Defining StepsHow many Processes can I create?
example Steps, Results, and Actions
example Completed Process with
Steps, Results, Actions, and Auto Tasks
Process - A Process defines and reinforces effective selling / closing behaviors among your entire team, regardless of their geographic locations. A sales process is made up of the Steps that comprise your sales cycle (such as initial call, send information, follow-up call, meeting). Each Step must have at least one Result that either points the User to another Step (it can be the same Step if necessary) or ends the Process (with a Won outcome (got the sale) or a Lost outcome (lost the sale)). Whatever the outcome, sales reps can attach Reason Codes that allow you to quickly understand why.
The backbone of the application, the Process Builder gives an Application Administrator with Process Builder Administrator privileges or a User with Process Builder Administrator privileges the ability to custom define and build one or many Web-based sales processes. The Process Builder is fully adaptable to your organization's way of doing business (regardless of industry) and will assist you in managing and tracking ongoing Deals -- from initial contact to signed contract, and beyond. The completion of each Deal Step will automatically display the information you need for the next Step. This allows for the standardization of company-endorsed sales practices, because it allows all sales reps to work off the same script, while still remaining flexible enough to allow each sales rep to deviate from the script within parameters established by their manager. Other Web-based solutions only track high-level milestones in the sales process. This solution goes several layers deeper. Through the application's patent-pending Process Builder technology, an organization can define specific results and next steps. The application supports every sales methodology, whether it's unique to an organization or a branded sales methodology commonly used by many organizations.
The Process Builder lets sales reps determine the probability that each of their Deals (opportunities) will be Won at each Step. This helps sales managers to more accurately generate reports that forecast sales revenues (such as with the prebuilt Report "Forecast Report".
A major advantage of the Process Builder is that a Process is dynamic, not linear. In other words, while you can move through all the Steps one at a time, you also have the flexibility to skip a Step, return to a previous Step, or even repeat the same Step. It's up to you. You can also add Steps or delete Steps at any time, even if a Process is currently in use. Another advantage of the Process Builder is that you can stop building a Process without completing it and come back later to where you left off.
The Process Builder allows for efficient workflow management. You can simulate and check the navigation of your Process before you use it, and at any time thereafter as well. You can permit Deal Steps to be reassigned back and forth among the sales team to allow strategic sharing and efficient task distribution. The Process Builders unique "Auto Task" feature allows for the automatic generation of specific To Dos based on a specific Step Result.
Only Process Builder Administrators can create, edit, or delete a Process. Any User can be granted Process Builder Administrator privileges by an Application Administrator. Note that Application Administrators and Users without Process Builder Administrator privileges can still use an existing Process to log Deal Steps. Once a Process is created and activated, it is available for use by all Users. All Users can access the Process Builder - View window and view the list of sales processes, and also view the details of the Steps and Results within each Process.
How many Processes can I create? Standard edition and Extended edition Users with Process Builder Administrator privileges can create an unlimited number of Processes. Express edition customers can create a maximum of four Processes.
In addition to the features discussed above, Extended edition Users with Process Builder Administrator privileges can do the following: grant Usage rights to each Process (thus ensuring Users are only using an appropriate Process), bind Deal Layouts to a Process so Users can only choose appropriate layouts, and establish which field represents the value of any Deal using the Process. In addition, Application Administrators (with or without Process Builder Administrator privileges) can build Result Layouts, which allow for data collection as Users move through a Process.
The application includes sample Processes in the Process Builder - View window. If they are unavailable, a User in your organization has likely deleted them. Express edition Users with Process Builder Administrator privileges must delete one of these prebuilt Processes to create a new Process from scratch. Or you can just edit the samples to fit your business needs.
A Process is a series of Steps, also known as Deal Steps, each with a set of possible Results.
Steps are the major milestones of your Process that you need to track and follow.
Step 1 - Initial Call
Step 2 - Send Info
Step 3 - Follow Up Call
Step 4 - Meeting/Appointment
Step 5 - Proposal
Step 6 - Close Deal
If you haven't created a Process before, it can be helpful to first create the Process on paper. Write down the Steps that must be taken during a Process. After choosing your Steps, write down the Results of each Step.
Results are the possible events that could take place at each Step.
