Sales process and
system SOP

30-second punchline

What each section covers

Acquisition Network helps individuals buy existing businesses. This SOP governs every stage of the sales process for all SDRs and AEs. It is the single source of truth.

Core mission of sales

Identify, qualify, and convert prospective business buyers into clients by delivering a consultative, trust-based sales experience that is predictable, measurable, and scalable.

Team structure

Ryan and Jim involvement rules

• Ryan or Jim must be looped in for any business purchase over $2,000,000.
• Ryan or Jim must approve any client agreement that deviates from the standard contract template.
• Ryan and Jim are not involved in standard deal closes, pricing, or pipeline management. Those are owned by Constantine and the AE team.
• All Ryan/Jim involvement must be requested through Constantine first. SDRs and AEs do not contact Ryan or Jim directly without Constantine's approval.
• All Ryan/Jim involvement must be logged in our CRM under the opportunity notes.

DFY (we acquire on the client's behalf), DWY (we train them to broker deals), and DIY (paid platform access). The right offer is decided live on the consult call.

Every lead is either a fit for one of these three offers or a combination. The sales process is built so any offer can be the upsell or the downsell depending on what the lead can afford and what they want to do with their time.

Six-stage master flow. Every lead enters through the Lead Intake and exits as DFY, DWY, or DIY. No lead is ever truly unqualified. DIY is always a human-gated downsell, never an automatic route.

Stage 1 · Intake (Entry Point)

Intake is defined as any marketing method that pulls in a lead. The capital-fork question on Page 1 of the intake form splits the lead into a DFY branch or DWY branch. Universal questions feed both scoring rubrics simultaneously, generating a DFY Score and a DWY Score.

Stage 2A · Universal Discovery Call (SDR · 30 min · Mid Score / Warm Leads)

Mid-score and warm leads land here for their first human touch with an SDR. This is a qualification and routing call, not a closing call.

Two paths in:

• Path 1: Opt-in / newsletter / content download. SDR reaches out proactively and schedules the discovery call.
• Path 2: Unvetted application (score 40 to 69). Lead self-books from the thank-you page.

Two outcomes:

• Qualify UP: SDR books the lead into a Universal Consult with an AE.
• Downsell: SDR judges no high ticket fit; presents DIY offer and closes on DIY.

Stage 2B · DIY Downsell (Low-Ticket · Network Entry)

DIY is NOT a dead end. It is a network entry point. Every lead that does not fit DFY or DWY still closes on DIY, joins Acquisition Network, and is positioned for future upsell when capital, timeline, or experience changes.

• Reachable ONLY via human gate: either SDR (from Universal Discovery) or AE (from Universal Consult).
• Auto-enrollment and drip drives the DIY purchase and ongoing engagement.
• DIY clients are tagged and placed in an upsell nurture track automatically.

Stage 3 · Universal Consult (AE · 60 min · The Hub)

The Universal Consult is the only gateway to the DFY and DWY follow up consult tracks. This is a path finding call, NOT a pricing or closing call.

Two arrival paths:

• Direct from Lead Intake: high-score leads (70 or above) bypass Universal Discovery and go straight to an AE.
• Qualified up by SDR: from Universal Discovery after SDR confirms high ticket fit.

Three outcomes:

• DFY Track: book DFY Follow up Consult 1 on the spot.
• DWY Track: book DWY Follow up Consult 1 on the spot.
• DIY Downsell: AE judges no high ticket fit; presents and closes on DIY.

AE responsibilities on this call:

• Read both scores (DFY score and DWY score) before the call.
• Run discovery: understand situation, goals, timeline, and capital.
• Recommend a path (DFY or DWY) based on findings.
• Run a temperature-check buy-in: confirm the lead is open to the recommended path.
• Book the offer-specific Follow up Consult 1 before ending the call.
• Send NDA for DFY leads.
• Commit lead to watching pre call video before Follow up Consult 1.

Stage 4 · Follow Up Consult 1 (AE · 60 min · Full Pitch)

Stage 5 · Follow Up Consult 2 (AE · 45 min · Close Attempt)

Stage 6 · Follow Up and Beyond (AE · Rare · Specific Blocker Only)

Constantine reviews all Follow up and Beyond opportunities in the weekly pipeline review. Any opportunity stuck here for 14 or more days without a documented specific blocker must be escalated or closed.

Sales flow diagram

Visual map of the full sales path: application scoring routes the lead to Closed - DIY, Universal Discovery (SDR), or directly to Universal Consult. From Universal Consult, the lead is booked into a path-specific Follow-up Consult 1. For DFY only, a Follow-up Consult 2 fires when the first follow-up does not close.

