Sales should be a structured, repeatable process—not a chaotic mess where you’re constantly reacting to whatever your prospects decide to do. But too many founders get stuck in bad habits that make closing deals harder than it should be. If you’re tired of feeling like sales is a grind, check if you’re making one (or more) of these mistakes.

1. Delegating Too Soon Without a Working Sales Process

Founders often hit a breaking point where their calendar is packed, their inbox is full, and they’re just sick of sales. That’s when they make the classic mistake: hiring someone cheap, often on commission-only, and throwing them into the fire without a clear, proven sales process to follow.

It never works. If you don’t already know the numbers—like how many calls it takes to close a deal, what objections come up most often, and what messaging resonates—how can a new hire? Commission-only reps have no skin in the game until they close a deal, which means they’re more likely to give up early or churn when things don’t immediately work out. You end up micromanaging or, worse, expecting them to magically figure it out on their own—then blaming them when it doesn’t work.

The fix is simple: system first, hire second.

You need a repeatable process and clear benchmarks before you hand sales off. After all, if it doesn’t work for you, it won’t work for a sales rep.That means having a defined step-by-step sales process that you’ve personally tested and refined, clear metrics so you know what success looks like, and proper training so your hire understands the playbook instead of winging it. Sales doesn’t have to be your forever job, but if you don’t get it working first, no one else will either.

2. Letting Prospects Dictate the Tempo of the Sales Process

Most founders assume their prospects know what they’re doing. They don’t. If you let them run the show, they disappear for weeks between calls, no-show or reschedule based on their mood, demand all the details over email instead of getting on a real call, and operate on their own (usually flawed) assumptions. They just want you to answer their questions, not guide them to a decision. This is a slow-motion disaster. If you don’t control the process, you get strung along indefinitely, wasting time on people who may never buy.

It’s your job to set the agenda and keep control.

A strong sales process has a set schedule and flow. The first call is for you to ask the questions, not them. You need to diagnose their problem before talking about solutions. You should book a proposal call to present the solution, never send pricing or plans over email without talking them through it. And on that call, you ask for an answer—not “think it over and get back to me,” not “we’ll follow up next week.” You present your plan, handle objections, and push for a decision. If someone refuses to follow your process, they’re probably not serious. And that’s fine. The people who are serious will appreciate the structure, and you’ll waste a lot less time on tire-kickers.

3. Never Giving Up on a Lead, Even When They’re Clearly Wasting Your Time

A lot of founders treat every lead like gold. But not all leads are good leads. Some people just aren’t ready to buy, and chasing them forever doesn’t change that. Wasting time on bad leads looks like following up endlessly with people who never commit, letting prospects reschedule multiple times without ever moving forward, and spending hours answering questions only to hear, “We’re just not ready yet.” You don’t have to put up with this.

It’s always better to let bad prospects leave.

If a lead isn’t serious, you risk nothing by saying, “Hey, it seems like this might not be a priority for you right now. No worries—if that changes, feel free to reach back out.” A serious prospect won’t be turned off by that. In fact, some will suddenly take action because they realize you’re busy, professional, and not desperate for their business. At the very least, you stop wasting hours chasing people who haven’t made change a priority. That time is better spent focusing on your best prospects, growing your business, and taking care of your best customers. Not every lead deserves endless follow-up. Know when to walk away.

Fix These 3 Mistakes and Sales Gets a Lot Easier

Sales isn’t about hustling harder. It’s about controlling the process and spending time on the right people. If you’re struggling, check yourself on these three mistakes.

– Are you hiring salespeople before you have a working system and clear benchmarks?

– Are you letting prospects dictate the pace instead of following a structured sales process?

– Are you wasting time on leads who clearly aren’t ready to buy? Fixing just one of these will make your life easier.

Fix all three, and selling stops feeling like an uphill battle.