Why 90% of Salespeople Don’t Use Sales Techniques (And How It Hurts Revenue)

Why 90% of Salespeople Don’t Use Real Sales Techniques (And What This Costs Your Business)

In nearly every industry — from retail to B2B account management — the same problem appears again and again: most salespeople do not use any professional sales or conversation techniques. This is not because they don’t want to, but because they have never been properly trained. As a result, companies lose revenue every single day.

1. Most salespeople believe “being good with people” is enough

Many salespeople think selling means talking a lot, being social, or having a friendly personality. But selling is not talking — it is asking, analysing, qualifying and leading. Without structure, sales become guesswork.

2. Most sellers have never received professional training

More than 80% of salespeople have never followed a structured sales training. They don’t know SPIN, closing methods, objection handling, funnel management or advisory selling. They simply rolled into the job and were never trained in commercial psychology.

3. They talk too much and ask too few questions

The average salesperson asks 5–7 questions during a conversation. Top performers ask 30–40 — including 12 strategic, advisory questions. That is why my approach Selling is Asking, Not Telling creates immediate impact. Questions create insight. Insight builds trust. Trust leads to deals.

4. Many sellers are afraid to ask commercial questions

They avoid powerful questions like:

• “What has stopped you from deciding so far?”
• “Who will be involved in the final decision?”
• “What happens if this project is delayed?”

Because they fear sounding pushy, they remain surface-level — leading to missed opportunities.

5. They lack a structured sales process

Without techniques, sales calls become chaotic. They miss a clear:

• opening strategy
• needs analysis
• objection method
• value presentation
• closing technique
• follow-up strategy

And without structure, success becomes luck instead of skill.

6. They focus on products instead of psychology

Many salespeople rely on product knowledge, features and specifications. But customers do not buy products — they buy outcomes, solutions and certainty. Professional selling requires commercial psychology.

7. The commercial impact is huge

Without sales techniques, companies experience:

• low conversion rates
• long sales cycles
• price pressure
• lost deals
• no cross-sell or upsell
• unclear pipelines

The hidden cost? Massive revenue loss, often unnoticed by leadership teams.

8. The solution: modern sales training

When salespeople learn structured techniques — such as SPIN, ORDER, the 7 Yes Technique, DISC, objection handling and advisory selling — conversion often increases by 20% to 80%.

This is why my programmes are built around 12 proven sales techniques, 11 scientific principles and 9 practical sales tools. Companies across all sectors choose Graham Hulsebos Sales Training because the impact is immediate and measurable.

Ready to transform your sales team?

Do you want your team to perform at a consistently higher level? Explore our sales training programmes or contact us for a free consultation.