When it comes to growing your business, sales is the engine that drives it forward. Yet many businesses — from startups to seasoned SMEs — unknowingly make simple mistakes in their sales process that result in lost opportunities and missed revenue.

At Josty, we work with businesses to identify these gaps and turn them into growth. Here are some of the most common (and costly) sales mistakes we see — and how you can fix them.

1. 🚫 Not Qualifying Leads Early

The Mistake:
Spending too much time on leads that are not a good fit — either they lack the budget, authority, need, or urgency.

The Fix:
Use a consistent lead qualification method (like BANT or MEDDIC) and ask the right questions early. Focus your time on prospects who are most likely to buy.

2. 🗂️ No Clear Sales Process

The Mistake:
Relying on intuition instead of a structured process. Sales reps work differently, leading to inconsistent results and lost deals.

The Fix:
Map out a step-by-step sales process — from first contact to closed deal — and train your team to follow it. Structure creates confidence and repeatability.

3. 🕵️ Talking More Than Listening

The Mistake:
Too much pitching, not enough discovery. Salespeople focus on features instead of understanding what the customer actually needs.

The Fix:
Practice active listening. Ask open-ended questions, dig into the pain points, and then position your solution as the answer to their specific problem.

4. 📉 Failing to Follow Up

The Mistake:
Sending one email and waiting. Or giving up too early when the prospect doesn’t reply right away.

The Fix:
Create a simple follow-up cadence: multiple touchpoints via email, phone, and even LinkedIn. Persistence shows professionalism — not pushiness — when done right.

5. ❌ Not Handling Objections Well

The Mistake:
Avoiding tough questions or freezing when the client hesitates. Many reps take objections as rejections.

The Fix:
Reframe objections as buying signals. They show interest. Prepare responses to common concerns (price, timing, trust) and turn objections into conversations.

6. 📊 Lack of Sales Metrics and Feedback

The Mistake:
Not measuring what matters — or relying on gut feeling instead of data.

The Fix:
Track key sales KPIs: conversion rates, pipeline value, sales cycle length, and win/loss reasons. Use this data to coach your team and adjust your approach.

7. 🔍 Forgetting the Follow-Through After the Sale

The Mistake:
Once the deal is closed, the relationship fades. This hurts customer retention, referrals, and future upsells.

The Fix:
Build a simple post-sale process. Check in after onboarding. Ask for feedback. Stay top-of-mind and add ongoing value.

💡 Final Thought:

Small changes in your sales approach can lead to big wins in revenue and client relationships. If you think your sales team could be performing better — or if you're not sure where the gaps are — you're not alone.

Josty offers  sales audits, enablement workshops, and ongoing advisory to help businesses sell smarter and grow faster.

📞 Ready to fix the leaks in your sales funnel?
Let’s chat

Post written by Jason Jost