We’ve all been there – a deal was almost in the bag, but somehow it slipped through the net. Frustrating, right?
Here’s the good news: many of these missed opportunities are preventable. Let’s look at the most common reasons why sales fall through the net and how you can fix them (I’ve linked to some of our articles about each subject for you to read up on).
1. Poor Lead Follow-Up
Many deals are lost because leads are left waiting too long. Speed is key – reacting first to the initial enquiry can be crucial. 72% of B2B buyers state a vendor’s timely response to enquiries was the reason they chose them. That’s right, the early bird does get the worm!
Are your follow-up processes as tight as they should be? Do you have a backup in case someone is out, or can you automate an initial response while you get your facts together for a call?
Further reading:
10 Common Mistakes in Lead Follow-Up and How to Overcome Them – Explore ten key mistakes in lead follow-up and learn how BuddyCRM can help overcome them for improved lead engagement and conversion.
The Follow-up – Salespeople’s tenacity to follow up leads, build trust, and create relationships is the key to success. This follow-up process is core to BuddyCRM and will ensure you turn leads into sales.
2. Lack of Visibility in the Sales Pipeline
Without full visibility into your sales pipeline, deals stall, leads get lost, and forecasting becomes guesswork. If you don’t know which opportunities are moving forward and which are stuck, it’s impossible to allocate resources effectively or step in when a deal needs attention. Sales managers risk missing warning signs—like deals lingering too long at one stage—while reps may overlook high-value prospects in favour of easier, less promising leads.
A CRM provides the clarity you need. With real-time pipeline tracking, clear deal stages, and probability forecasting, you can spot bottlenecks, prioritise the right opportunities, and take action before a deal slips away. Instead of relying on gut feel, your team can work with data-driven confidence, ensuring every opportunity is nurtured towards a close.
Further reading:
Four Steps To Optimise Your Sales Pipeline – Follow this four-step process to optimise your sales pipeline with BuddyCRM and reap the benefits of an effective sales machine.
3. Ineffective Communication
Not keeping up with client interactions or sending the wrong message? That’s a recipe for missed sales.
It’s easy to put things off when you get asked a difficult question or can’t immediately respond with a positive counter. Prepare yourself for all possible questions and have ready-made counters for difficult situations. Also, make sure you have the necessary presentations, case studies, testimonials, and documentation to back up your pitch.
Further reading:
10 Tips for Effective Negotiation in Construction and Manufacturing Sales – Learn effective negotiation strategies for better sales outcomes in your industry, including expert tips, examples, and actionable advice.
4. Missing Opportunities to Upsell
Existing customers are goldmines, but failing to offer the right products at the right time can be costly. Revenue leaks, such as failing to ensure you deliver the best product for your customer, can mean the difference between retaining that customer at the end of a contract or not.
For example: Offering a 12-month contract when you know they would be best served with a 24-month contract and its related discount. Or perhaps a CRM failing to offer known added-value options such as email marketing when that option will definitely be the icing on the cake for a customer.
Further reading:
The Essential Guide to Customer Profitability Analysis – Master customer profitability with our easy-to-follow guide and take advantage of our free template to streamline your analysis.
5. Poor Qualification of Leads
Poor lead qualification wastes time, drains resources, and clogs your sales pipeline with prospects who are never likely to buy. When sales teams chase leads that don’t fit your ideal customer profile—whether they lack budget, authority, or a genuine need—you end up with longer sales cycles, frustrated reps, and deals that fizzle out at the last hurdle. Worse still, good leads might be overlooked while your team spins their wheels on the wrong ones.
So how do we fix this? A clear qualification framework, backed by CRM. With tools like lead scoring, pipeline tracking, and automated follow-ups, a CRM helps you identify and prioritise prospects with real potential. By capturing key details—budget, decision-makers, pain points—early in the process, your team can focus on leads that actually stand a chance of closing, instead of wasting effort on dead ends.
Further reading:
Boosting Sales Efficiency with the Prospect Qualification Checklist – Use our Prospect Qualification Checklist to improve how your sales team prioritises leads and aligns them with your goals.
6. Lack of Consistent Follow-Up
A single follow-up rarely seals the deal. In fact, over 80% of sales happen between the 5th and 12th follow-up—but too many reps give up after one or two. Without a consistent follow-up process, warm leads go cold, competitors swoop in, and potential deals slip through the cracks. Being persistent is key, but you’re also staying top of mind and nurturing prospects until they’re ready to buy.
A CRM takes the guesswork out of follow-ups. With automated reminders, scheduled touchpoints, and email tracking, sales teams can ensure no lead gets forgotten. Consistency is key, and a CRM makes it easy to maintain it—so instead of hoping a prospect remembers you, you stay in front of them until they’re ready to commit.
Further reading:
Key Automations to Streamline Bid Management with CRM – Learn how CRM automation improves bid management by streamlining routine tasks, increasing efficiency, and allowing teams to focus on strategy.
By addressing these six points, you’ll stop sales from slipping through the cracks and start turning more leads into closed deals.