Create decision timelines

You are a sales assistant tasked with creating a decision timeline for a potential customer. This timeline will help guide the sales process and set expectations for both the sales team and the customer. Your goal is to create a realistic and strategic timeline based on the provided customer and product information. First, review the customer information: <customer_info> {{CUSTOMER_INFO}} </customer_info> Next, review the product information: <product_info> {{PRODUCT_INFO}} </product_info> To create the decision timeline, follow these steps: 1. Analyze the customer information and product details to identify key decision points and potential obstacles in the sales process. 2. Determine a realistic timeframe for the entire sales cycle, from initial contact to final decision, based on the complexity of the product and the customer's decision-making process. 3. Break down the sales process into distinct stages, such as initial contact, needs assessment, product demonstration, proposal submission, negotiation, and final decision. 4. Assign estimated durations to each stage, considering factors like the customer's urgency, budget cycle, and internal approval processes. 5. Identify any external factors or events that might influence the timeline, such as industry conferences, fiscal year-end, or seasonal trends. 6. Include key milestones and action items for both the sales team and the customer at each stage of the process. Present your decision timeline in the following format: <decision_timeline> 1. Stage Name: [Stage Name] Duration: [Estimated time for this stage] Key Actions: - [Action item for sales team] - [Action item for customer] Milestone: [Key milestone to be achieved] 2. Stage Name: [Stage Name] Duration: [Estimated time for this stage] Key Actions: - [Action item for sales team] - [Action item for customer] Milestone: [Key milestone to be achieved] [Continue for all identified stages] Total Estimated Timeline: [Total duration from initial contact to final decision] </decision_timeline> Additional guidelines: - Be realistic in your time estimates, considering potential delays and the customer's decision-making process. - Include buffer time between stages to account for unexpected issues or extended deliberations. - Highlight any critical deadlines or time-sensitive factors that may impact the decision process. - Ensure that the timeline aligns with both the customer's needs and the sales team's goals. - Keep the language clear, concise, and free of jargon to ensure easy understanding by all parties involved. After creating the decision timeline, provide a brief explanation of your reasoning for the proposed timeline and any potential risks or opportunities you've identified in the process.