Practical Sales Training™ > How To Lose The Sale> Overly Fancy Process
What it is
An overly fancy process is a way of working that tries to impress rather than guide. It usually includes too many steps, branded stage names, internal acronyms, and pretty flow charts that buyers do not understand.
Typical signs
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More than five steps from first contact to outcome
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Stage names that a new buyer cannot explain in plain words
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Surprise handoffs, forms, or portals that add effort
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A process map that looks neat but reads like a puzzle
Why it hurts
Complexity slows decisions and kills confidence. Buyers want certainty, speed, and a clear next step.
Commercial impact
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Longer sales cycles, more chasing, lower close rates
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Team confusion, mixed messages, avoidable rework
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Poor handover between sales and delivery
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Lower perceived value because buyers feel lost
When a buyer is unsure, they delay. When they delay, they drift to a simpler choice.
What to do instead
Make the process obvious, short, and buyer centred. Use everyday words. Show outcomes and timings. Remove anything that does not move the sale forward.
The simple process recipe
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Keep three to five steps from hello to result
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Name each step with a clear verb and a clear outcome
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Remove internal jargon and product names from stages
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State the time each step takes and what you need from the buyer
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Show proof at key moments, for example a case study at the decision step
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Put the whole thing on one page that anyone can read in one minute
Hypothetical example: A marketing agency
Their original process (overly fancy)
They called their 6 step approach the Brand Elevation Pathway. The steps were:
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Discoveryfy – initial chat (but no one knew what Discoveryfy meant)
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Calibration Workshop – a 3 hour meeting
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Alignment Phase –-internal handover
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Solutioneering – proposal stage
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Activation Sprint – onboarding
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Optimisation Loop – monthly account management
It looked slick on their website but buyers struggled to repeat it back, did not know how long it would take, and felt it was all smoke and mirrors. Deals slowed down or fell apart.
Simplified process (buyer friendly)
They stripped it back to 4 clear steps:
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Talk – a free 30 minute call to understand your needs
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Plan – a tailored proposal within 3 working days
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Start – onboarding and first campaign live within 2 weeks
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Grow – monthly optimisation and reporting
Now the process is short, easy to explain, and shows timeframes. Buyers understand what happens and what they will get.
See also
