Introduction
Your best rep closes 40% of qualified leads. Your newest rep closes 12%. Same market, same product, same pitch deck—what's the difference?
It's not talent. It's not a hustle. It's a process.
Most commercial services teams don't have a documented sales process. They have a collection of individual approaches, tribal knowledge, and "whatever works for Mike." When Mike leaves, so does his close rate and 30% of your sales pipeline.
When your newest hire asks how to handle a stalled deal, the answer is usually "just keep following up" or "ask Sarah - she's been here five years."
That's not a process. That's hope disguised as strategy.
Here's what this article will walk you through: a stage-by-stage blueprint for building a repeatable sales process that removes guesswork, shortens cycle times, and creates consistency across your team. You'll see what happens at each stage, where deals typically break down, and how to fix the breakdowns before they cost you revenue.
If you're a sales leader or VP building (or rebuilding) a process that scales, this is your roadmap.
What Is a Sales Process?
A sales process is a documented, repeatable sequence of actions that moves a prospect from first contact to closed deal. It answers three questions:
What happens at each stage?
What does "done" look like before moving to the next stage?
Who owns what?
Sounds simple. So why don't most commercial services teams use the one they’ve built?
Because in field services—HVAC, janitorial, roofing, solar—the game has always been about relationships and referrals. You didn't need a process when 60% of your deals came from word-of-mouth and the phone rang without too much effort.
But that's changed.
Data collection is better than ever - we can actually “see” who’s searching for topics relevant to our business because of cookies. Add to that, buyers now research online before they ever talk to a rep. Gatekeepers screen calls. And, most businesses have automated follow-up systems that reply in seconds.
The whole sales process has changed because of technology. Where the “old game” rewarded hustle. The “new game” rewards systems.
Here's the tension: teams that wing it can still close deals. But the companies they work for struggle to scale. They can't onboard new reps in 60-90 days instead of 6 months. They can't diagnose why the Q3 pipeline dried up or why proposal-to-close rates dropped 8% in two quarters.
A process doesn't replace relationships. It amplifies them. It gives your best reps a playbook to teach and your worst reps a floor to stand on while they learn.
The goal of this article is to help you build a process that creates predictable revenue. A replicable system that accelerates sales, onboards new reps faster, and creates clear visibility into what's working and what's broken so you can fix it/ improve on the fly.
So, let's build it.
The Six Stages of a Modern Commercial Sales Process
We’re all familiar with the traditional sales process - find a lead, qualify them, propose, and close. “It’s simple,” we tell ourselves. So why aren’t our team able to replicate our results? The problem is they don’t understand what happens at each stage and why.
Stage 1: Prospecting & List Building
What happens here: You identify properties, facilities, or accounts that match your ideal customer profile. In commercial services, this means buildings with specific attributes—square footage, property type, permit history, ownership structure—that signal need and buying capacity.
Common failure points: Reps waste time on accounts that will never buy. They chase leads with no budget, no authority, or no timeline. According to Salesforce, sales reps spend 21% of their time on lead research and prospecting - roughly 8 hours per week. Most of that time is spent manually combing through databases, looking up property records, or Googling facility managers.
What "done" looks like: A prioritized list of 50–100 accounts in your territory, ranked by fit and intent. You know the property type, the decision-maker's name, the last time they pulled a permit, and whether they're likely in-market.
Where modern tools fit: This is where property intelligence platforms like Convex collapse hours of research into minutes. Instead of searching county records for every building in your zip code, you type "hospitals" and get a list in your territory. Then filter by systems, permit history, building attributes, and contact data and you’ll see your entire list of opportunities in one view.
Add to this, Convex offers buyer intent signals at the property level. These “Signals” (intent scoring) tells you which properties are actively researching solutions like yours. You're not guessing - you're targeting warm opportunities.
Metrics that matter:
Buyer intent signals are #1 - who’s actively searching for what you offer.
