The eight most important sales cycle stages are:

1. Preparation – know your product; spend time in your customer’s shoes; study your competitors
2. Prospecting – do outreach to find companies that match your ideal customer profile
3. Research – is your product the best fit for the prospect? Do they need what you’re selling?
4. Approach – Now you know your customer, find a way to get their attention
5. Pitch/Presentation – article the unique value of your product
6. Objection Handling – answer questions and manage their objections
7. Closing – send a proposal, get signatures, and finalize the deal
8. Follow-up – nurture customers, offer up-sells, and ask for referrals
   

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