Microsoft of all companies has a great sales process development whitepaper that specifically geared toward "why you should develop a better sales process" (or have one at all, if you don't) for your small business. Of course, they mention the requisite tools like Outlook in there, but what do you expect.

How a Sales Process Can Drive Revenue for Your Small Business

Microsoft has collaborated with Sales Performance International (SPI), an established global leader in sales process consulting, to deliver a sales process model designed specifically for small businesses.

This sales process model, based on SPI's proven Solution Selling® methodology and integrated with Microsoft Office Small Business Edition 2003, is a series of customer-focused steps that enables sales professionals to close more sales and build better relationships with customers and suppliers. SPI's research shows that adoption of a formalized sales process can increase close ratios by 20%, decrease sales costs by 20%, and increase sales revenues by 25%.

Download the overview of this high performance sales process model to learn more about the benefits to your company, the specific steps in the process, and best practice guidelines for a successful implementation.