In difficult markets it is even more important to understand our customers and build strong relationships. Here are some questions leaders should be asking about their sales process. The answers will help you identify what works, what kinds of customers are most likely to buy your products and services, and what the optimum cultivation process looks like.

1. Who are our best customers?
2. What do they have in common?
3. What products or services do they purchase?
4. What makes them a great customer? Is it working style, personality traits, company culture, the products or service they need, etc.?
5. What do they like best about us?
6. Which one of the factors we just identified can we recognize earlier in the sales process?
7.How did we first connect to our best customers?
8. How many interactions did it take to convert them to customers?
9. What type of interactions did we employ?
10. What parts of a successful sales process can we control and what parts can we replicate?