You’re trying to grow, and it feels like the sales team should be helping you get there. But too often, they’re chasing the wrong leads, following up inconsistently, or losing deals that should have been won.
Add to that many business owners are feeling uncertain about the economy and are reluctant to make changes, especially significant ones, which switching managed service providers (MSPs) feels like to them. Any shift in their infrastructure has to be strategic. They’re thinking carefully and moving slowly.
When your team is small with just yourself, or two or three reps, every conversation matters. How you interact matters. You can’t afford stalled deals, ghosted prospects, or proposals that go nowhere.
If you or your sales team doesn’t have the skills or structure to sell the right way, it shows up in your pipeline, and your revenue-generating system stalls. That’s where consultative selling changes the game. It gives your reps a way to lead real sales conversations and actually close.
Your sales team is working, but the system isn’t
You’ve probably been here. Leads come in. Conversations start. You think things are moving — and then they just… don’t.
You believe your team is putting in the work. They’re calling. Following up. Staying busy. But deals stall, and revenue isn’t growing.
We worked with an MSP in this situation: two salespeople and a technical expert. The owner was doing it all — running the company, leading sales, and chasing a $10M goal from just $2.5M.
Here’s what our sales assessment discovered:
- One representative was having numerous conversations but not qualifying them. The pipeline was bloated with deals going nowhere.
- The other rep was motivated and open to coaching but struggled to convert first meetings into second ones.
- The technical expert knew the product inside and out but didn’t ask questions that would help close the deal or support the sales team.
There was plenty of activity. But no structure. No process. No system to move deals forward. If that’s what’s happening in your team, it’s not going to fix itself.
Perhaps you need a sales plan. Follow these steps.
How consultative selling turns it around
If you want a team that closes real business, not just talks about it, consultative selling is where you start. Especially in our current market.
It’s not about pushing your services. It’s about solving the business problems your prospects actually care about. From the first conversation, that’s what builds trust. It’s what moves deals forward. That’s what turns your team into trusted advisors, rather than just another provider.
Think about what prospects are worried about today. Beyond the economy, which is largely beyond our control, most people are concerned about cybersecurity risks. Some are frustrated with IT problems that don’t get resolved or tickets that are never answered.
But why do they care about those problems? How is it affecting their business? That’s what you want your reps talking about.
Back to that business owner with the small team. Here’s what changed when he leaned into consultative selling:
- A clear sales process
His reps stopped guessing. They knew exactly what to do and when to move opportunities forward. - Stronger questions, better conversations
They learned to uncover the real business issues, tie them to business outcomes, and make better recommendations. - Objections became turning points
Instead of getting defensive, they leaned in. Prospects felt heard and stayed in the conversation. - Closing with confidence
No more “checking in” or “circling back.” The team learned how to ask for the next meeting at the end of every conversation in a way that made sense for the client’s situation.
The best part?
It wasn’t about more effort. It was about changing how they sell. Shift your sales away from focusing on qualification first to understanding the prospect and building a relationship. Train them how to prospect so they are using the top sales hunting skills, sell, and give them tools to do it productively and confidently.
When your team shows up consultatively, they build trust faster, uncover real opportunities, and close more business with less friction. In today’s environment, where things are changing daily, this level of interaction gains interest, respect, and clients.
What happens when you shift your sales approach?
For the team I told you about, once we built the right foundation:
- They closed more business.
- Their average sale size increased.
- Discounts went down.
- The pipeline grew.
That’s how you build a consistent, stable revenue generation system. It’s not about pushing harder, but by giving your team the tools to sell the right way, start to finish.
Want a sales team that drives revenue?
Train them to sell the right way.
If your team keeps losing opportunities they should be winning, don’t keep pushing harder and hoping it’ll fix itself.
You need a sales system that works, one built on consultative selling and prospecting skills you and your team can actually use. That’s how you achieve consistency, a robust pipeline, and closed business. This isn’t theory. It’s what we do.
If you’re serious about building a sales team that drives revenue, let’s have a quick consult. We’ll talk through your situation and give you a clear recommendation on what to do next. Contact us now and let’s stop your sales team from losing deals they should be winning.
Photo: jacoblund / Shutterstock
This post originally appeared on Smarter MSP.