5 Signs Your Sales Team is Costing You Revenue
If you’re seeing strong leads but lackluster results, your sales team might be leaving money on the table—and you may not even know it.
At The Novak Group, we’ve audited dozens of sales organizations. What do we consistently find? High-performing companies unknowingly bleed revenue due to inefficiencies in their sales strategy, execution, or team alignment.
Here are five red flags to look for—and how to fix them before they hit your bottom line.
1. Your Sales Process Is Inconsistent (or Nonexistent)
If each rep is using a different approach to close deals, you’re not running a sales team—you’re managing a group of freelancers. Inconsistencies in discovery questions, follow-up cadence, or even how objections are handled can confuse prospects and kill momentum.
Fix it:
Create a documented, repeatable sales process. From initial contact to close, every rep should know exactly what steps to follow—and what success looks like at each stage.
2. You Have a High Lead Volume, but a Low Close Rate
Your marketing team might be generating a flood of leads, but if your sales team isn’t converting them, it’s time to dig deeper. This disconnect could be due to lack of proper lead qualification, poor follow-up, or ineffective sales conversations.
Fix it:
Audit your lead-to-close journey. Are reps following up in a timely manner? Are leads being handed off at the right stage? Better alignment and training can significantly improve conversion rates.
3. Turnover Is Eating Away at Your Sales Momentum
A constantly rotating sales team drains both time and resources. High turnover often points to a deeper issue—lack of support, unclear expectations, or a culture that doesn’t prioritize professional growth.
Fix it:
Invest in onboarding and coaching. Create a clear path for performance improvement and career advancement. When reps feel invested in, they stay longer—and sell better.
4. Sales and Marketing Don’t Speak the Same Language
When your sales and marketing teams operate in silos, you miss opportunities to attract and close ideal customers. Sales might think leads are “bad,” while marketing insists they’re gold. Who’s right? Without shared goals and feedback loops, you’ll never know.
Fix it:
Establish regular sales-marketing syncs. Align on buyer personas, lead scoring criteria, and feedback on what’s actually closing. Unified messaging equals stronger results.
5. Your Decisions Aren’t Backed by Data
If you’re still running your sales org based on gut feelings and outdated metrics, you’re at risk. You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Without the right KPIs, you’re flying blind.
Fix it:
Track and analyze the right metrics: conversion rates, sales cycle length, average deal size, activity per stage, etc. Use these insights to coach reps and refine strategies.
Bonus Tip: You Don’t Have a Sales Expert in Your Corner
Every high-growth company reaches a point where intuition isn’t enough. You need a strategic partner who can help you see what’s missing and implement what’s needed.
