By

Simon Hazeldine

Let’s cut to the chase:

Your sales process, the one you’ve been following religiously for years, might be the very thing that’s slowing your team down, frustrating your buyers, and quietly killing deals.

It wasn’t designed to do that. It was meant to provide structure, consistency, and predictability. But in a world where buyers have changed how they buy, sticking rigidly to a seller-centric process is like trying to race Formula 1 in a horse and cart.

It’s time to face the hard truth: Your sales process isn’t fit for purpose anymore. And if you don’t fix it, you’ll lose to competitors who’ve already figured this out.

The Problem with Traditional Sales Processes

Most sales processes were created in a different era, one where sellers controlled the information and buyers followed a predictable journey.

But today?

• Buyers are more informed than ever
  
• Buying journeys are non-linear
  
• Multiple stakeholders are involved
  
• Trust matters more than talk tracks
  
• Speed and value are everything

Here’s what that means:

• A rigid, linear sales process causes delays
  
• It forces reps to check boxes instead of following the buyer’s lead
  
• It creates friction instead of building momentum

Let’s be clear: It’s not that process is the problem. It’s the wrong kind of process that’s the problem.

Real-World Wake-Up Call: What Buyers Actually Want

In a recent sales engagement I was brought in to analyse, the client’s reps were losing deals late in the cycle. Why?

They were pushing prospects through a set series of steps, including a discovery call, a technical demo, a proposal, and then an executive presentation—every single time. No deviation. No flexibility.

But the buyers didn’t need a demo—they had already seen three. They didn’t want another proposal—they wanted help getting internal buy-in.

The result? Deals stalled. Frustration mounted. And ultimately, the buyer ghosted.

Lesson? A rigid process doesn’t serve a dynamic buyer.

The Fix: Shift from a Seller-Centric to a Buyer-Centric Process

The solution isn’t to throw out your sales process. It’s to redesign it—to make it agile, adaptive, and centred on how your buyer actually buys.

Here’s how:

1. Map the Modern Buying Journey

Before you can build a better sales process, you need to understand the real journey your buyer takes—from first problem awareness to decision and implementation.

Ask yourself:

• What information do they need at each stage?
  
• Who is involved in the decision?
  
• What internal hurdles do they face?
  
• What concerns slow them down?

Tip: Interview recent customers. Ask them how they made their buying decision. You’ll learn more in 30 minutes than a week of internal meetings.

2. Build a Flexible Framework, Not a Fixed Path

Instead of a rigid sequence, create a modular process that adapts to the buyer’s situation. Think of it like a GPS that recalculates based on the route your buyer is taking.

For example:

• If the buyer already has internal buy-in, skip the stakeholder alignment play
  
• If they’ve done their research, jump straight to value alignment
  
• If the technical validation is a deal-breaker, prioritise that first

The key is intentional flexibility. Give reps the tools and structure—but let them think, adapt, and move based on the context.

3. Inject Buyer Enablement at Every Stage

Your job isn’t just to sell—it’s to help the buyer buy.

That means:

• Providing decision-making tools
  
• Creating business case templates
  
• Sharing content that helps them sell internally
  
• Anticipating objections and proactively addressing them

Buyers are busy. If your sales process makes it easier for them to build consensus, justify spend, and reduce perceived risk—you win.

4. Coach for Agility, Not Just Compliance

Many sales leaders coach reps to “follow the process.” But that’s not enough anymore. You need to coach them to understand why the process exists—and when to adapt it.

• Coach reps on buyer psychology
  
• Help them identify buying signals and friction points
  
• Teach them to ask, “What does the buyer need from me right now?””

Empower reps to make smart decisions, not just follow scripts.

5. Embed Continuous Feedback and Improvement

An agile, buyer-centric sales process is never “done.” You must evolve it constantly based on what’s working, what’s not, and how your market is shifting.

Run quarterly deal post-mortems:

• Where did we lose momentum?
• What steps felt unnecessary or rushed?
• What did buyers push back on?

Use the insights to iterate. Improve. Sharpen. Repeat.

A Real-World Turnaround: Sales Process Reimagined

One of my clients was experiencing increasing deal slippage. Their sales process was textbook-perfect on paper but painfully disconnected from how their buyers made decisions.

The actions take were:

• Interviewing lost and won prospects
  
• Re-mapped their buying journey
  
• Created a modular, value-based process
  
• Armed reps with enablement tools
  
• Re-trained managers to coach adaptability

Result? Average sales cycle reduced by 22 days. Win rates up 19%. Pipeline velocity doubled in two quarters.

This isn’t theory—it’s what happens when you align your sales process with how people actually buy.

Checklist: Is Your Sales Process Helping or Hurting?

Ask yourself and your team:

• Are we forcing buyers through unnecessary steps?
  
• Are we flexible enough to adapt to different buying scenarios?
  
• Do we have tools that help buyers make internal decisions?
  
• Do our reps understand the buyer journey—not just our process?
  
• Are we regularly reviewing and improving our approach?

If you answered “no” to more than one of these, it’s time to fix your process.

Final Thought: It’s Time to Evolve or Be Eliminated

A bad sales process doesn’t just lose deals. It erodes trust. It slows down momentum. It gives your competitors a head start.

The best sales teams today are built around agility, empathy, and value. They’re structured, but never stuck. They’re disciplined, but not dogmatic.

They sell the way buyers want to buy.

If your sales process isn’t doing that, you don’t have a sales process. You have a sales prevention system.

The good news? You can fix it—starting right now.

Lead the change. Build a process that accelerates, not obstructs. Your revenue depends on it.

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About the author

Simon Hazeldine works internationally as a revenue growth and sales performance speaker, consultant, and coach. He empowers his clients to get more sales, more often with more margin.

He has spoken in over thirty countries and his client list includes some of the world’s largest and most successful companies.

Simon has a master’s degree in psychology, is the bestselling author of ten books that have been endorsed by a host of business leaders including multi-billionaire business legend Michael Dell and is co-founder of leading sales podcast “The Sales Chat Show”.

He is the creator of the neuroscience based “Brain Friendly Selling”® methodology.

Simon Hazeldine’s books:

• Neuro-Sell: How Neuroscience Can Power Your Sales Success
• Bare Knuckle Selling
• Bare Knuckle Negotiating
• Bare Knuckle Customer Service
• The Inner Winner
• How To Lead Your Sales Team – Virtually and in Person
• Virtual Selling Success
• How To Manage Your People’s Performance
• How To Create Effective Employee Development Plans
• Virtual Negotiation Success