You’ve got good people, a strong product, and a team that works hard—so why do some of your most promising deals still end up in the CRM’s “Lost” column? You look at them and think, “How in the world did we lose that one?”
It’s a common frustration. And the more I dig into this pattern across different teams and industries, the more I realize it rarely comes down to a lack of effort or even a lack of knowledge. It’s always something much simpler—and more fixable: a lack of structure.
Here are three of the most common structural issues that hurt sales teams’ ability to close deals they should be winning:
1. No Clear Sales Process
If your team is winging every opportunity, you’re leaving too much up to chance. A consistent, repeatable sales process helps reps stay focused, uncover objections, and avoid getting blindsided by deal blockers much earlier. Without clear next steps, mutual agreement on micro-commitments, and accountability around activity, your win rate will suffer—no matter how talented your team is.
2. Weak Pre-Call and Post-Call Routines
Sales reps often resist planning, but a little structure before and after meetings can make a big difference. Taking time to map out objectives the minimum reps would be ok walking away with, and anticipate challenges before the call ensures reps are clear on their goals and prepared for potential obstacles. Likewise, a quick post-call debrief can surface red flags, highlight deal momentum, and create valuable insights for future conversations.
3. Confused Roles and Responsibilities
When roles are vague, things fall through the cracks. When does the handoff happen? Who owns the handoff? What does that handoff include? Who’s responsible for follow-ups or specific client requests? Even worse, when one rep owns every detail of every interaction, deals tend to stall—or slip away entirely. Defining clear responsibilities and roles, and pairing them with a structured process built to create, advance, and close opportunities will unlock serious momentum.
So What’s the Fix?
Start by auditing your current situation and lost deals. Ask yourself:
- Did we clearly identify the decision-maker?
- Did we leave the meeting with a clear next step?
- Was the proposal rushed, unclear, or delayed?
- Did we follow our CRM stages—or just update them after the deal was lost?
Once you’ve got answers, you can tackle the real gaps with simple tools like:
- A basic pre-call planner
- Clear post-meeting follow-up templates
- Five non-negotiable CRM questions for every deal
- A standard handoff SOP
- A simple forecasting module
- A deal health matrix
I’m all for working hard—that grind is a huge part of sales success. But if we can step back, find a way to be more efficient, add a little structure, and get intentional about how we approach deals, we’ll put ourselves in a position to win a whole lot more of them.
Cheers,
Kyle Jager
