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Why Are You Still Treating Sales Like an Accident?
- Feb 9
- 4 min read
February 10, 2026
Three weeks ago, I told a service provider I wanted to buy more from them after our first engagement. They smiled, said they'd love that as they walked out of the door, and... crickets. That was January 20, 2026. No follow-up email. No discovery call. No link to services. Not even a "hey, still interested?" text.
And here's the kicker: this isn't unusual. It's the norm.
I'm currently reading Kristie K. Jones' "Selling Your Way IN," and it's making me realize something I've been seeing for years in my consulting practice—most small business owners treat sales like it's going to magically happen to them instead of something they actively do.
Sales isn't a slam dunk. It's a discipline.
The Patterns I Keep Seeing (And You Probably Are Too)
After 25+ years working with entrepreneurs scaling from $1M to $25M, I've watched brilliant business owners with exceptional products and services consistently leave money on the table because they:
Have zero defined sales process
Don't follow up on hot leads (like me, apparently)
Can't articulate their Ideal Customer Profile
Think "relationship building" means waiting for the phone to ring
Confuse being busy with being strategic
Here's what Kristie gets right: you can't own your income if you don't own your sales process.
What Kristie Teaches (That Most Entrepreneurs Ignore)
In "Selling Your Way IN," Jones breaks down what separates Top 10 Percenters from everyone else. These aren't just sales tactics—they're business fundamentals that every founder needs:
1. Know Your Sales Superpower What makes you uniquely positioned to win? Most entrepreneurs can't answer this in one sentence. If you can't, your prospects definitely can't.
2. Define Your ICP Like Your Life Depends On It Because your business does. Stop trying to sell to everyone in "growth mode." Get specific. The riches are in the niches, and the clarity is in the specificity.
3. Build Mental Memory for Sales Athletes don't think about shooting free throws—their muscle memory takes over. Your sales behaviors should be just as automatic. That means systems, scripts, and repeatable processes.
4. Pick the Right Sales Role (or Build One) Not every founder should be their company's head of sales. But every founder needs to understand sales strategy and own the revenue conversation.
5. Use Your Secret Weapons What do you have that your competitors don't? Your background, your network, your industry insight? Deploy it intentionally.
6. Own Your Shit This is Kristie's rallying cry, and it should be yours too. Nobody's coming to save your revenue. Not the economy. Not your industry. Not that prospect who "said they'd think about it."
The Real Problem? Overwhelm Isn't an Excuse—It's a Symptom
I get it. You're wearing seventeen hats. You're the CEO, CFO, head of operations, and the person who has to remember to order more coffee for the break room.
But here's the truth bomb: being overwhelmed doesn't exempt you from having a sales system. It actually makes one more critical.
When that provider didn't follow up with me for three weeks, it wasn't because they were too busy. It was because they don't have a system that ensures no interested buyer falls through the cracks. They're depending on memory, intention, and good vibes instead of process.
Sales Is the Only Cure for Revenue Growth
Let that sink in.
Not hope. Not hustle. Not "manifesting abundance."
Sales. Deliberate, systematic, follow-through-driven sales.
If you told someone you wanted to buy more from them and they ghosted you, how many potential clients have done the same to you because you didn't have a system to capture that interest?
Here's What Actually Works
After working with hundreds of entrepreneurs, here's what I know: the companies that scale have sales discipline. They:
Track every lead in a CRM (yes, even the "I'll remember" founders finally get one)
Have documented follow-up sequences
Know their conversion metrics at every stage
Build teams around processes, not personalities
Treat sales like the strategic function it is, not an afterthought
Start Here
If you're reading this and thinking, "I should probably follow up with that person," do it. Today. Right now.
Then ask yourself:
Do I know my sales superpower?
Could someone on my team (or me, on a bad day) articulate our ICP?
Do I have a system that would catch a hot lead if I got hit by a bus tomorrow?
Sales isn't about being pushy. It's about being present, prepared, and professional enough to capture the revenue that's already interested in finding you.
Because here's the reality: that provider who didn't follow up with me? I found someone else. And I'm not the only one.
Your next $100K in revenue isn't hiding. It's waiting for you to build a system that can actually capture it. KPIXAI can help.
Join the CEO Accountability Mastermind meeting this March 2nd. We're featuring award-winning sales consultant, Alisa Owens, who will share valuable insight on designing a sales process to meet the demand your marketing is creating.
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