List size (accounts in territory)
List quality (% that match ICP)
Time spent per account researched
Internal resources:
For more information on building a great prospecting process, you can check out: Mastering Sales Prospecting: The Ultimate Guide or have your team read, How to Do Sales Prospecting: A Beginner's Guide.
Once we have a list of warm prospects, we need to contact them.
Stage 2: Outreach & First Contact
What happens here: You initiate contact with decision-makers via phone, email, or in-person drop-ins. The goal is not to pitch - it's to start a conversation and book a discovery call where you can gather information for a proposal.
Common failure points: Generic outreach gets ignored. "Hi, we're an HVAC company in your area - do you need service?" lands in spam. Reps make two attempts and give up. Internal data from commercial services teams shows it takes an average of 8 touches to convert a cold lead, but most reps quit after 1–2.
What "done" looks like: A reply. A callback. A meeting booked. You've moved from "stranger" to "on their radar."
Where modern tools fit: Generative AI for outreach messaging can craft personalized emails based on property-specific insights. Instead of "We install HVAC systems," your message says: "I noticed your facility pulled a roofing permit in March 2024 - many of our clients upgrade HVAC during roof replacements to improve efficiency and qualify for rebates. Worth a conversation?"
Contact Data tools like Engage give you verified phone numbers and emails, so you're not wasting touches on dead inboxes.
Metrics that matter:
Connect rate (% of attempts that reach a human)
Reply rate (% that respond)
Meeting booked rate (% that agree to next step)
Now, you have to convert from outreach into conversations that turn into sales.
Stage 3: Discovery & Qualification
What happens here: You ask diagnostic questions to understand their current situation, pain points, budget, authority, need, and timeline (BANT still works—if you ask it right). This is where you shift from seller to consultant.
Common failure points: Reps pitch too early. They ask surface-level questions ("What's your budget?") and get surface-level answers ("Send me a quote"). They don't uncover the real problem—the one the prospect is willing to pay to solve.
What "done" looks like: You can answer these questions with confidence:
What problem are they trying to solve?
What happens if they don't solve it?
Who has to approve the purchase?
When do they need it solved by?
What's their evaluation process?
If you can't answer all five, you're not done with discovery.
The reframe: Most buyers think they know what they need. Your job is to challenge that assumption - not aggressively, but consultatively. "You mentioned replacing your HVAC units. Have you looked at the total cost of ownership over 10 years, or just the upfront price? Because many facilities underestimate maintenance and energy costs by +/- 30%."
And then use data to back it up…
That's not selling. That's teaching. And teaching builds trust faster than pitching ever will.
Metrics that matter:
Qualification rate (% of discovery calls that become qualified opps)
Disqualification rate (% you walk away from—yes, this is a good metric)
Average discovery call length (too short = surface-level; too long = lack of structure)
If you’d like to learn more about building a consultative sales process, there are two great resources you can check out.
But now you have to make your services relevant to them. This is where we switch from consultation to advice. You’ve identified how to solve their problems, but now you have to actually do it.
Stage 4: Proposal & Pricing
What happens here: You deliver a formal proposal or quote that reflects everything you learned in discovery. This isn't a product catalog - it's a customized solution that maps your offering to their specific pain points.
Common failure points: Proposals disappear into a black hole. You send a PDF, hear nothing for two weeks, follow up with "Just checking in…" and get ghosted. Why? The proposal didn't include a clear next step, a timeline, or a reason to act now.
Or worse: you sent a proposal to someone who wasn't the final decision-maker. Now it's sitting on a desk while they "run it by their boss" (translation: you've lost control of the sales process).
What "done" looks like: The proposal has been reviewed, discussed, and either accepted, rejected, or objections have been surfaced. You're not waiting - you're in the driver’s seat.
The control move: Never send a proposal without scheduling the follow-up call first. "I'll have this to you by Friday. Let's book 30 minutes for Tuesday to walk through it together and answer any questions." Now you own the next step.
