Every company has their own interpretation of how the B2B pipeline should work, how customers behave, and how to segment their marketing and sales efforts. If the last decade of marketing and sales innovation has made anything clear, it’s that having a plan is non-negotiable.
ALSO READ: Adapting to a Nonlinear Buying Cycle
A 2015 study by Vantage Point Performance and the Sales Management Association found a 19 percent difference in revenue growth between companies with clearly defined sales processes and companies without (click to tweet).
While the buyer’s journey is admittedly unpredictable, defining your pipeline stages provides the framework necessary for for scaling revenue growth and keeping sales and marketing aligned. It’s important that both teams understand how their responsibilities push leads through the pipeline and where the hand-offs occur.
The infographic below illustrates how most B2B companies segment their sales pipeline stages and build supporting workflows.
Stay tuned for our June e-book on defining your sales funnel stages — an expert roundtable featuring interviews/case studies from Heinz Marketing, Act-On, and Marketo.
