Sales: Definition, Sales Process, and Social Selling
Without sales, even the best product remains just an idea sitting on a shelf. Sales is the business function that turns prospects into paying customers, directly securing a company’s revenue. Here you’ll learn what sales really means, how a typical sales process unfolds, and what role social selling plays in it today. No time to build out your own sales function? Our LinkedIn agency can help: get in touch.
What is sales? Definition and scope
The term “sales” covers all the activities a company uses to sell its products or services to customers. That includes direct customer outreach, needs analysis, price negotiations, proposal creation, and closing the actual deal. Sales is therefore the point where a lead turns into a paying customer.
Sales is often equated with plain selling, but the function is actually much broader. It also includes the strategic planning of sales channels, managing existing customers, and building long-term business relationships. In larger companies, sales is usually organized as its own department with clear targets, quotas, and reporting.
Sales versus marketing: what’s the difference?
Sales and marketing are often mentioned in the same breath in everyday conversation, but they serve different roles within the buyer’s journey. Marketing generates attention, sparks needs, and delivers qualified leads, following models like the AIDA model. Sales takes over those leads, has personal conversations, and closes the deal. Both areas are complementary: without marketing, sales lacks a steady supply of prospects; without sales, the interest marketing generates goes unused.
| Criterion | Marketing | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Timing | Before the actual buying process | During and after first contact |
| Target audience | Broad audience | Individual, specific leads |
| Core task | Creating attention and demand | Advising, closing, customer retention |
| Success metrics | Reach, leads, brand awareness | Revenue, close rate, deal value |
The sales process: from first contact to close
A professional sales process usually follows clearly defined stages that move a prospect step by step closer to a purchase. Each stage has its own goals and its own metrics used to measure success.
- Lead generation: first contact via website, referral, trade show, or social networks
- Qualification: checking whether real need and budget exist
- Needs analysis: a conversation to understand requirements and decision criteria
- Proposal and negotiation: a customized offer, price discussions, handling objections
- Closing: signing the contract and handing off to delivery
- After-sales: securing customer satisfaction and retention, and tapping cross-selling and upselling potential
Anyone who builds cross-selling and upselling into the process gets significantly more value out of a customer than from a single one-time order.
A lead isn’t a customer yet – only the close turns interest into revenue.
Inside sales and field sales: two sides of the same function
Sales is traditionally split into two areas that differ in working style and type of contact, but work closely together.
Inside sales: selling from the desk
Inside sales works from the office and handles tasks like creating proposals, phone consultations, scheduling appointments, and administrative customer support. It’s often the first point of contact for incoming inquiries and prepares meetings for field sales.
Field sales: personal contact on site
Field sales visits customers directly, runs presentations and contract negotiations in person, and maintains long-term relationships through face-to-face conversations. Especially for complex, high-priced products, an in-person meeting often remains decisive for closing the deal.
Social selling: the modern sales channel
Social selling refers to the deliberate use of social networks like LinkedIn to build relationships with potential customers, gain visibility, and generate leads. Instead of cold calling by phone, social selling relies on valuable content, strategic networking, and personal, digital outreach on the right social media platforms.
Studies show that a large share of online-generated B2B leads comes through LinkedIn. Social selling doesn’t replace traditional sales, it extends it with digital reach and a deliberate, value-driven approach that builds trust before a sales conversation even happens.
Conclusion: sales remains the engine of every revenue stream
Sales is far more than plain selling: it’s a structured process of qualification, consultation, negotiation, and customer retention that combines inside sales and field sales in a meaningful way. Social selling gives this traditional discipline an additional digital channel that offers enormous potential for new business relationships, especially in B2B. Companies that closely align sales and marketing tap into that potential most effectively.
Frequently Asked Questions about Sales
What’s the difference between sales and marketing?
Marketing creates attention and delivers qualified leads, and sales takes those leads and drives them to close. Ideally, both areas work closely together instead of operating separately.
- Marketing: before the purchase
- Sales: during and after contact
- Success only comes from working together
What are the typical tasks in sales?
Tasks include lead qualification, needs analysis, proposal creation, price negotiation, and closing the contract. On top of that comes the long-term management of existing customers.
- Consulting and negotiating
- Creating proposals
- Maintaining customer relationships
What’s the difference between inside sales and field sales?
Inside sales works from the office and handles phone consultations and proposals, while field sales visits customers in person. Both roles complement each other within the same sales process.
- Inside sales: office, phone, proposals
- Field sales: on-site meetings
- Shared goal: closing the deal
What does social selling mean in sales?
Social selling means building business relationships through social networks like LinkedIn instead of traditional cold calling. It extends traditional sales with digital visibility and deliberate, long-term outreach.
- Networking instead of cold calls
- Especially relevant in B2B
- Builds trust before the sale
Webinars: B2B Leads, Live Formats, and the Perfect Structure
Need: Hierarchy of Needs, Desire, and Buying Motive in Marketing
How-To Content: Using Tutorials, Guides, and Search Intent Effectively
Social Media Videos: Reels, Stories, and Formats for Strong Reach
Sales Message: Structure, Examples, and the Impact of Strong Copy
Measuring Success: KPIs, Vanity Metrics, and the Right Measurement Framework
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