Visual map of the full sales path: application scoring routes the lead to Closed - DIY, Universal Discovery (SDR), or directly to Universal Consult (Universal Consult). From Universal Consult, the lead is booked into a path-specific Follow-up Consult 1. For DFY only, a Follow-up Consult 2 fires when the first follow-up does not close.

Box-by-box definitions

The diagram shows the flow. The grid below positions each card in the same column as the SVG box above, so you can read the deep content while keeping the same spatial picture.

How to read the diagram

1. Lead Intake has exactly two destinations: Universal Discovery (Stage 2b, for mid-score / warm leads via SDR) OR Universal Consult (Stage 3, direct route for high-score leads). DIY is never a direct route from the Lead Intake.
2. Universal Discovery is where the SDR decides next. Two outs: qualified up to Universal Consult, OR DIY downsell. DIY is reachable from here AND from Universal Consult (any human gate can downsell).
3. Universal Consult is the single hub. Two arrival paths into it. Three outcomes from it: DFY Follow-up 1, DWY Follow-up 1, or DIY downsell.
4. DFY and DWY are symmetric paths. Both have Follow-up Consult 1 → Follow-up Consult 2 → Follow-up & Beyond.
5. Follow-up Consult 1 is the first deep dive. Pricing, contract structure, proposal sent. DFY also has the $5K deposit ask.
6. Follow-up Consult 2 is the close attempt. DFY does live contract review + 3-step escalation. DWY does objection handling + close.
7. Follow-up & Beyond is the rare extended-touch stage. Only fires when a specific objection or blocker requires more time. Each touch is targeted, not generic. Hard ceiling against infinite loops.
8. DIY (Downsell) is a positive close, not a loss. No lead is "unqualified." Closed - Lost only fires when a lead refuses every offer (DFY, DWY, AND DIY) or is unreachable.

HOT / WARM / COLD labels with SLAs, seven lead status definitions, and all required our CRM contact fields. Every contact must have a label at all times. No unlabeled contacts permitted.

Lead label definitions

Lead Labels are assigned automatically by our CRM automation or manually within 5 minutes of lead arrival.

Lead status definitions

Required contact attributes in our CRM

All contacts must have the following custom fields populated as information is gathered.

Two Golden Rules: always log a note, always set a follow up task. No exceptions. Anyone should be able to open any lead and know exactly where it stands.

Golden Rule 1 · Never touch a contact without putting in your notes

Every single time you interact with a contact, whether it is a call, email, DM, voicemail, or text, you must log a note in our CRM immediately after. No exceptions.

Your note must include:

• The type of outreach completed (e.g., outbound call, inbound call, email, LinkedIn DM, text message, voicemail)
• The result of the outreach (e.g., no answer, left voicemail, connected and had conversation, email sent and no reply yet, booked appointment)
• If you had a conversation: ALL key highlights, including what they said about their goals, budget, timeline, objections, concerns, next steps agreed to, and anything else relevant to their buying journey

Golden Rule 2 · Never touch a contact without setting a follow up task

Every interaction must end with a specific, scheduled follow up task in our CRM. A contact with no follow up task is a lead at risk of dying. There is no such thing as "I'll remember to call them." It must be in our CRM.

Your follow up task must include:

• A specific due date and time
• A clear description of what the next action is (e.g., "Call to confirm appointment," "Follow up on proposal sent 6/3," "Re-engage, they said call back in 2 weeks")
• The assigned owner (yourself, or the AE if handing off)

A contact with no follow up task is treated as a CRM hygiene violation. Constantine reviews open contacts with no tasks every week. Repeated violations affect performance scores.

Additional CRM standards

Pipeline stages and stage movement

Every opportunity must move forward or be disqualified within defined timeframes. Stale opportunities (14 or more days, no movement, no documented reason) are reviewed by Constantine in the weekly pipeline review.

Tagging standards

SDR role overview, warm and cold outreach sequences, call scripts, BANT+ qualification questions, and the AE handoff template. SDRs do not close high ticket deals.

SDR role overview

The SDR's primary function is to qualify Warm inbound leads, work Cold leads via outreach, handle DMs/chat, schedule qualified contacts into the Universal Discovery Call, and for the right leads, escalate directly to Universal Consult. SDRs do NOT close high ticket deals. SDRs manage their work through Tasks and Contact attributes in our CRM.

Warm lead outreach sequence (8 touches · 14 days)

Cold lead outreach sequence (10 touches · 21 days)

SDR call scripts

Cold call opening:

"Hey [Name], this is [Your Name] from Acquisition Network. I'll be upfront, this is a cold call. You've got about 30 seconds to tell me to get lost, but I'm calling because we help people buy profitable, established businesses without starting from scratch. Is that something that's ever crossed your radar?"

