Jul 11, 20218:11 PM - edited Aug 12, 202110:50 AM
HubSpot Employee
What's keeping your reps from selling?
Companies hire salespeople to sell, but then a host of competing demands and unhelpful systems almost always get in the way. Have a suggestion for how to remove distractions and focus on selling? Share it in the comments below!
What's keeping sales reps from selling is the lack of streamlined processes—the efficiency in the task and various tools needed to achieve their sale. Also, there is a lack of actual training. They need more tailored information at their disposal so that they can understand and identify a good lead. I've noticed that most reps do not struggle with generating leads, but lack the skills to identify good leads and know how to follow up and maintain communication with them.
I think a lot of reps get slowed down by stuff that’s not even sales — like updating systems or doing random tasks. If you took away all the extra distractions and just let them focus on talking to people and closing deals, they’d sell way more.
Honestly? A lot of it comes down to noise—too many tools, too many meetings, and unclear priorities. When I was helping my mom with sales, the biggest shift came when we stripped everything down and focused on conversations that actually moved things forward.
If I had to suggest one thing: protect the rep’s time like gold. Give them a simple system, clear targets, and block out “no meeting zones” during peak hours. Let reps sell, not just update dashboards.
Not all of the processes that could be automated are currently automated, which increases the unnecessary manual work that our sales reps need to do. We recently hired an Operations Manager for the team, so hopefully that is going to improve our processes step by step.
Sales reps struggle with balancing administrative work, a more complex B2B business than stock, fragmented technical proficiency, and difficulty identifying (without data) where to prioritize effort and scale/scope of prospects
Most reps aren’t struggling because they’re bad at selling—they’re buried under admin tasks, scattered tools, and internal noise. One of the most effective ways I’ve seen to boost rep productivity is by removing low-value work, automate what you can, and give them Focus Blocks to actually sell. Oh...and if your CRM takes longer to update than it does to run a demo, it’s time to rethink that too.
Your reps might be struggling to sell because they don’t have enough quality leads or the right training to handle objections. Poor messaging, lack of confidence, or not fully understanding the product can also hold them back. If the sales process is too complicated or they’re stuck doing too much admin work, that can take time away from actual selling. Fixing these issues can help them close more deals and stay motivated.
From what I've seen, most sales reps' common distractions are repetitive tasks that can now be fully automated with CRM or voice-to-text tools. These aids help increase efficiency and have given more time for actual selling, creating relevance and value to clients.
Too many bad-fit leads, too much admin work, and not enough time actually selling. Fixing that means better targeting, automation, and smarter sales support.
So true! Sales reps are often bogged down by admin tasks, unnecessary meetings, and complicated CRM systems instead of actually selling. Streamlining processes, automating repetitive work, and giving them the right tools can make a huge difference.
What’s one thing you’ve found most effective in removing these roadblocks?
what i truly understand from the video is that the problem lies in time consuming tasks within the organization, lack of knowledge of your company and it's products, lack of focus related with the organization and infrastructure, lack of communication with the customer(as the sales leader mentioned in the video "the sales team must recognize that buyers want to be in the drivers seat") . to solve the problem we need to focus at the lead quality not just the number of the leads. to conclude, the sales teams should focus on their one and only task: selling.
Your reps may be struggling to sell due to a lack of product knowledge, ineffective sales training, or a mindset that limits their confidence. Without a clear understanding of the product’s value and how to communicate it, they may have trouble engaging customers and closing deals.
If my reps aren't making sales, it's my fault. Lack of product knowledge? That's on me. Lack of training? my fault. It starts with a good, productive leader.
Reps might not be aware of the product specifications and the benefits served by the company's product at the fullest. Lack of knowledge and ineffective framework of mind makes reps limited to a low or insignificant amount of sales .
