What’s the scariest sound sales? Silence, after you ask a rep an accountability question?
Silence when you ask your team why deals aren’t closing. The silence when you bring up their pipeline projections in your weekly meeting. Or maybe it’s the endless noise of excuses, blame-shifting, and disjointed processes. Either way, these are red flags waving in your face.
And if you’re like most sales leaders, you’ve asked yourself this question: “What the hell is going on with my team?”
The problem isn’t just your salespeople (though we’ll get to them in a second). It’s deeper. It’s structural. It’s systemic. It starts with two glaring issues. First, weak accountability and a second a sales process that's not buyer-first focused.
You can transform your sales team if you’re willing to look in the mirror and fix these things. If not, well… get comfortable with your mediocre revenue forecasts.
The Accountability Black Hole
Accountability is a buzzword in leadership circles. Everyone loves to talk about it, but most teams don’t actually have it. Sure, your salespeople are busy. They make calls, send emails, and shuffle through their CRM like they’re auditioning for a desk job in a sitcom. But activity isn’t accountability.
Accountability is about outcomes. Did they hit their numbers? Did they follow the process? Are they delivering results consistently?
Accountability starts at the top. If you don’t set clear expectations and track performance, you allow excuses. And let’s not pretend all salespeople are the same. Some are coachable—they’ll adapt, improve, and thrive under the right leadership. Others? Not so much. They resist feedback, cling to bad habits, and drag your team down like a lead anchor.
If you want to weed out the uncoachable ones, start with a simple question during your next meeting. Ask: “What’s your plan for hitting your numbers this month?”
Watch how they respond. If they dodge, deflect, or deliver vague platitudes, you’ve got a problem.
Your Sales Process: Is It Buyer-First Focused or Broken?
Most sales processes look great on paper. You’ve got stages, steps, and maybe even some fancy diagrams. But when you dig into the day-to-day execution, it’s clear the process is more about your team than your buyers.
Here’s what happens: Salespeople default to the buyer’s process. They let prospects control the timeline and squeeze your margins. Why? Because they don’t know how to create a process that’s buyer-focused.
A buyer-first sales process is all about empathy, clarity, and value. It’s about knowing the buyer's pain points. It's about guiding them, not bulldozing them with pitches. And, it's not about folding at their price pushback.
Ask yourself: Is your team selling solutions? Or are they order-takers, hoping the prospect doesn't ghost them after three calls? If it’s the latter, it’s time to hit reset.
The Coachability Factor: The Missing Link in Sales Success
Let’s talk about coachability. It’s the most underrated trait in sales hiring and training. Coaching salespeople is different from training. Most sales managers don’t have a method of coaching, so they don’t do it.
You need to understand if your salespeople are coachable. We use a tool that evaluates a rep's coachability and 21 critical sales competencies. The image below is a screenshot of the data. If your team is filled with people who think they already know everything, you’re in for a rough ride.
Coachability is the difference between two reps. One blames the market for missing their quota. The other asks, "What could I have done differently?" This mindset separates top performers from the also-rans. And it’s your job to identify and cultivate it.
Start by looking at how your team reacts to feedback. Do they embrace it, or do they get defensive? Are they open to trying new strategies, or do they cling to the same old routines? The answers will reveal who is worth investing in. And, who needs to find another job.
Data-Driven Common Sense: The Fix You’ve Been Waiting For
Now that we’ve laid out the problems, let’s talk solutions. Fixing accountability, optimizing your sales process, and fostering coachability aren’t pie-in-the-sky ideas. They’re practical, actionable, and proven to work. Here’s how to get started:
- Set Clear Expectations: Accountability starts with clarity. Define what success looks like for each rep and track their progress religiously. Use data, not gut feelings, to make decisions.
- Audit Your Sales Process: Map out your current process and compare it to your buyer’s journey. Identify gaps, inefficiencies, and areas where you’re losing control. Then, rebuild it with a buyer-first mindset.
- Prioritize Coaching: Stop hiring based solely on experience or charisma. Look for reps who are eager to learn, adapt, and grow. And don’t just train them—coach them. Give them the tools and feedback they need to improve.
- Invest in Ongoing Development: Sales isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it profession. Your team needs regular coaching, skill-building, and performance reviews to stay sharp.
The Opportunity to Transform
Your sales team can either be your biggest asset or your biggest liability. The difference lies in your willingness to address the hard truths. Are you holding them accountable? Are you equipping them with a buyer-first process? Are you fostering a culture of coachability?
If you’re ready to turn things around, you don’t have to do it alone. Join my weekly email, Sales Velocity. I share my insights, mistakes, and stories to help you build a top sales team. It’s free, it’s actionable, and it’s designed for leaders like you.
Sign up now and start transforming your sales team today.
Final Thoughts Accountability. Buyer-first processes. Coachability. These aren't just buzzwords. They're the basis of a sales team that delivers results. You’ve built a great business. Now it’s time to build a sales team that matches your vision.
So, what’s your next move? Will you keep tolerating the same problems, or will you take action? The choice is yours.
