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Unlock Your Sales Team's Performance and Boost Revenue

Updated: Aug 20


Why So Many Great Startup Businesses Still Struggle to Sell
Why So Many Great Startup Businesses Still Struggle to Sell

Why So Many Great Startup Businesses Still Struggle to Sell


Most early stage companies may have an amazing product, yet still many great startup businesses struggle to sell.


They fail because they can't build a reliable sales engine.


One founder told me, “We’ve built an incredible product, but we’re flying blind on sales. It’s guesswork.”


Referrals and repeat customers get them off the ground. But after that? Things stall.

According to LinkedIn data, over 60 percent of founders say they’re not confident in their current sales process.


I Keep Seeing The Same Pattern


  • Too much reliance on word of mouth. It works until it doesn’t. Then you’re staring at an empty pipeline. Word-of-mouth is valuable, but it’s not a strategy. Many small businesses experience long sales droughts when referrals slow down, leading to unpredictable revenue and cash flow issues.


  • Inconsistent outreach. Selling happens when it’s quiet. Gets ignored when it’s busy. Revenue becomes unpredictable. Most founders get caught in the cycle of feast or famine. Actively selling when business is slow but neglecting lead generation when things pick up. This lack of consistency results in revenue volatility.


  • No clear sales process. Conversations are happening, but there’s no structure. No rhythm. No follow-up that sticks. Without a structured sales cadence, outreach becomes sporadic, follow-ups are inconsistent, and potential leads slip through the cracks. Studies show that it takes 8–12 touch-points to engage a new prospect, yet many businesses give up after just one or two attempts.



What Makes the Difference?


A 3 step process for startups to transform their sales outcomes
How Startups Can Transform Their Sales Outcomes


  1. Implement a Multi-Touch Sales Cadence: Instead of relying on one-off outreach, build a structured approach to engaging, nurturing, and converting leads. A strong sales cadence includes:

    1. Outbound efforts: Personalised LinkedIn and email outreach.

    2. Inbound reinforcement: Thought leadership, case studies, and social proof.

    3. Follow-up strategy: A mix of calls, messages, and content sharing to build trust.


  2. Refine Messaging to Create Urgency: Many small businesses struggle to clearly articulate why prospects should take action now. Effective sales messaging highlights

    1. The cost of inaction (missed revenue, inefficiencies, risk).

    2. Tangible business outcomes (efficiency gains, revenue impact).

    3. A structured problem-solution framework that resonates with decision-makers.


  3. Build in Sales Accountability & Consistency: Sales success isn’t just about having the right strategy. It’s about consistent execution. Many founders work in isolation, making it easier to delay sales efforts. Joining a peer-driven sales accountability group or working with a structured sales coach ensures momentum isn’t lost.


Final Thoughts


For UK businesses looking to move beyond referrals and build a scalable, predictable sales engine, implementing structured outreach, clear messaging, and accountability is critical. Without these, businesses risk stagnation and revenue unpredictability.


For startups looking to establish a repeatable sales process, I work with founders to build structured lead generation frameworks that drive consistent growth.


If sales still feels unpredictable in your business, let’s fix that.



Book a quick call and I’ll show you how we turn referrals and guesswork into structured, scalable pipeline.


For Founders Who Want to Sell Without Guesswork


I help startup leaders build structured, repeatable sales systems that create momentum without turning them into full-time closers.


  • Clear outbound strategy

  • Messaging that cuts through noise

  • Accountability so it actually gets done



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