Common B2B Sales Workflow Problems and Solutions

B2B sales workflows often hit roadblocks that slow deals and hurt revenue. Here's how to fix the biggest issues:

1. Slow lead screening
2. Long sales cycles
3. Poor team communication
4. CRM usage problems
5. Unclear sales pipeline

Key solutions:

• Automate lead scoring to focus on high-quality prospects
• Streamline approvals to speed up deals
• Align sales and marketing teams
• Optimize CRM usage and data quality
• Create a clear, standardized sales process

Problem	Solution	Impact
Unqualified leads	Automated lead scoring	30% efficiency boost
Lengthy approvals	Automated workflows	14% shorter sales cycle
Misaligned teams	Regular joint meetings	34% revenue increase
Poor CRM adoption	Tailored setup, training	138% more pipeline
Unclear process	Standardized playbook	22% revenue growth

By tackling these core issues with the right tech and processes, B2B companies can dramatically improve their sales performance.

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Main Sales Workflow Problems

B2B sales teams often hit roadblocks that slow them down and hurt their bottom line. Let's look at the big issues many growing B2B companies face:

Slow Lead Screening

Dealing with unqualified leads is a huge time-suck in B2B sales. Check this out:

• 61% of B2B marketers send ALL leads to sales
• But only 27% of those leads are actually worth pursuing

What does this mean? Salespeople waste up to HALF their day on dead-end leads. It tanks conversion rates and drags out sales cycles.

The fix? Better lead scoring. HubSpot nailed this, boosting their sales team's efficiency by 30% just by focusing on high-quality leads.

Long Sales Cycles

B2B deals take forever to close:

• 3 to 9 months on average
• 27 touchpoints needed
• 102 days to seal the deal

That's a long time to wait for revenue. But there's hope: Salesforce users typically shave 8-14% off their sales cycle.

Poor Team Communication

When sales and marketing aren't on the same page, everything falls apart. Only 31.2% of companies say these teams work well together. The difference in results is stark:

• Misaligned teams: 10.8% annual revenue growth
• Aligned teams: Over 20% annual revenue growth

SuperOffice proved this by simply putting sales and marketing in one office. The result? A 34% jump in revenue.

CRM Usage Problems

CRMs should make life easier, but they often cause headaches:

• Poor data quality costs companies $15 million a year on average
• 17% of users struggle with integration
• Low adoption means wasted CRM investment

Crunchbase tackled these issues head-on. They focused on getting people to actually use the CRM and keep data clean. The payoff? 138% more pipeline and deals closing 15 days faster.

Unclear Sales Pipeline

Without a clear roadmap, sales teams are flying blind. This leads to:

• Inconsistent follow-ups (80% of sales need 5 follow-ups to close)
• Guesswork in sales forecasts
• Wasted resources

Cutter & Buck fixed this with Badger Maps. Their reps went from 12 to 20 meetings per week, boosting annual revenue by 22%.

To beat these challenges, B2B companies need to streamline their sales process, use tech smartly, and get their teams working together. Fix these core issues, and you'll see your sales soar.

How to Fix Sales Workflow Problems

B2B companies can boost their sales by tackling common workflow issues. Here's how:

Better Lead Scoring

An automated lead scoring system can supercharge your sales team's efficiency. Check this out:

Benefits	Impact
Focus on high-quality leads	30% efficiency boost
Less time on unqualified leads	Save up to 50% of a salesperson's day
Better conversion rates	Big revenue growth potential

HubSpot nailed it: they got a 30% efficiency boost by zeroing in on high-quality leads through automated scoring.

Want to step up your lead scoring game? Here's the playbook:

1. Nail down your ideal customer profile
2. Spot the actions that scream "I'm ready to buy!"
3. Give those actions point values
4. Let your CRM do the heavy lifting with automation

Faster Approvals

Speed up your sales cycle by streamlining approvals. Here's the game plan:

• Set up automated approval workflows in your CRM
• Create clear decision-making chains
• Use mobile apps for on-the-go green lights

"We slashed our sales cycle by 14% just by automating approvals", says Massimo Sahin from Falcon Corporate Systems. "It's all about knocking down roadblocks and letting our team push deals forward fast."

