This is Part 2 of my SELL → PERFORM → RETAIN series.

The commercial question at this stage is straightforward:

You already have opportunities. Why are more of them not becoming customers?

When conversion is lower than it should be, the instinct is often to ask for more leads, more enquiries or more sales activity. Sometimes that is necessary. However, if the current opportunities are not being handled effectively, adding more volume can simply create a bigger, leakier pipeline.

The focus should be conversion.

A sales opportunity is not a sale. It is a possibility that still needs to be understood, developed and progressed. That requires better conversations, stronger questioning, consistent follow-up and confident management.

Start by finding where opportunities are being lost

Before changing the sales process, identify the point at which opportunities are going quiet.

Look at the journey from:

• Initial enquiry
• First conversation
• Qualified opportunity
• Proposal or recommendation
• Decision
• Closed sale

A conversion rate shows how effectively opportunities move from one stage to the next. As Salesforce explains, a conversion rate can be calculated by dividing the number of sales by the number of leads, then multiplying by 100.

That overall figure is useful, but it does not tell you everything. I recommend looking at the smaller conversion points as well.

For example:

• Are enquiries becoming meaningful conversations?
• Are conversations becoming genuine opportunities?
• Are proposals being discussed rather than simply sent?
• Are opportunities progressing to an agreed decision?
• Are deals being lost because of price, timing, uncertainty or a lack of follow-up?

If opportunities are not progressing from the first conversation, questioning and qualification may need attention. If proposals are being sent but not closed, the issue may be value, confidence, stakeholder involvement or follow-up.

Do not guess. Examine the journey.

Poor sales conversations create weak opportunities

A sales conversation should not be a presentation delivered at a prospect. It should be a structured conversation that helps both sides understand the situation.

One of the most common problems I see is a salesperson moving too quickly into explaining the product or service. They may be enthusiastic and knowledgeable, but they have not yet established what the customer is trying to achieve.

That creates a mismatch. The salesperson is discussing features while the customer is still trying to decide whether the problem is important enough to solve.

A stronger conversation explores:

• What is happening in the customer’s business today?
• What problem are they experiencing?
• What impact is that problem having?
• What have they already tried?
• What would improve if the problem were solved?
• Who else is involved in the decision?
• When does the customer need a solution?

The quality of the answer depends on the quality of the question.

Instead of asking, “Would you be interested in our service?” try asking:

• “What prompted you to explore this now?”
• “What is this currently costing you in time, money or missed opportunity?”
• “What would a successful outcome look like?”
• “What might prevent this from moving forward?”
• “Who else needs to be confident before a decision is made?”

These questions do not make the conversation more complicated. They make it more relevant.

Listen for meaning, not just information

Good questioning is only half the skill. Your team must also listen carefully to the answers.

A prospect may say, “We need to improve sales performance.” That statement is a starting point, not a full diagnosis.

The next step is to explore what sits underneath it:

• Are salespeople struggling to ask for commitment?
• Are managers uncomfortable challenging performance?
• Are follow-up actions being missed?
• Are opportunities being created without proper qualification?
• Is the team lacking confidence in the value it provides?

I encourage salespeople to reflect back what they have heard:

> “So, if I understand you correctly, the main issue is not the number of enquiries. It is that too many opportunities stall after the first conversation. Is that right?”

This simple habit confirms understanding and gives the customer an opportunity to clarify. It also helps move the discussion away from generic selling and towards a specific business problem.

That is where commercial confidence comes from: not from speaking more, but from understanding more.

Make follow-up a professional process

Many opportunities are lost because the follow-up is vague, delayed or inconsistent.

A salesperson may send a proposal with the words, “Let me know what you think.” That places all responsibility on the prospect and leaves the next step undefined.

A better approach is to agree the next action before the conversation ends.

For example:

> “I will send the proposal by Thursday afternoon. Shall we schedule 20 minutes on Monday to discuss it, answer any questions and agree the next step?”

This is clearer for everyone. It does not create pressure. It creates momentum.

Every active opportunity should have:

• A clear next action
• A named person responsible
• An agreed date
• A reason for the next conversation
• A record in the CRM or tracking system

Follow-up should also add value. Do not simply ask whether the prospect has made a decision. Remind them of the problem discussed, connect the proposed solution to their desired outcome and address any questions that may be holding them back.

A useful follow-up might say:

> “You mentioned that inconsistent follow-up is causing opportunities to stall. I have included the section of the proposal that explains how the process can support clearer ownership and next steps. When we speak on Monday, we can focus on how that would work for your team.”

That is more useful than, “Just checking in.”

Managers must coach sales performance

Sales training can introduce useful techniques, but training alone rarely changes behaviour permanently.

Managers need to reinforce the skills in everyday work. That means reviewing conversations, discussing real opportunities and helping salespeople prepare for their next action.

A pipeline meeting should be more than a list of numbers. Ask questions such as:

• What is the customer trying to achieve?
• What evidence do you have that this is a genuine opportunity?
• What is the next agreed step?
• Who is involved in the decision?
• What concern has not yet been addressed?
• What will you do if the customer does not respond?
• What support do you need from me?

These questions create accountability without turning the meeting into an interrogation.

Managers can also improve performance through short call reviews and role-play. Choose one behaviour at a time:

• Asking a deeper impact question
• Summarising the customer’s needs
• Confirming decision criteria
• Handling a price concern
• Agreeing a specific next step
• Asking confidently for the business

This is where team coaching and management coaching can make a practical difference. The aim is not to give your team a script that sounds unnatural. It is to build a consistent approach that people can adapt to real conversations.

A practical 30-day conversion plan

You do not need to change everything at once. A focused 30-day goal can create measurable improvement.

Days 1–7: Diagnose the pipeline

Review your current opportunities and identify where they are stalling.

Record:

• The number of opportunities at each stage
• The age of each opportunity
• The last contact date
• The next agreed action
• The reason for any delay

Choose one conversion point to improve first.

Days 8–14: Improve questioning

Introduce a simple discovery structure based on problem, impact, outcome, stakeholders and timing.

Ask each salesperson to prepare five open questions before their next important conversation. Review how effectively those questions uncovered the customer’s real needs.

Days 15–21: Strengthen follow-up

Create clear follow-up standards.

For every active opportunity, require:

• A dated next step
• A relevant follow-up message
• A clear owner
• A reason for continued contact

Remove or reclassify opportunities that have no evidence of genuine interest. A smaller, healthier pipeline is more valuable than a large pipeline full of hopeful guesses.

Days 22–30: Coach and measure

Hold a weekly review focused on behaviour and results.

Measure:

• Conversation-to-opportunity conversion
• Opportunity-to-proposal conversion
• Proposal-to-sale conversion
• Number of opportunities with a confirmed next step
• Opportunities that have moved forward during the 30 days

Then ask what has improved, what is still getting in the way and which behaviour deserves attention next.

Conversion is a capability, not a coincidence

If your team already has opportunities, the answer may not be more activity. It may be better commercial discipline.

Better sales conversations create clearer opportunities. Better questioning reveals genuine need. Better follow-up keeps momentum alive. Better coaching turns individual techniques into consistent team performance.

My sales coaching and training can be delivered through one-to-one coaching, group training or ongoing support, depending on what your organisation needs. I focus on practical exercises, real opportunities and measurable actions that can be applied immediately.

If your team is working hard but too many opportunities are still stalling, I would be happy to have a conversation about where the conversion gap may be and what a focused 30-day goal could look like.

You may already have more potential revenue in your pipeline than you realise. The next step is learning how to convert more of it ( interested?)