Fine-tuning your sales funnel for success

For most business leaders, sales isn’t their forte. Yet selling their product or service is essential to growth

Why sales must be front and centre

For SMEs, a strong sales function is crucial for growth. Yet, many business owners remain heavily involved in sales themselves, which limits their ability to scale. According to Kevin Hayler, founder of Sales Made Easy, ‘Sales teams need structure, process, and daily management to perform at their best. Without it, businesses face inconsistent results, high staff turnover, and unnecessary stress.’

Kevin will be speaking at the Help to Grow: Management Alumni Network National Conference on Thursday 27th March. Find out more and register

Sales isn’t just about making calls, it’s about creating a system that delivers consistent results. Kevin says that without a well-managed sales funnel, businesses fall into a feast-or-famine cycle, where revenue fluctuates unpredictably.

Where SMEs go wrong with sales

One of the biggest mistakes SMEs make is failing to put the same level of structure into sales as they do for other business functions. Many founders act as the primary salesperson but lack the time or expertise to manage those responsible for sales effectively. ‘A sales manager’s role is to put the right behaviours in place, track key metrics, and ensure consistency across the funnel,’ Kevin explains.

Another common issue is poor accountability. ‘Micromanagement has a bad reputation, but it’s really about providing the right level of support. If you don’t measure and track performance, you can’t make informed decisions about where improvements are needed.’

The sales funnel ratios every business should know

Understanding your sales funnel ratios is essential for scaling sales performance. Kevin shares a simple example from his own experience:

• 45 cold conversations lead to:
  • 9 decision-maker interactions
  • 3 appointments booked
  • 1 closed deal

‘These numbers provide a benchmark,’ says Kevin. ‘If you don’t like the ratios, you’re in the wrong role. However, with the right training, you can refine them over time.’

For higher-value sales, the funnel may look different. The number of touchpoints required will increase, and the sales cycle will be longer. The key is to identify the ratios based on existing data and adjust the strategy accordingly. If you don’t have the data, then step one is to start recording your sales pipeline data. Your data might include number of initial conversations, number of proposals or sales pitches, and/or number of deals closed.

Managing your sales team for success

When you are at the point of having a sales team in place then they need managing with clear KPIs in place. A high-performing sales team needs clear expectations, regular check-ins, and a focus on activity-based metrics. Kevin recommends using behavioural profiling tools like DISC to understand team members’ strengths and weaknesses. DISC is a personality assessment tool that categorises people into four primary traits: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness. This helps the person responsible for managing the sales team tailor their coaching approach to different personality types.

‘People need accountability, but they also need support. Daily activity tracking helps identify where salespeople are struggling so you can coach them effectively. It’s not about pressuring them, it’s about ensuring they have what they need to succeed.’

Leveraging AI for smarter sales outreach

AI is transforming the sales landscape, particularly in cold outreach. Kevin and his team use AI-driven tools to personalise email marketing campaigns at scale. ‘We can now send thousands of highly personalised emails per month, with AI tailoring the message based on LinkedIn data. This dramatically improves engagement rates.’

AI isn’t a replacement for human interaction, but it enhances efficiency. ‘It takes seconds to do what used to take hours. AI is here to stay, and businesses that embrace it will gain a competitive edge.’

Building a successful sales team isn’t just about hiring the right people, it’s about creating the right structure, setting clear expectations, and using data to drive decisions. By refining your sales funnel, holding your team accountable, and leveraging AI for outreach, you can create a system that delivers consistent and scalable results.

As Kevin puts it: ‘Sales doesn’t have to be complicated. Put the right processes in place, and it becomes easy.’

Kevin will be speaking at the Help to Grow: Management Alumni Network National Conference on Thursday 27th March. Find out more and register

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