Warm / inbound opening:

"Hey [Name], this is [Your Name] calling from Acquisition Network. I saw you [downloaded our guide / attended our webinar / reached out through our site]. I wanted to personally reach out because that usually means you're exploring the idea of buying a business, and I wanted to make sure you got the right information. Do you have a couple minutes?"

BANT+ qualification questions:

1. "What's drawing you toward buying an existing business as opposed to starting something new?"
2. "What industry or type of business are you looking at, or are you open to ideas?"
3. "In terms of capital, have you thought about a price range or what you have available to invest?"
4. "What's your timeline look like? Are you actively looking right now?"
5. "Who else is involved in this decision with you?"

Appointment booking close:

"Based on what you've shared, it sounds like you'd be a great fit for a conversation with one of our senior advisors. They walk you through what deals are actually available, how the process works, and whether there's a fit. I have openings [Day] at [Time] and [Day] at [Time]. Which works better for you?"

SDR to AE handoff process

No handoff happens without a completed qualification summary in our CRM. AE must confirm receipt within 30 minutes.

Handoff criteria. ALL must be true:

• Lead has agreed to a Universal Consult (or directly qualifies for UC due to score 70 or above)
• All required contact attributes are populated in our CRM
• SDR has written a Handoff Summary note in our CRM

Handoff summary template:

HANDOFF SUMMARY
Contact Name: [Name] | Date: [Date] | SDR: [Name]
DFY Score: [X] | DWY Score: [X]
Budget: [Range] | Timeline: [When]
Industry Interest: [Industries / Open]
Decision Maker: [Yes/No/Who]
Key Motivations: [Why they want to buy]
Objections Surfaced: [Any raised]
Next Step: [Universal Consult booked for DATE/TIME]
AE Assigned: [Name]

AE role, Universal Consult call structure (6 phases), objection handling library, follow up standards, and deposit/payment enforcement. AEs own every revenue-generating stage from Universal Consult onward.

AE role overview

Account Executives own all revenue-generating stages from Universal Consult onward. AEs run discovery, recommend paths, deliver full offer pitches, handle objections, and close deals. AEs manage their work via the our CRM Opportunity Pipeline. Constantine manages and coaches all AEs.

Universal Consult call structure (60 min · path finding only)

Objection handling library

Payment plan talk tracks

Offer a payment plan only when a prospect is on the fence about signing up or pushes back on pricing. Do not lead with it. Present the standard pricing first, handle the objection, and introduce the payment option as a way to remove the financial barrier while still starting immediately.

AE follow up standards

Deposit and payment enforcement

• Payment link must be ready before every closing call. Zero lag time.
• AE sends payment link during the call or within 10 minutes of ending it.
• If payment not received within 24 hours, AE calls and texts to reinforce commitment.
• If payment not received within 48 hours, AE escalates to Constantine.
• For DFY: $5K deposit at FU Consult 1; full $25K down at FU Consult 2.
• Any deviation from standard payment structure requires Ryan or Jim approval.
• Payment confirmation triggers automatic onboarding sequence in our CRM.

SDR daily 4-option standard, SDR weekly and monthly scorecards, AE weekly and monthly scorecards. Monthly AE revenue target is $150,000. All thresholds are GREEN / YELLOW / RED.

SDR daily performance standard

SDR performance is measured daily. SDRs must hit one of the four combinations below each day.

Option D (0 sets, 300 dials) is a performance flag, not a pass. A SDR hitting Option D more than 2 days in any given week is placed on a coaching review with Constantine.

SDR weekly KPI scorecard

SDR monthly KPI targets

AE weekly KPI scorecard

Monthly revenue target: $150,000. All metrics calibrated to that goal.

AE monthly KPI targets

100-point QA scoring framework, score thresholds with consequences, Constantine's accountability responsibilities, SDR and AE accountability rules, and the weekly/monthly/quarterly sales training cadence.

QA scoring framework (100-point scale)

QA score thresholds

Accountability structure

Constantine's responsibilities:

• Owns all SDR and AE performance: daily activity review, weekly KPI review, monthly formal review.
• Reviews our CRM pipeline every Monday and Thursday.
• Conducts weekly 1:1 coaching sessions with each rep (30 minutes).
• Reviews minimum 2 calls per rep per week for QA scoring.
• Reports to Chris weekly: pipeline summary, team performance, escalations.
• Flags any deal requiring Ryan or Jim involvement and routes through Chris first.

SDR accountability:

• Daily activity reviewed against the 4-option daily standard (Section 08).
• Option D triggered 2+ days in a week: Constantine coaching review.
• CRM Golden Rules violation (no notes or no follow up task) logged and tracked. 3 violations in a month = formal written warning.
• SDR KPI scorecard shared with team weekly. Transparent leaderboard.

