The sales process is ours. There are a number of critical activities that we need to undertake that are independent of those the customer undertakes. For example, is this the right opportunity for us, is this good business that we should pursue.

So they really are different processes that must be aligned and synchronized. You may be interested in a post I wrote on this topic: http://partnersinexcellenceblog.com/selling-process-or-buying-process/

I agree that the decision is just the starting point of the process from a customer point of view. Most really good sales processes recognize this by adding some implementation and execution phases. This ensures we are continuing to work with the customer to assure they achieve their objective–that’s the point after all. Too many make a mistake by thinking it stops when they get the order.

Finally, the language is important. We must speak in customer terms, we must use their language.

Thanks for the thoughtful comment

For example, most sales processes have a ‘closing’ stage, which the entire process is focused on. However, from the customer’s perspective, that stage is merely when they make a decision, and the real work is about to begin. To customers, it’s a ‘beginning’ step, not a close. So in a single aligned process, that step is simply the ‘decision’ step. Of course, a customer-aligned ‘sales process’ needs to include the implementation and measuring the success of the solution.

The implications go far beyond simply aligning the selling and buying processes. Rather than trying to remember to translate ‘selling’ language/stages to ‘buying’ language/stages, reps think natively in the customer’s language/stage. Customers can easily tell when reps have to translate, because their self-serving interests invariably come out. Reps who consistently think and talk in terms of the customer’s success are rare and easily distinguished. Customers are much more open to sharing information when questions are asked in the context of what is takes to successfully implement the solution rather than what it will take to close the deal.

In other words, rather than teach reps two languages, why not just have them be fluent in the customer’s language?