Metrics that matter:
Proposal-to-close rate (% of proposals that become deals)
Average time from proposal sent to decision (shorter is better)
Proposal ghosting rate (% that never reply after receiving a quote)
After a decade in sales, this is where I saw many sales processes fail. We’d spend hours training on objections and getting to closing conversations, and then things would go silent on the prospect’s side.
Deals would fail at the 11th hour because we weren’t prepared for an employee transition, losing our internal champion, or a decision-maker who didn’t see the full picture.
Stage 5: Close & Negotiation
What happens here: You address final objections, negotiate terms if needed, and get the signed contract. This is where deals either cross the finish line or stall indefinitely.
Common failure points: Reps mistake silence for interest. They hear "We need to think about it" and assume the deal is still alive. It's not. "Think about it" means "I have an objection I'm not telling you."
Negotiation gets sloppy. Reps drop prices without understanding what's driving the pushback. They give concessions without asking for anything in return.
What "done" looks like: Signed contract. Purchase order in hand. Payment terms agreed. Start date confirmed.
The diagnostic question approach: When a prospect stalls, don't pitch harder. Ask better questions.
"It sounds like something's holding you back—can you help me understand what that is?"
"If price weren't a factor, would you move forward?"
"What would need to change for this to be a yes?"
These questions surface the real objection. Once you know what it is, you can solve it.
Metrics that matter:
Close rate (% of qualified opps that become customers)
Average deal size
Win/loss reasons (tracked in CRM)
Now that a deal is marked “closed won” (or “closed lost”), what happens next? Do you have a process for the hand-off? Or for bringing dead deals back to life?
Stage 6: Handoff & Post-Sale Setup
What happens here: You transition the new customer from sales to operations, account management, or service delivery. This is the most overlooked stage - and the one that determines whether this customer refers you or regrets you.
Most companies have a document that walks a rep through a few key steps with a copy/paste email to send to the customer that begins the onboarding process. But if we’re honest, these documents are labor-intensive… almost like handing a new customer a second job.
Common failure points: The handoff is a mess. Sales promised something operations didn't know about. Timelines don’t align. The customer has to repeat their story to three different people. Install dates get missed. Follow-up disappears.
Result? The customer feels like they were sold to, not served. They may not give you a good review, and they definitely won't refer you to their network.
What "done" looks like: Operations has everything they need: signed contract, scope of work, customer contact info, timeline, and any special requests or commitments made during the sale.
The customer knows what happens next, who their point of contact is, and when they'll hear from you.
The retention insight: The first 30 days after close determine the lifetime value of that customer. A smooth handoff turns a one-time buyer into a repeat client and referral source. A botched handoff costs you not just that customer, but the five they would've sent your way.
Metrics that matter:
Handoff completion rate (% of deals that get a documented handoff)
Time from close to first service/install
Post-sale satisfaction score (NPS or CSAT)
This is where you generate most of your positive online reviews and where most referrals come from… nail this step and you’ll have customers for life, fail to do so, and you’ll be constantly chasing customers.
Key Metrics to Track at Each Stage
You can't improve what you don't measure. Here's what to track at each stage—and what the numbers tell you.
Prospecting Metrics
List size per rep: Track how many accounts each rep is actively working. This tells you if reps are building enough pipeline to hit their goals. Healthy benchmark: 50–100 accounts per territory.
Percentage of list that matches ICP: Measure what percentage of your accounts actually fit your Ideal Customer Profile. This tells you if reps are targeting the right accounts or wasting time on bad fits. Healthy benchmark: >80%.
Outreach Metrics
Connect rate: Track the percentage of outreach attempts that result in a real decision-maker (not voicemail, not gatekeepers). This tells you if you're getting through to the right people. Healthy benchmark: 15–25% for cold outreach (that’s not replies, that’s touches with real decision-makers who have budget authority.