What Results can occur from an "Initial Call"? You may determine that an "Initial Call" can lead to the following possible events:
Result 1 - Interested
Result 2 - Not Interested Yet
Result 3 - Not Interested At All
Result 4 - Unavailable
Each Step must have at least one corresponding Result attached to it. Your Steps with possible Results may look something like this:
Step 1 Initial Call
Results
Interested
Not Interested Now
Not Interested At All
Not There
Step 2 Send Info
Results
Sent It
Step 3 Follow Up Call
Results
Still Interested
Not Interested At All
Not Interested Now
Not There
Step 4 - Meeting/Appointment
Results
Good Meeting
Needs More Time
Deal Fell Through
Step 5 - Proposal
Results
Accepted Proposal
Further Negotiation
Deal Fell Through
Step 6 - Close Deal
Results
Won Client - Won
Deal Fell Through - Lost
Actions are responses that take place in a particular time frame due to a particular Result.
Types of Actions:
Go
to a Step below 
Go
to a Step above 
Repeat this Step 
Won or Lost Deal 
When you add Results to the Steps in your Process, you will be prompted to add the Action you want to take. A sample Process with corresponding actions may look something like this:
example Steps and Results and Actions
Step 1 Initial Call
Result 1 Interested
action
move to Step 3
Result 2 Not Interested Now
action
move to Step 2
Result 3 Not Interested At All
action
lost deal
Result 4 Not There
action
repeat this Step
Step 2 - Send Info
Result 1 - Sent It
- action
- move to Step 3
Step 3 Follow Up Call
Result 1 Still Interested
action
move to Step 4
Result 2 Not Interested At All
action
lost deal
Result 3 Not Interested Now
action
repeat this Step
Result 4 Not There
action
repeat this Step
Step 4 Meeting Appointment
Result 1 Good Meeting
action
move to Step 5
Result 2 Needs More Time
action
move to Step 3
Result 3 Deal Fell Through
action
lost deal
Step 5 Proposal
Result 1 Accepted Proposal
action
move to Step 6
Result 2 Further Negotiation
action
move to Step 4
Result 3 Deal Fell Through
action
lost deal
Step 6 Close Deal
Result 1 Won Client
action
won deal
Result 2 Deal Fell Through
action
lost deal
Tasks can be automatically assigned to Users upon their arrival at certain Deal Steps. Auto Tasks are created by launching the Add Auto Task pop-up. A Task and an Auto Task are both essentially the same thing. Both are something you need to do, and don't want to forget.
An Auto Task, however, is related to a particular Deal via the sales process that caused the Task's creation, even if it is not critical to the continuance of the sales process. You may continue working through the Process whether or not the Task is completed. If you build the Task into the Process as a Step, it will be required, and a User cannot proceed until the Task is completed.
A Task, on the other hand, is not automatically created due to the arrival at a certain Deal Result or due to any other specific event. Rather, a Task is manually created by a User in the Calendar section of the application. A manually created Task is also something that you need to do, don't want to forget, is not strictly time-specific (as opposed to an Appointment), but also does not have to be Deal-specific and does not have to be linked to a particular Account, Contact, Deal, or Lead.
Auto Tasks (born while working a Deal) and Tasks (born in the Calendar section of the application) will both live in a User's Task List in the Calendar section of the application. An Auto Task, for example, might be set to be created when a User reaches the Step Result "Meeting"; the Process could automatically generate an Auto Task for the User such as "Gather meeting notes" in the User's Task List in the Calendar section. A Task, for example, might be created by a User as a reminder to do such things as "Find the file cabinet key" or "Retype my notes from the PB disciplinary hearing" or "Call Scott Plympkin about the disaster plan."
An Auto Task is not a required event in order for further Process Steps to be taken -- the User can continue through the Process even if they don't complete the Task, but it will still appear on their Task List in their Calendar section.
You can also further specify what type of Task it is by adding Task Types and Task Purposes in the Activity Types and Purposes window.
A Type refers to the type of activity it is. Examples include Email, Fax, Letter, Meeting, and Phone Call.
A Purpose refers to the reason for the Activity. Examples include Approve Proposal, Get Info, Schedule Appointment, and Say Thanks.
Auto Task: Thank the customer
Task Type: Phone call
Task Purpose: Thanks and Confirmation
Auto Task: Send referral
Task Type: Email
Task Purpose: Authorize appointment
Auto Task: Tell Accounting to send invoice
Task Type: Phone call
Task Purpose: Billing
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