A complete sales process does not end at Closed Won. It connects discovery, solution design, pricing, quoting, approval, order creation, handoff, delivery, and completion.
1. Opportunity and discovery
The process begins with a defined need, stakeholders, timing, commercial potential, and next action. Good discovery creates information that later stages can reuse.
2. Solution and pricing
The team translates needs into products, services, scope, quantities, terms, and prices. Exceptions should be visible before they become promises.
3. Quote and approval
The commercial proposal should reflect the approved solution and pricing. Internal decisions need context, ownership, and an auditable outcome.
4. Order and handoff
Acceptance changes the state of the work. The order and delivery team should inherit the final scope, commitments, documents, dates, and decisions without reconstructing them.
5. Delivery and completion
Post-sale work validates whether the original promise was fulfilled. Completion data can inform renewals, expansion, forecasting, and future process improvement.
Editorial note
This page explains a proposed software-category framework. It distinguishes that argument from externally verifiable facts and will add citations as substantive research is incorporated.