Reply rate: Measure how many people respond to your emails or messages (even if it's "not interested"). This tells you if your messaging is relevant and resonating. A great benchmark for cold is: 5–10%, 30–50% for warm referrals or existing relationships.
Discovery Metrics
Qualification rate: Track what percentage of discovery calls turn into real opportunities. This tells you if you're having quality conversations or just checking boxes. Healthy benchmark: 40–60%.
Average discovery call length: Measure how long your discovery calls typically last. Too short (under 15 minutes) means you're staying surface-level. Too long (over 45 minutes) means you lack structure, or reps are speaking too much. Healthy benchmark: 20–30 minutes.
Proposal Metrics
Proposal-to-close rate: Track what percentage of proposals turn into signed contracts. This tells you if you're proposing to the right people at the right time, or wasting effort on deals that were never going to close. Healthy benchmark: 30–50%.
Days from proposal to decision: Measure how long it takes from sending a proposal to getting a yes or no. This tells you how fast you're moving deals through the pipeline. Long cycles mean indecision, missing stakeholders, or weak urgency. Healthy benchmark: <14 days.
Close Metrics
Close rate (qualified opportunities): Track what percentage of qualified opportunities turn into closed deals. This tells you if you're closing what you should close, or if something's breaking down in your sales process. Healthy benchmark: 30–40%.
Average deal size: Measure the typical contract value you're closing. This tells you if you're targeting the right accounts and selling the right scope. Deals getting smaller over time is a red flag. Benchmark depends on your product and market.
Handoff Metrics
Handoff completion rate: Track what percentage of closed deals are successfully transitioned to your operations or service team. This should be 100%—anything less means deals are slipping through the cracks.
Days from close to first service: Measure how long it takes from “signed contract” to “first service delivery.” This shows how quickly you're delivering on your promises. Long delays hurt customer satisfaction and referrals. Healthy benchmark: <30 days.
Operational insight: Most sales leaders track lagging indicators (activities, revenue, deals closed). Sales leaders at the fastest-growing commercial services companies track leading indicators (connect rates, qualification rates, proposal speed). Leading indicators tell you what's broken before it costs you the quarter.
Common Breakdowns in the Sales Process (and How to Fix Them)
Even with a documented process, deals break down. Here's where and how to fix it.
Breakdown #1: Prospecting Never Ends
Reps spend all their time at the top of the funnel—always prospecting, never closing—because they have no qualification criteria. Every lead becomes an opportunity. The pipeline fills with junk.
The fix: Tighten your ICP. Build a qualification checklist. Disqualify faster. If a prospect doesn't have budget, authority, need, and timeline, move on. Chasing bad fits costs you the good ones.
Breakdown #2: Discovery Calls Go Nowhere
Reps have discovery calls, but nothing moves forward. Prospects say "We'll think about it" and then disappear. Why? Reps are asking questions but not diagnosing the real problem. They're not reframing the conversation or creating urgency.
The fix: Train your team to ask second- and third-level questions. "You mentioned your HVAC system is old—what's driving the decision to replace it now vs. next year?" Then challenge assumptions. "Most facilities think they need new units when the real issue is poor maintenance schedules. Have you ruled that out?"
Breakdown #3: Proposals Get Ghosted
Reps send proposals and hear nothing. Follow-up emails go unanswered. Either the proposal went to someone who can't make the decision, or there's an objection they're not voicing.
The fix: Never send a proposal without scheduling the follow-up call first. And before you send it, confirm: "If this proposal checks all the boxes, are you ready to move forward, or is there someone else who needs to sign off?
Breakdown #4: Deals Stall at Negotiation
Prospects say they're interested but won't commit. Price becomes the objection. You didn't build enough value in discovery, or they're comparing you to a cheaper competitor, and you're in a race to the bottom.
The fix: Stop negotiating on price alone. Ask: "If we matched their price, would you sign today?" If the answer is no, price isn't the real issue. If the answer is yes, offer a concession but ask for something in return—faster payment terms, a longer contract, or a referral commitment.