AE accountability:

• Pipeline reviewed daily by AE and twice weekly by Constantine.
• AE below $112,500 monthly revenue for 2 consecutive months: Performance Improvement Plan.
• QA score below 60 on any call: immediate coaching session.
• No-lead-left-behind audit runs every Sunday. All flagged contacts resolved by Tuesday EOD.

Sales training cadence

• Weekly: 30-minute sales training topic every Monday morning (rotating: Sandler, SPIN, objection handling, scripting).
• Monthly: 2-hour deep-dive on one framework (Constantine leads).
• Quarterly: Full team workshop. Role plays, deal reviews, objection library update.
• New hire ramp: 2-week intensive onboarding before first live call.

Five nurture tracks, key our CRM automations for speed-to-lead/appointment/pipeline events, and the post-close onboarding sequence through week one.

Nurture tracks

Key our CRM automations

Speed-to-Lead:

• Hot lead: immediate AE push notification and SMS. If not called in 5 min, Constantine alert.
• Warm lead: SDR task created immediately; push notification to assigned SDR.

Appointment:

• Booking confirmed: confirmation email and calendar invite sent instantly.
• T 48 hours: automated reminder email.
• T 24 hours: automated SMS.
• No-show: "no-show" tag applied; reschedule workflow triggered; SDR re-engages after 7 days.

Pipeline:

• UC Completed: post call follow up email template triggered.
• Closed Won: onboarding sequence and payment confirmation and personal AE welcome.
• Closed Lost: 6-month re-nurture drip.
• Stale 14 or more days: alert to AE and Constantine.

Post-close onboarding sequence

The single intake form for all leads. Every submission produces a DFY Score and a DWY Score. The scores determine routing. SDRs use this same question set verbally on outbound calls. No lead enters the pipeline without answers to these questions.

How the form works

Every lead answers a single capital question on Page 1. The answer splits the form into a DFY branch or DWY branch, tailoring the remaining questions to that lead's situation. Behind the scenes, every question feeds both scoring rubrics simultaneously. One submission produces two scores. The higher score determines primary routing. Both scores are stored on the our CRM contact record so the AE can see the full picture before any call.

Page 1 · The Capital Fork (asked of every lead)

Universal Questions · Asked of every lead regardless of branch

These questions are for qualifying and scoring leads. SDRs and AEs should get answers to these questions on their first contact with a lead. If the contact is happening verbally by phone, use the SDR verbal column as the spoken version of each question. Enter answers into our CRM as you are having your call.

Branch-Specific Questions · Not scored, context only

These questions add additional context for the next call. They do not factor in the scoring rubric.

DFY Scoring Rubric · Max 100 points

Calculated from Questions 2, 3, 4, and 5. Higher score means potential DFY lead.

DWY Scoring Rubric · Max 100 points

Calculated from Questions 3, 5, 6, and 7. Higher score means potential DWY lead.

Score Routing Thresholds

If a Lead fills out the Qualification form, the lead score is automatically calculated and pushed to the contact record on our CRM. If an SDR is asking the Questions, they can add their own score based on the graph below.

A · SDR daily checklist

1. Check our CRM dashboard. Review all new leads assigned.
2. Review open tasks due today. Prioritize Hot, then Warm, then Cold.
3. Make first calls of the day. Attempt Hot/Warm leads first.
4. Log ALL call outcomes in our CRM, even no-answers. (Golden Rule 1)
5. Set a follow up task for every contact touched today. (Golden Rule 2)
6. Check DMs and website chat. Respond within 5 minutes during business hours.
7. Update all lead statuses before end of day.
8. Confirm all meetings set today are in the our CRM calendar.
9. Review tomorrow's task list before logging off.

B · AE daily checklist

1. Review full pipeline. Identify anything stale or needing attention.
2. Confirm all calls on calendar; verify prospects confirmed.
3. Send T-2 hour personal reminder texts for today's calls.
4. Complete all scheduled calls: UC, FU Consult 1, FU Consult 2.
5. Update all opportunity stages within 2 hours of call completion.
6. Log detailed call notes in our CRM, every single interaction. (Golden Rule 1)
7. Set a follow up task for every opportunity touched today. (Golden Rule 2)
8. Send same day follow up emails for all discovery/consult calls.
9. Review tomorrow's calendar and prep for each call.

C · Lead escalation path

• SDR cannot qualify: SDR Manager (Constantine) reviews. Assign senior SDR or escalate to AE.
• AE needs close support: Constantine joins next call.
• Business purchase over $2M or non-standard agreement: Constantine notifies Chris. Chris involves Ryan/Jim.
• Lead goes silent after UC: SDR re-engages 7 days after AE last contact.
• Prospect complaint: escalate to Constantine immediately; document in our CRM.
• Legal or contractual deviation: Chris notifies Ryan/Jim; AE does NOT speculate on terms.

D · Golden Rules at a glance