Research Blog

A well-defined sales process doesn’t just create order—it creates outcomes. 

In sales, complexity kills. When your team is operating without a clear, consistent sales process, it’s easy for deals to stall, prospects to get confused, and opportunities to fall through the cracks. And yet, fewer than half of salespeople are proficient in structuring a proper sales process, according to Objective Management Group’s evaluation data. 

Creating a structured sales process isn’t about implementing a rigid script. It’s about defining clear stages, milestones, and expectations so both the salesperson and the buyer know exactly where they are—and what comes next.  

Where Sales Process Structure Fits Within the Sales Competency Model 

This competency sits within the Tactical Competency category of OMG’s 21 Core Sales Competencies framework. That means it’s a skill that can be observed, coached, and improved, but its absence can often be overlooked until deals start to break down. 

Sellers who lack a structured process may: 

• Struggle to move deals forward consistently 

• Overwhelm buyers with too much, or too little, information 

• Deliver pricing or proposals too early 

• Skip key qualification or discovery steps 

On the other hand, salespeople who are proficient in this competency bring clarity and confidence to every interaction. They create a frictionless experience for the buyer while increasing their own win rates. 

The Impact of a Well-Structured Sales Process 

Salespeople with a clear, staged process don’t just feel more in control—they perform better. According to OMG’s research, this competency is tied to: 

• More consistent pipeline reporting. 
  Sellers can accurately describe where each deal stands, making forecasting and coaching more reliable. 

• Shorter sales cycles. 
  A defined process removes ambiguity for the buyer, which helps prevent stalls and “no decisions.” 

• Higher win rates. 
  When sellers guide the conversation through logical stages, they create a more confident buying experience, and stand out from competitors. 

What Proficiency Looks Like 

A salesperson with strong process skills knows how to: 

• Follow a formal, staged process aligned to buyer behavior 

• Use key milestones to ensure they’re not skipping critical steps 

• Communicate the process clearly to the buyer (so it’s not just internal) 

• Use tools like sales scorecards or checklists to stay on track 

They waste little time on activities that don’t move the deal forward and know when, and how, to advance to the next stage. 

Why Many Teams Still Struggle 

Despite its clear importance, many sales teams operate without a formal process, or leave it up to individual sellers to define their own. Even when a process exists, it’s often poorly reinforced, inconsistently followed, or misaligned with how buyers actually make decisions. 

This gap creates confusion internally and externally. Sales managers can’t coach consistently, and buyers can’t navigate the journey easily. The result? Lost deals, bloated pipelines, and frustrated teams. 

How to Help Your Team Improve 

• Assess your team’s current process adherence. Are sellers consistently following a defined structure, or is it ad hoc? 

• Look at your CRM data. Are deal stages meaningful and used correctly, or just cosmetic? 

• Coach with structure in mind. Focus on guiding sellers to think in terms of progress milestones, not just tasks completed. 

Understanding whether your team is consistently using a structured, buyer-friendly process requires more than just reviewing pipeline stages. It calls for a deeper look at how sellers approach each interaction, guide the buyer journey, and navigate decision points. By evaluating this competency alongside others like qualifying, value selling, and closing, sales leaders can begin to uncover the patterns that drive—or derail—performance. 

Want to explore more competencies that contribute to consistent sales success? 
Download OMG’s 21 Core Sales Competencies White Paper.