Better Team Cooperation

When sales and marketing play nice, magic happens:

Aligned Teams	Misaligned Teams
20%+ yearly revenue growth	10.8% yearly revenue growth

SuperOffice proved this by simply putting sales and marketing in the same room. The result? A whopping 34% revenue jump.

Want to get your teams in sync? Try this:

• Regular joint meetings for sales and marketing
• Share KPIs across teams
• Use tools like Slack for instant communication

Making CRM Work Better

A well-oiled CRM can transform your sales process. Here's how to squeeze more juice out of yours:

1. Keep your data clean with validation rules
2. Let automation handle the boring stuff like data entry and follow-ups
3. Tailor your CRM to fit your unique sales process like a glove

Crunchbase knocked it out of the park with their CRM tune-up:

• 138% pipeline increase
• Deals closing 15 days faster

Setting Clear Sales Steps

A standardized sales process keeps everyone on the same page. Here's how to build one:

1. Map out your current process
2. Find the bottlenecks and inefficiencies
3. Create a step-by-step playbook for your team
4. Use your CRM to track progress at each stage

Cutter & Buck hit a home run with their clear sales process using Badger Maps:

• Reps jumped from 12 to 20 meetings per week
• Annual revenue shot up by 22%

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Using Tech to Speed Up Sales

In today's B2B world, tech is a must for faster sales. Here's how to use it:

Setting Up CRM Right

A good Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system can change everything. Here's how to use it well:

Do This	Get This
Automate data entry	Save 2 hours a day
Customize for your process	Better, more useful data
Connect with email, calendar	One smooth workflow
Train your team well	More use, more value

A small sales team made $1 million more per year just by using their CRM system right.

AI Tools for Sales

AI is changing B2B sales. Here's how:

• It scores leads for you
• It writes personalized messages at scale
• It predicts sales more accurately

"AI saves salespeople about 2 hours and 15 minutes a day by doing boring tasks." - Salesforce Research

ColdIQ, a B2B agency, used AI to grow from $0 to $2 million in yearly revenue in 19 months. How? By sending personalized emails at scale.

Using Data to Make Decisions

Use data to make your sales better:

1. Pick the right numbers to watch:

• How many leads become customers
• How big your deals are
• How long it takes to close a deal

2. Use tools that dig deep into your sales data

3. Look at your data often and change your plan if needed

Razorpay used AI to score leads. What happened?

• They made 50% more money each month
• Their team did 70% less work
• Deals closed one month faster

Cloud Tools for Teams

Cloud tools help sales teams work together better:

Tool Type	What It Does
Document Sharing	Work on proposals together, in real-time
Video Calls	Meet face-to-face with far-away clients
Project Management	Keep track of who's doing what

Pro Tip: Make a digital deal room. Put all the paperwork for a sale in one place online. Clients will trust you more because everything's clear.

Tracking and Improving Results

To boost your B2B sales workflow, you need to monitor key metrics and fine-tune your process. Here's how to measure success and keep improving.

Key Numbers to Watch

Focus on these metrics to gauge your sales workflow effectiveness:

Metric	What It Shows	Why It's Important
Sales Pipeline Velocity	Deal speed through pipeline	Faster = more revenue
Win Rate	% of opportunities converted	Shows SDR performance
Average Sales Cycle Length	Time to close deals	Shorter = faster revenue
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)	Cost to convert a prospect	Key for ROI tracking
Net Promoter Score (NPS)	Customer satisfaction	Indicates long-term success

Cognism, a B2B SaaS company, doubled its revenue from $21.2 million to $44.2 million by tracking these KPIs.