Breakdown #5: The Handoff Is a Disaster
Sales closes the deal, but operations doesn't have the details. The customer feels ignored. Follow-through falls apart because there's no documented handoff process. Sales assumes operations "just know."
The fix: Build a handoff template. Every closed deal gets a transition doc: customer name, contact info, signed contract, scope, timeline, special requests, and any commitments made during the sale. Operations reviews it before the first contact. No exceptions.
How to Roll This Out Without Disrupting Your Team
You've built the process. Now you need to implement it without tanking morale or losing deals during the transition.
Here's the 30/60/90-day rollout plan.
Days 1–30: Document & Train
Action steps:
Map your current process (even if it's messy). What's actually happening today?
Define the six stages. What happens at each one? What does "done" look like?
Build stage-specific checklists and templates (discovery call script, proposal template, handoff doc).
Train your team. Don't just send an email—run live sessions. Role-play discovery calls. Walk through the CRM workflow.
Key metric: 100% of reps trained and certified on the new process.
Days 31–60: Test & Refine
Action steps:
Run the new process in parallel with the old one. Let reps test it on new deals, not existing pipeline.
Hold weekly reviews. What's working? What's confusing? Where are deals getting stuck?
Adjust templates and checklists based on feedback. The process should fit your team, not the other way around.
Start tracking metrics by stage. Connect rate, qualification rate, proposal-to-close rate.
Key metric: 50% of new deals following the documented process.
Days 61–90: Enforce & Optimize
Action steps:
Make the process mandatory. Every deal follows the same stages, uses the same CRM fields, and gets tracked the same way.
Review the pipeline weekly. Where are deals stalling? Which reps are crushing it? Which ones need coaching?
Celebrate wins. Publicly recognize reps who are executing the process well.
Build accountability. If a rep skips discovery or sends a proposal without a follow-up call, flag it in the review.
Key metric: 100% of deals in CRM follow the documented process.
The rollout mistake most teams make: They document a process but don't enforce it. Three months later, everyone's back to doing their own thing.
Enforcement isn't micromanagement. It's consistency. And consistency is what makes a process scalable.
Conclusion & Next Steps
Here's what we've covered:
A sales process isn't a straitjacket - it's a blueprint. It removes guesswork, shortens cycle times, and creates consistency across your team. The six stages (prospecting, outreach, discovery, proposal, close, handoff) give you a repeatable system for moving deals from first contact to closed revenue.
The difference between teams that scale and teams that stall? Documentation, enforcement, and measurement.
If you're a sales leader building or rebuilding your process, start here:
Map what's happening today (even if it's messy).
Define what "done" looks like at each stage.
Build checklists and templates for each stage.
Train your team, test the process, and refine based on feedback.
Enforce it. Every deal. Every rep. Every time.
Want to see how property intelligence and intent signals support each stage of your process? Schedule a demo to see Convex in action.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the stages of a B2B sales process?
The six stages are: Prospecting & List Building, Outreach & First Contact, Discovery & Qualification, Proposal & Pricing, Close & Negotiation, and Handoff & Post-Sale Setup. Each stage has clear exit criteria, so you know when a deal is ready to move forward.
How do you qualify commercial leads?
Confirm they have budget, authority, need, and timeline (BANT). Ask: What problem are they solving? What happens if they don't? Who approves the purchase? When do they need it done? If they can't answer, they're not qualified.
What is lead handoff?
Lead handoff is the transition from sales to operations. A good handoff includes: signed contract, scope, timeline, customer contact, and any commitments made during the sale. Poor handoffs cost you repeat business and referrals.
How long should a commercial sales cycle be?
Typical HVAC, roofing, and solar cycles run 60–90 days. Best-in-class teams hit 30–45 days by tightening qualification, speeding up proposals, and maintaining consistent follow-up. If your cycle exceeds 90 days, you're likely chasing unqualified leads, don’t have the right data, or have a sales process that leads to long sales cycles.
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