What is the Selling Process

by Karim
(Egypt)

What's the selling process?, and What are the the required skills to be a sales man?

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Apr 23, 2016
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by: Greg

Hi Karim,

Thanks again for your thoughtful question. You’ve asked another big one—
"What is the selling process?"

At its heart, selling isn’t just about making a pitch or getting to yes. It’s about creating a meaningful conversation that helps someone clarify what they want, explore their options, and take a step toward a decision that serves them well.

The selling process starts the moment you engage with a potential customer—and it continues until there's a clear outcome. That outcome could be moving forward, agreeing to reconnect later, or even deciding that what you offer isn’t the right fit. Any of those can be the right result—because a good selling process is about progress, not pressure.

It’s not always a straight line. People don't make decisions in neat stages. They may jump back and forth between exploring needs, weighing risks, and checking their gut feeling. Your role is to guide that process—not control it.

Here’s how it usually unfolds, in broad strokes:

You connect. This might be a casual chat or a formal meeting. Either way, it begins with trust. Before you can influence someone, they need to feel seen, heard, and understood.

You explore. This is where real selling begins. You ask questions—not just to qualify the person, but to understand them. Their situation. Their challenges. Their goals. Their decision-making style. You're not just looking for an opportunity; you're listening for what matters most to them.

You assess. Based on what you learn, you quietly assess whether what you offer truly helps. If it doesn't, you say so. But if it does, you now have a map for how to communicate that value in a way that resonates.

You present. You present—not pitch. You speak to what they care about. You use their words, not yours. You connect the dots between what they’ve told you and what you can deliver. The best presentations feel less like a performance and more like clarity unfolding.

You agree on next steps. That might be a sale, a proposal, a trial, or a follow-up meeting. Whatever it is, it should feel natural and mutual. You’re helping the other person move forward—not dragging them there.

This process is fluid. It requires real presence. And it works best when your intention is to serve, not just to sell.

SPIN Selling is a good , if quite old, selling process.

If you want a deeper dive into the skills behind this approach, you might enjoy a page I’ve written called "Professional Selling Skills". It’s on my homepage too if you want to find it later.

Hope that helps,
Greg

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