Crush Sales Bottlenecks and Accelerate Deals in 2025 with These Tips

January 13, 2025

The faster the sales process, the faster the revenue grows. Unfortunately, as we learned in science class, friction slows acceleration or can stop it altogether. Whether that’s adding complexity to a simple process or frustrating customers with needless back and forth, friction is bad news for deal velocity. This isn’t just a sales problem, either. Marketing teams play a crucial role in optimizing tools, content, and communication throughout the sales process. It’s critical to monitor these friction points and offer proven time-saving solutions.

1. Simplify Scheduling

Nothing kills momentum faster than an endless back-and-forth to find a time that works for everyone. You’ve been there: “How about Tuesday at 3?” “Nope, I’m busy.” “What about Wednesday at 10?” “Let me check…” It’s a time-wasting nightmare. