Building Successful Sales Processes

Written by Brad Gamble

Chief Executive Officer at The Selling Factory, he has a wealth of experience in sales development. Following his 8 years as VP of Sales and Marketing and part of the executive team of a $500m company , he launched The Selling Factory as a selling-focused destination in the heart of Gainesville’s thriving business and university district.

According to HubSpot, a sales process is defined as “a step-by-step plan that details how salespeople convert leads into customers. It explains each action reps should take, and in what order.”

A sales process is a framework, a pathway, and a non-emotional guide that sets a sales professional up for success, assuming they follow the steps in place. In the world of outbound B2B sales, the traditional steps in a sales process are as follows:  

  1. Mining lists of leads 

  2. Engaging with those leads to qualify them 

  3. Inviting those leads to a demo or sales discussion

  4. Closing the deal 

  5. Onboarding the new client 

  6. Manage the client throughout their life cycle

Sales Departments experience incredibly high employee turnover rates.  Pre-pandemic, B2B companies’ turnover rates on their sales teams averaged 35%.  A report published by the Bridge Group shows that the average tenure of a sales professional is 1.5 years. Think about that.  Every 1-3 years your sales team will completely turnover.  

There are many uncontrollable, and controllable, factors that lead to a high turnover rate amongst B2B sales teams.  Uncontrollable factors include recruiting great talent, the ability to pay higher-than-average compensation rates, and market/industry selling conditions.  One very controllable factor, however, is building successful and repeatable steps in the sales process for your company.

By making these steps in the sales process a priority and taking the necessary time to build these processes, it will set your company up for success in reducing sales team turnover.  High turnover is a death sentence to a high-performing sales team. 

A small company, or a startup company, may have one sales professional–the selling-CEO.  Early on you are clawing and scraping to find those first deals for your company.  However, by documenting every success, failure, new client, or lost client, those experiences build the valuable framework of a selling process.  

When I mentor startup CEO’s, the lack of documentation of early-stage sales successes and failures is the most common missed opportunity to get better.  Eventually, and hopefully, that CEO will no longer be the point person for new sales opportunities (NOTE: A CEO will always sell the vision and mission of the company).  

As a company’s sales team grows, having documented (and tested) sales processes in place allow each wave of new selling-focused employees to ramp faster.  The faster they ramp, the faster they start producing.  And most importantly, the more likely they are to stick around for a while because they are having success in your organization.  

 

Victoria Zamitalo

Campaign Manager

Victoria received a BA in History and Economics from the University of Florida in May 2023. She is a driven sales professional with over 5 years combined experience in customer service, consumer relations and outbound sales, and is deeply passionate about fostering close relationships between consumers and sellers. She aims to train the next generation of sales professionals in not only the tricks of the trade, but also interpersonal skills that make sales the exciting and ever-changing industry that it is.

victoria@thesellingfactory.com

Mia Semel

Campaign Manager

Before graduating with a B.A. in Sustainability Studies, Mia took on multiple roles while interning at The Selling Factory, including sales development, recruiting, and leading campaigns. She is an active listener and effective communicator, specializing in fostering genuine connections and finding common ground among differing perspectives. She aims to find practical, creative solutions regarding sustainable development, biodiversity and the climate crisis.

mia.semel@thesellingfactory.com

Kira Grieve

Senior Campaign Manager

Kira graduated from the University of Florida and received her Master of Science in Entrepreneurship. She is passionate about helping businesses grow and connecting with new people. Some of her hobbies include traveling and hiking. She hopes to visit all of the National Parks one day!

kira@thesellingfactory.com

Jared Glosser

Vice President

After graduating from UF in 2014 with a B.A. in history, Jared started his professional career Fundraising for a non-partisan political lobby in South Florida. In 2016, Jared moved back to Gainesville to work for a non-profit, recruit students for international travel opportunities, and pursue his MBA at UF. Jared has been with The Selling Factory since 2019 focusing on operations, client onboarding, and client success.

jared@thesellingfactory.com

Ian Massenburg

Chief Operating Officer

A graduate of University of Florida (B.A. 2001), Ian Massenburg brings over 18 years of sales executive and sales management experience to The Selling Factory. Before coming on-board, Ian worked alongside Brad at Infinite Energy, and then spent his next 3 years as VP of Partnerships selling SaaS products B2B. Ian brings his vast knowledge and experience to the team and to our partner companies served.

ian@thesellingfactory.com

Damien Paulk

Campaign Manager

Damien is a University of Florida graduate that recently joined the team full time after working as a Sales Development Intern for one year. As a Campaign Manager, Damien looks forward to contributing to the growth and success of The Selling Factory. When Damien is not at work he enjoys exploring Gainesville with his girlfriend and dog or watching the Gators dominate college football.

damien@thesellingfactory.com

Brendan Viehman

Campaign Manager

Brendan graduated from Liberty University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Project Management. For the past 5 years, he has enjoyed working with blockchain technology and cryptocurrency development. In his free time, he surfs and makes personal finance videos for his YouTube channel.

brendan@thesellingfactory.com

Savannah Howard

Campaign Manager

A graduate from the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications, Savannah obtained her Bachelor of Science in public relations with a concentration in French. After almost two years as a sales development intern for The Selling Factory, she joined the leadership team in 2021 taking on the role of Campaign Manager. In her free time, Savannah enjoys going to concerts and festivals and cooking for her friends and family.

savannah@thesellingfactory.com

Zack Kampf

Campaign Manager

Zack is a creative technologist with experience in advertising, event planning, and game design. He started as an SDR in 2018 and has been with TSF ever since. Upon graduating UF in 2019 he became a campaign manager and is currently seeking a master's degree from NYU. In his spare time, you can find him at the intersection of Art & Technology!

zack@thesellingfactory.com

Josiah Blakemore

Growth Manager

Josiah has over 10 years of sales experience, worked with Brad and Ian at Infinite Energy, and also spent time selling SaaS as Director of Partnerships at SharpSpring. He’s always been very competitive and has a love for sports and games. He enjoys solving problems and coaching team members to do the same!

josiah@thesellingfactory.com

Sue-Ming Frauenhofer

Marketing Manager

Sue-Ming received both her B.S. in Psychology and M.S. in Management from The University of Florida. As a student, she took on multiple roles while interning at The Selling Factory, including sales development, marketing, and recruiting, eventually leading to her current role as Marketing Manager. She enjoys refining her taste in music and visual art, engaging in mindfulness and meditative practices, and frolicking outside with her sidekick pup.

sueming@thesellingfactory.com

Adam Grossman

Chief Development Officer

Adam is an ordained rabbi, who has founded multiple ventures focused on workforce development. Hired as CEO by a failing non-profit, in over 5 years, his ingenuity saved the organization, which led Slingshotfund.org to recognize it as one of North America’s most innovative Jewish non-profits. His expertise to identify, cultivate, and on-board talent ensures our student teams meet our partners’ needs.

adam@thesellingfactory.com

Brad Gamble

Chief Executive Officer

After graduating from UF in 1999 with a B.S.B.A, Brad Gamble has dedicated himself to sales management, branding, coaching, and building companies. He served as the VP of Sales & Marketing for Infinite Energy until 2014, when he founded The Selling Factory. He has dedicated himself to teaching critical skills to tomorrow’s leaders, and helping companies achieve sales success and revenue growth.

brad@thesellingfactory.com