At a glance: You don’t need more leads to sell more. When sales aren’t converting, the issue usually shows up in the sales conversation itself. From avoiding selling altogether to lacking confidence, burying the close, or operating without a clear process, these breakdowns quietly prevent sales from moving forward. Fixing what happens inside the conversation is what creates consistent, repeatable results.
Almost every business owner who works with me wants one thing: more leads.
They want more leads to close more sales, but few understand that more leads when you don’t know how to sell, isn’t going to solve your problem.
When sales aren’t converting, the issue is usually in the sales conversation itself.
Here are the 7 most common ways sales conversations break down for business owners:
1. They don’t sell anything in an attempt to avoid being “too salesy.” And then they wonder why no one is buying. They act like a museum instead of an art gallery.
2. They lack belief in what they are selling. That lack of confidence comes through in their sales conversation. The first sale is always to you.
3. They bury the lead. They are trying to sell, but they waste too much time and effort and use too many words before they get to the close. By that time, their buyer has lost interest.
4. They are selling features, not benefits. They fail to articulate the true benefits and value that come from what they sell.
5. They marry the client or become their new best friend. This prevents a sales conversation from even happening because they are too busy talking about all they have in common.
6. They don’t ask good questions to uncover needs. If they do, they fail to listen to what their buyer wants and match it to an appropriate product or service.
7. They don’t have a duplicatable sales process. Every conversation is different, and they aren’t in control of the sales conversation. They can’t duplicate what works because they don’t know.
Selling is a skill. You can learn how to sell and how to sell better. It’s likely the most important skill you can have as a business owner.
If you want to grow your business, leads are important, but your ability to have a sales conversation and close deals is far more critical.
Is learning to sell better a skill you’d like to develop this year? Email me at lisa@lisalarter.com and let me know. I’ve had a few people ask me to workshop this topic, but before I put an offer together, I’d like to know who else needs this support.
A LIVE 5-MONTH COHORT WITH LISA LARTER · STARTS AUG 4, 2026