling?
Solution selling is a sales methodology where the salesperson focuses on diagnosing a customer's problems and recommending a tailored “solution” composed of their products or services, rather than just selling a standalone product. This article is based on the core principles of solution selling.
How does marketing support B2B sales?
Marketing creates awareness and generates inbound leads (people who come to you). It warms up the market with content, case studies, and brand building, making the salesperson's job of outbound prospecting and closing deals significantly easier.
A well-defined sales process is critical, but it works best when fuelled by a consistent flow of qualified leads. If you're ready to build the marketing engine that feeds your sales team, explore the digital marketing services at Inkbot Design. You can request a quote directly if you already know what you need.
