I’ve seen it happen time and time again, leaders blaming the people when it's actually a broken sales process killing performance.

Believe it or not, this issue has plagued American businesses for decades.

I’ve witnessed it firsthand, both within my own companies and while managing sales teams for others.

Over the years, I’ve worked with team members who had all the right ingredients, skill, personality, and potential, but without the right infrastructure around them, it became a recipe for chaos and poor results.

Building a structured system is not optional.

It’s essential.‍

And yet, we continue to neglect this, as owners, as managers, and as leaders.

Why?

Because it’s easier to blame people than to face the gaps in our processes.

The good news?

This is an incredibly fixable problem, if you know where to look.

Let’s start by focusing on these three core areas:

1. Undefined KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)

How do you expect to improve what you don’t measure?

Every business generates daily data points that reveal exactly where the wins, and the losses, are happening.

Yet, few take advantage of this.

The first step is to identify which activities directly drive results.

Once you define those KPIs, you can develop training, resources, and coaching around them to drive consistent execution.

This doesn’t require a six-figure CRM system to start.‍

A simple dashboard in Excel or Google Sheets is enough.‍

Document the key activities.

Create a weekly reporting rhythm.

Make the data visible.

Without metrics, you’re leading blind.

2. Lack of Accountability

There are three critical pillars every sales professional must live by:

• Determination
• Consistency
• Accountability

Remove one, and the others crumble.

Accountability isn’t micromanagement, it’s leadership.

Yet, so many bristle at the word because they know, deep down, there’s a gap between their performance and their potential.

That’s human nature. But ignoring it is a choice.

If you want a high-performing team, you must make accountability a visible, daily habit.

Start by having every team member document and communicate how their time is spent, especially the activities that drive revenue.

As a business owner myself, I hold myself to this same standard every single day.‍

If you can't lead yourself with accountability, you have no business trying to lead others.

3. Weak Onboarding and Follow-Up Processes

This is one of the most shocking gaps I still see in companies:‍

No formal onboarding.

No documented follow-up cadence.

No real playbook.

When you bring on a new hire without a clear, structured ramp-up plan, you are setting them, and yourself up for failure.

How can you expect results when you don’t show someone how to win?

Start simple.

Create a one-page document outlining the key KPIs, success milestones, and cultural expectations for the first two weeks.

It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it does have to exist.

Refine it over time, but get the framework built.

It Starts With You

You don’t scale businesses with personalities, you scale with systems that support people.

You could hire the most talented team in the world.

Without a clear process, it will eventually collapse under its own weight.

As an owner or leader, this responsibility falls squarely on your shoulders.

Start today.

Open a blank document or pull out a sheet of paper.

Write down the activities that matter most to success in each role.

Define how they should be measured.

Outline how they should be trained, coached, and improved.

If you don’t know, learn.

There are no excuses.

Leaving your business success up to chance is a recipe for disaster.

Systems are the foundation of sustainable, scalable growth.‍

Without them, you’re hoping for success.

With them, you’re engineering it.

SML

‍