Ep.89 Why Your B2B Sales Process Isn’t Working: From Prospecting to Closing.
May 13, 2026
Learn how to build a sales process that aligns with both buyer behavior and seller execution, identify where deals break down, and create flexible systems that support predictable revenue growth instead of forcing buyers through outdated workflows.
A broken sales process doesn’t always mean your sales team is failing. In this episode, the Sales SOS crew breaks down what a repeatable B2B sales process actually looks like, why many companies misunderstand the purpose of sales process design, and how rigid, outdated workflows create friction for both buyers and sellers.
Topics covered:
- What a repeatable B2B sales process actually means
- How sales processes connect customer problems to business solutions
- Why sales is about solving known and unknown problems
- The difference between a sales process and a sales methodology
- Why successful sales processes rely on consistent, repeatable steps
- The importance of sequencing and timing inside a sales workflow
- How sales processes resemble recipes with required and flexible components
- Why skipping critical steps can completely break a sales process
- Which parts of a sales process require structure versus personalization
- Why sales processes should be as structured as necessary, but not overly rigid
- How buyer behavior impacts the effectiveness of sales processes
- Why sales reps often push buyers into the wrong stage too early
- The disconnect between how companies want to sell and how buyers want to buy
- Why demos fail when buyers are not ready for them
- How to audit a broken sales process to identify bottlenecks and friction points
- Common signs that a sales process is failing or getting stuck
- Why deals stall in the middle of the sales cycle
- The role of sales stages, conversions, and progression metrics
- Understanding MQLs, SQLs, discovery, demos, proposals, and pipeline flow
- How long sales cycles can signal process breakdowns
- Why sales process failures can come from systems, behavior, incentives, or accountability
- The importance of aligning CRM systems with the actual sales process
- Why sales processes are rarely fully linear in modern B2B selling
- How buyer journeys frequently move in unpredictable directions
- Why flexible sales processes outperform rigid “one-path” workflows
- The importance of buyer mapping and identifying all stakeholders involved in a deal
- How internal sales collaboration impacts demos and buying conversations
- Why companies need clear KPIs and success definitions at every stage of the process
- The role of tools, systems, and tech stacks in supporting sales execution
Key questions answered:
- What is a repeatable B2B sales process?
- Why isn’t my sales process working?
- How do you identify where a sales process is broken?
- What causes deals to stall in the middle of the pipeline?
- Why do buyers and sellers often misalign during the sales cycle?
- How rigid should a sales process be?
- What steps are essential in a sales process?
- How do CRM systems affect sales process execution?
- What’s the difference between MQLs and SQLs?
- Why do some sales processes fail even when reps follow them correctly?
- How do buyer journeys impact sales process design?
- Why is flexibility important in B2B sales?
- How should sales and marketing work together in the sales process?