As a business owner, you likely have big goals for your company. Maybe you’re working to grow from a few million dollars in annual revenue to something much larger. Whether you’re just starting to scale or aiming for the next big milestone, one question always comes up. How do you equip your sales team to make the most of every opportunity and drive revenue generation?
For companies with small sales teams, often just two or three people, every conversation matters. Every follow-up counts. But what happens when your team doesn’t have the skills or structure to turn those opportunities into wins? Without a clear revenue generating system, even enthusiastic reps can leave deals on the table.
What are the most common sales challenges for small teams?
You might have experienced this before. Leads come in. Conversations start. But somehow they fizzle out. You believe your team is putting in the effort, but the results just aren’t there.
We work with a business owner who had two salespeople and a technical expert on the team.
Like many owners, he wears multiple hats while trying to manage the sales team and hit a bold revenue goal. His goal is to grow from $2.5 million to $10 million within the next several years.
After conducting sales assessments to identify their biggest challenges, here’s what we found:
- One rep talked to a lot of prospects but wasn’t qualifying or moving opportunities forward. There were a lot of opportunities in the pipeline, but it was hard to determine what was real and what was not.
- Another rep was highly motivated and saw great potential with the company. He was open to coaching and training and desperately wanted to succeed. While he had no qualms about prospecting or lead follow-up, he struggled with setting first appointments, then converting them to second meetings.
- The technical expert, though knowledgeable, wasn’t asking enough questions to uncover the deeper needs of clients and guide the sales reps with the right solutions to recommend.
Sound familiar?
The Most Common Skill Gaps for Small B2B Sales Teams
This business owner’s sales team has skill gaps that are common in small teams trying to scale.
1. Consultative Questioning Skills
Asking meaningful, open-ended questions to uncover client needs and priorities effectively
2. Handling Objections
Anticipating and confidently addressing and resolving client concerns in a way that builds trust
3. Closing Techniques
Building confidence to close every encounter with a next step, then closing sales in a consultative manner
4. Value Communication
Clearly articulating the value of the solution in terms of the client’s needs and return on investment (ROI)
5. Relationship Building
Strengthening connections with clients by establishing trust and rapport from prospecting through close and account management
6. Prospecting Effectiveness
Approaching leads with a consultative mindset to engage decision makers and move them through the sales process
7. Pipeline Management
Maintaining focus on high-priority opportunities and advancing them efficiently through the sales funnel
Without addressing these common sales skill gaps in your team, you risk losing opportunities and falling short of your growth goals.
How can consultative selling improve sales results?
If you’re serious about building a high-performing sales team, consultative selling is the place to start. This approach shifts the focus from pitching products to solving the real challenges your clients are facing. It builds trust. It strengthens relationships. It positions your team as partners, not just vendors.
For the business owner we worked with, consultative selling has become the foundation of his sales strategy. Here’s how it is helping transform his team:
Structured sales process
Reps now have a clear roadmap to know what to do at every stage of the sales process.
Better questioning techniques
They learned how to uncover prospect needs, understand impacts, and explore ROI. They now make stronger recommendations.
Handling objections with trust
Prospects now see their salesperson as someone who understands their needs and addresses their concerns. Reps aren’t just pushing for a sale.
Confident closing
The team learned consultative techniques to ask for the sale in a way that aligns with prospects’ needs.
This shift wasn’t about more effort. It was about shifting how they’re selling. When your team approaches prospects and clients consultatively, they naturally build trust, create higher-value opportunities, reduce competition, and close more sales.
When should you start prospecting training?
Once a strong consultative selling foundation is in place, the next step is prospecting training. It’s tempting to jump into how-to-cold-call training first. More leads seem to mean more sales. But generating leads without the skills to effectively move them through the sales process is like filling a leaky bucket.
Why Start With Consultative Sales Training
Too many hard-earned leads fall out of your pipeline. By starting with consultative selling, your team will be prepared to handle opportunities effectively.
This business owner’s sales team would make cold calls and prospect. They had leads to work but weren’t closing them. For this reason, we started with consultative selling, then layered in cold call training to improve their prospecting conversion rates.
Why Starting With Consultative Sales Training Works
Reps have consultative sales skills they can apply to their prospecting.
They learn how to approach potential clients with a focus on solving problems. Their conversations aren’t scripted. They’re consultative. It makes their cold calling more effective and is less intimidating for your team.
It’s easier to reach decision makers.
Consultative selling training helps reps identify the right people to talk to and what to talk with them about. Decision makers are more likely to respond to them.
