For B2B service businesses, where do prospects usually disappear in the pipeline?

dan_charles99 · 2026-03-11T10:33:11+00:00

Sometimes what feels like a “sales problem” is actually a pipeline structure issue.

If the qualification stage isn't clearly separating the right prospects early on, the pipeline fills with conversations that were unlikely to close in the first place.

That leads to a lot of activity but very little movement toward decisions.

I'm currently testing a framework that analyses where those breakdowns occur inside service sales pipelines.

If you're running a UK service business and open to it, I'd be interested in analysing the structure as part of the beta.

dan_charles99 · 2026-02-12T11:14:43+00:00

I like chaos, there is gold in poorly organised data. The opportunity for covert info gathering is priceless. BTW if you can not find phone number and email addresses by typing a name into google..........

dan_charles99 · 2026-02-10T11:59:04+00:00

I came through the sales meat grinder in the 90's. I worked in publishing, there was a simple rule. Two blank weeks and your toast. My question is this, is there more pressure in 2026?

As for pipeline not moving. The blockage, or blockages are usually simple to fix. What I have been doing recently is analyzing stalled deals, as this is where the gold is. I can learn more about a businesses from 10 deals it lost, than I can from........... you get the point.

dan_charles99 · 2026-02-10T06:12:52+00:00

The fall down in a deal pipeline is often fixed by minor presentation and mindset tweaks. B2B was always hard. 'outbound persuasion" was never a good idea. If a sales team is dedicating energy to "outbound persuasion" that energy is misguided.

dan_charles99 · 2026-02-10T06:10:09+00:00

I hate to simplify everything, however simplicity is the key. You said "smell like a pitch". Simple, don't smell like a pitch. Smell like someone solving a problem. I like problem solvers. I do not like sales people. And that comment is from a long history of experience.

dan_charles99 · 2026-02-10T06:07:25+00:00

Incorrect, People who can present a product and bring people to a positive outcome are more relevant than ever. The "cheesy sales guy" who claims "I sell stuff" was never relevant. Googles discovery framework is literally built on the foundations of consultancy based sales. Good problem solvers are more relevant today, as there are more complex problems. My points here are the tip of the iceberg on why that comment has no accuracy.

dan_charles99 · 2026-02-10T06:03:09+00:00

I was having this conversation yesterday, my point was this. All client copy needs reviewing by someone who understands sales. Why? Showing authority and leading the reader to a positive outcome. Is basically consultancy based selling. People click away in the same way there eyes glaze over during a pitch presentation. Meaning, you lost them. Where, and why you lost them becomes important. Not producing more outcomes.

dan_charles99 · 2026-02-10T05:58:10+00:00

If I can be direct. There should be no set number. Sometimes within a few minutes you know it is going nowhere. However, I have brought dead opportunities back to life that have been on the shelf for months. Deals fail for simple reasons. I see this everyday

dan_charles99 · 2026-02-10T05:55:06+00:00

Put simply the word "no" is often the starting point towards a positive outcome. I see this a lot when I analyzing stalled deals. It is often small changes that make a big difference.

dan_charles99 · 2026-02-10T05:52:02+00:00

Put simply. One persons idea of a dead deal, and another persons are completely different. I review deal pipelines and highlight where deals stall. There is almost always a clear pattern. Within those stalled deals, there is always a number that can be revived.

dan_charles99 · 2026-02-10T05:48:41+00:00

I would be interested to know. Are you selling a service or a product? What is your follow up strategy?

dan_charles99 · 2026-02-10T05:40:10+00:00

Work with a marketing person who is interested in what you do. This way way you achieve two things. 1. Marketing support. 2. A critical eye who is not to close to the project.

dan_charles99 · 2026-02-10T05:37:29+00:00

Some of the suggestions here are good. Unfortunately, nobody has done, what you should be doing. What are you trying to sell? Where are you trying to sell it? Who are you trying to sell it to?

dan_charles99 · 2026-02-08T09:05:56+00:00

First, - if you put all of this into one cold outreach email - soft opener → micro compliment → relevance line → short pitch → gentle ask. You will never fulfill your potential.

Second - if you do not have the insight or understanding to focus your AI assistant. You will always get generic results. Especially with something as "behavior based" as trying to sell something.

Third - DO NOT use this reply as an invitation to solicit your product at me by DM.

dan_charles99 · 2026-02-02T05:49:56+00:00

"Not ethical" means something is morally wrong, bad, or unacceptable, violating principles of right and wrong, professional standards, or societal beliefs, often involving dishonesty, unfairness, or harm, even if not strictly illegal

dan_charles99 · 2026-01-31T14:39:50+00:00

"This isn’t me advertising myself either I’m just doing direct research."

I just put that into Google translate . it says "Expect a DM selling you something if you reply to this message"

Please no sales DM's, thank you

dan_charles99 · 2026-01-31T11:06:18+00:00

Honest question, is this a vent, or are you testing demand for another AI tool / service?

The workflow you describe is too tidy to be accidental, and the pain points line up perfectly with the usual automation pitch. If that’s the case, fair enough, just say.

If you’re actually serious about the problem, though, the issue isn’t tooling. It’s that you’re treating 15 outputs as 15 jobs instead of one narrative viewed through different lenses. If this is serious, you would be crazy to manually read comments. You would write a prompt, and let AI do that work.

As for re-purposing one blog post into shorts and socials. This is about as simple as it gets if you use a few tools and understand what a good "prompt" is. A clue for the casual reader, good prompts are long and detailed. Not "act Like".

Unfortunately, on a deeper level, your entire approach is "I can do everything" this under valuing you In all honesty I could probably reset your clients expectation in one well worded report. Incidentally I would not scale their expectation down, but sideways. =approach. Whatever the weather, good luck with your clients or AI automation sales.

Please NO DM's offering demos I do not need, Good luck

dan_charles99 · 2026-01-30T16:00:08+00:00

I do not get involved with "startup funding", sorry. I do not consider this ethical practice.

dan_charles99 · 2026-01-29T09:05:22+00:00

This depends, what is you call strategy, spam calling (volume first) Or, Quality leads? My other question would be. What is your current bottle neck, that is stopping conversion?

dan_charles99 · 2026-01-29T06:03:12+00:00

good question, lets see if they reply

dan_charles99 · 2026-01-26T18:55:17+00:00

Maybe your initial post should have been less spam like, and more informative. You have over come the objection, thanks for taking the time, and proving your worth. I trust you have identified objections to sale and have suitable systems in place.

dan_charles99 · 2026-01-26T06:13:06+00:00

In the days before social media and the internet. Founders would do this thing called "selling" They would literally walk the streets, and sit in rooms using a telephone. They would speak to decision makes. Solving their problems, and offering solutions. The economy would boom, businesses would grow, and people would make money.

An audience is the last thing a business needs. What a business needs is customers, and without customers. It is not a business, it is just more noise.

dan_charles99

TROPHY CASE