Most agency owners who reach out start the same way: we have a sales problem and need help fixing it.
They’re not wrong, but they are oversimplifying what is actually happening. Low sales isn’t a singular or simple area to fix. It is not about installing a CRM or suddenly becoming a charismatic closer.
Low sales or a dry pipeline is a symptom of a variety of underlying issues. And when those underlying issues pile up – which is often the case – the fix rarely happens overnight, despite how much you want that to happen.
Underneath the “sales problem” symptom often sits a mix of deeper issues that create it:
- fuzzy accountability
- founder bottlenecks
- inconsistent (or non-existent) marketing
- an absent or inefficient sales process
- no goals or strategy
- confusing positioning
- vague messaging
The sales process itself isn’t that complicated. The tactics aren’t that challenging.
What is complicated is saying something meaningful.
What is complicated is positioning your firm so prospects understand why you exist and how you’re different.
What is complicated is interacting with empathy.
What is complicated is building real win/win scenarios for you and your prospects.
What is complicated is showing up the same way, week after week.
What is complicated is developing, and sticking to, an actual strategy (read this book).
So when you feel the pain of a “sales problem,” recognize that while the symptom is real, a quick fix is unlikely. What you actually have is a series of issues to fix; issues that, once resolved, make the sales symptoms fade.
You might have a positioning problem.
And an accountability problem.
And a strategy problem.
And a process problem.
And a consistency problem.
Identify those issues. Commit to fixing them. Then, your “sales problem” will take care of itself.