Ways to Track Progress

Use a Sales Dashboard

A good dashboard gives you a clear view of your sales performance:

• Shows real-time data from all sources
• Presents insights in easy-to-read visuals
• Helps spot bottlenecks and opportunities

"Sales dashboards are living tools; they need regular updates to stay useful." - Steli Efti, Close CEO

Leverage Your CRM

Your CRM is packed with data. Use it to:

• Track conversations and outcomes
• See which tools sellers use at each stage
• Measure the impact of sales tools

Conduct Regular Win-Loss Analysis

Do this yearly to:

• Spot market opportunities
• Boost win rates
• Understand lost deals

Measuring Cost vs. Benefit

To see if your workflow changes are working, calculate their ROI:

Start with Hard ROI

Look at time and cost savings. For example, a company saved €25,000 per month by automating email sending.

Don't Forget Soft ROI

Track things like:

• Employee satisfaction
• Customer feedback
• Overall efficiency gains

Use This Formula

ROI = (Gain from Investment - Cost of Investment) / Cost of Investment

Making Regular Updates

Keep improving your workflow:

1. Review Dashboards Weekly: Analyze your data and get team feedback.
2. A/B Test Your Process: Try different approaches and measure results.
3. Stay Flexible: Be ready to change based on what the data shows.
4. Invest in Training: Teams trained on LinkedIn® Sales Navigator got 7x more pipeline than those who just got the tool.

Conclusion

Let's recap how to supercharge your B2B sales workflow:

Streamline Your Process

A clear sales process = more conversions and faster sales. Companies with a standard approach close more big deals. Here's how:

• Map your customer journey
• Create detailed ideal customer profiles (ICPs)
• Find and fix pipeline bottlenecks

Use the Right Tech

Good tools can turbocharge your sales:

Tool	What It Does
CRM	Shows your pipeline clearly
AI Analytics	Predicts sales better
Automation	Simplifies complex tasks

Crunchbase's story? They tweaked their CRM and BAM! 138% more pipeline and deals closing 15 days faster.

Get Sales and Marketing in Sync

When these teams play nice, magic happens:

• Teams that work together: 20%+ yearly revenue growth
• Teams that don't: 10.8% yearly revenue growth

SuperOffice's secret? They put sales and marketing in one room. Result? 34% more revenue. Just like that.

Let Data Drive Your Decisions

Use numbers to guide you:

• Keep an eye on key performance indicators (KPIs)
• Regularly check your pipeline data
• Use revenue intelligence tools to see the full picture

Cognism, a B2B SaaS company, DOUBLED its revenue from $21.2 million to $44.2 million. How? By watching these KPIs like a hawk.

Always Be Improving

Optimizing your B2B sales isn't a one-and-done deal:

• Update your sales metrics regularly
• Do win-loss analyses every year
• Keep training your team

"Sales dashboards are like pets. They need constant care to stay useful." - Steli Efti, Close CEO

Remember: Keep tweaking, keep measuring, keep improving. That's how you win in B2B sales.

FAQs

How do you fix a sales pipeline?

Fixing a sales pipeline isn't rocket science, but it does take some work. Here's how to whip your B2B sales workflow into shape:

First, follow up like your life depends on it. Set reminders and don't let leads go cold.

Next, focus on quality over quantity. Not all leads are created equal, so use lead scoring to spot the gems.

And speaking of leads, don't be afraid to cut the dead weight. If a lead's not responding, it's time to move on.

Keep your eye on the numbers that matter:

Metric	What It Tells You
Pipeline Velocity	How fast deals are moving
Conversion Rate	Your success at turning leads into customers
Average Deal Size	Typical value of your closed deals
Sales Cycle Length	Time from first hello to sealing the deal

Streamline your process. If a step isn't adding value, ditch it.

Keep your CRM squeaky clean. Old data = missed opportunities.

Look for ways to speed things up. The faster you can close, the better.

Finally, get everyone on the same page. A standardized process keeps your team in sync.

"Your sales dashboard is like a garden. Neglect it, and it'll wither. Tend to it regularly, and it'll bloom." - Steli Efti, Close CEO

Related posts

• Sales Process Automation: A Step-by-Step Guide
• B2B Lead Generation: 6 Proven Strategies for 2025
• How to Optimize Your B2B Sales Pipeline in 5 Steps
• 10 Key Metrics for Measuring B2B Sales Performance