What Does the RCS Sales Process Look Like?

RCS Sales Process: What to Expect

The RCS sales process varies by provider and your company size.

Typical Sales Cycle Length

Small/Mid-Market: 2-8 weeks Enterprise: 3-6 months

Factors that extend timeline:

• Procurement requirements (RFP, vendor approval)
• Security and compliance reviews
• Legal contract negotiation
• Multiple stakeholder approval

The 6-Stage Sales Process

Stage 1: Discovery Call (Week 1)

• Provider learns about your use case, volume, timeline
• You learn about their capabilities, pricing
• 30-60 minute call

Stage 2: Demo (Week 2-3)

• 30-60 minute live demo
• Provider shows features relevant to your use case
• Q&A about capabilities, limitations

Stage 3: Technical Validation (Week 3-4)

• Sandbox access for hands-on testing
• API integration testing
• Reference customer calls
• Security and compliance review

Stage 4: Proposal and Negotiation (Week 4-6)

• Detailed proposal with pricing
• Contract terms review
• Negotiation on price, SLAs, terms

Stage 5: Contracting (Week 6-7)

• Master Service Agreement review
• Data Processing Agreement for GDPR
• Signatures from authorized parties

Stage 6: Onboarding Kickoff (Week 7-8+)

• Onboarding meeting and kickoff
• Account setup and configuration
• Brand verification process begins

Key Stakeholders

• Marketing/Communications: Business case, use cases, campaigns
• IT/Engineering: Technical fit, integrations, security
• Legal: Contract terms, compliance, data privacy
• Procurement: Vendor approval, pricing, payment
• Executive Sponsor: Final approval, strategic decision

How to Expedite

• Define clear requirements upfront
• Get stakeholder alignment early
• Have budget approved before contacting providers
• Run parallel evaluations with 2-3 providers
• Set clear evaluation timeline

Common Delays

• Internal: stakeholder availability, legal review, procurement
• Provider: slow response, unprepared, inflexible contracts
• Solution: Set clear expectations upfront

Red Flags

• High pressure tactics ("pricing only available this week")
• Lack of transparency (vague pricing, no references)
• Poor communication (slow responses)
• Inflexibility (won't negotiate)

The Bottom Line

The RCS sales process takes 2-8 weeks for most businesses. Be prepared with clear requirements, run parallel evaluations, and maintain leverage through competitive quotes.

Don't rush the decision — proper evaluation prevents months of regret later. But don't drag it out either — most providers won't hold pricing indefinitely.