Value propositions are more effective.
During consultative selling training, reps hone their conversations to speak about impacts, results, ROI, business issues, and value. In prospecting and cold call training, they learn how to use that same business acumen to grab attention and have meaningful conversations with potential clients.
Reps consistently prospect and use multiple strategies.
When reps learn how to combine calls, emails, and social selling, and use the Bloodhound Prospecting Strategy in prospecting training, they aren’t intimidated. They know the type of conversations they want to have and are much more confident. You, as the business owner / sales manager, no longer have to push them to prospect.
When done right, prospecting is no longer just about finding leads. It’s about building relationships that lead to trust and sales.
When should you start with cold call training?
The business owner we were working with had sales reps who weren’t afraid to cold call. They would do their prospecting activities. This meant they had a steady stream of first appointments. The problem was that those new contacts weren’t producing new opportunities or closing.
If your salespeople will not do prospecting activities or their pipelines are dry, then you should start with cold call training. A sales assessment of your reps will determine where the real issues are and allow us to recommend the ideal action plan. Let’s uncover the solution your team needs—schedule your assessment now.
What results can you expect from a consultative selling approach?
The impact of consultative selling and prospecting training is undeniable.
Here’s what the business owner and his team we were working with experienced:
More closed deals
With a stronger sales process, the team turned more opportunities into wins.
Higher-value sales
Clients and prospects trusted the team’s recommendations. This led to larger average sales with better margins.
Reduced discounts
The sales reps stopped focusing on discounts and smaller solutions. They now sell on value based on prospects’ business needs instead of price. This has improved profitability.
Pipeline progress
Reps improved their qualification skills. Marketing and the company overall now have a better understanding of their ideal customer profile. Marketing focuses its efforts on the right target markets and the sales team focuses on high-potential opportunities with them. Opportunities are better qualified and move through the sales process more efficiently.
By pairing consultative selling with prospecting training, this team is building a revenue generating system that works.
What’s the best way to train your sales team to build a revenue generating system?
A revenue generating system isn’t just about uncovering new leads or closing deals. It’s about creating a repeatable, scalable process that empowers your sales team to succeed. By integrating consultative selling and prospecting training, you build a system where every lead is handled with precision. Every conversation builds trust. Every opportunity moves toward a win.
For small B2B sales teams, this approach is a game-changer. It ensures your team works smarter, not harder. It positions your business for sustainable growth.
Invest in Sales Training To Create a High-Performing Revenue Generating System
If your sales team struggles with cold calling, closing deals, or turning leads into opportunities, it’s time to take action. Building a revenue generating system starts with consultative selling as the foundation. From there, layering in prospecting training ensures your team consistently fills the pipeline while advancing opportunities with confidence.
At KLA Group, we specialize in B2B sales training that helps small and mid-sized teams succeed. Let’s work together to increase your sales conversions and create a system that delivers results.
Contact us today to start building a sales team that drives revenue and helps you reach your goals.
Top Questions Asked About Consultative Selling
1. What is consultative selling, and how does it benefit small B2B sales teams?
Answer: Consultative selling is a sales approach that focuses on understanding client needs and offering tailored solutions. It helps small B2B teams build trust, close higher-value deals, and create long-term client relationships.
2. How can I identify skill gaps in my sales team?
Answer: Common skill gaps include ineffective questioning techniques, difficulty handling objections, and weak closing strategies. Conducting a sales assessment can help pinpoint specific areas for improvement.
3. Why is a structured sales process important for small teams?
Answer: A structured sales process ensures consistency, helps reps focus on high-priority opportunities, and improves pipeline management, leading to better results and fewer missed opportunities.
4. How does consultative selling improve prospecting efforts?
Answer: Consultative selling equips sales reps with the skills to engage decision-makers, ask impactful questions, and tailor conversations to address client challenges, making prospecting more effective.
5. Should I start with consultative selling or cold call training for my sales team?
Answer: Starting with consultative selling builds a foundation of trust and client-focused skills, which enhances the effectiveness of cold calling and other prospecting efforts.
6. How does consultative selling reduce the need for discounts in sales?
Answer: By focusing on client needs and value, consultative selling positions your offerings as solutions to critical challenges, reducing reliance on price-based selling and improving profit margins.
7. What results can I expect from implementing consultative selling?
Answer: Teams that adopt consultative selling typically see higher conversion rates, larger average deal sizes, improved client relationships, and a more efficient, scalable sales process.
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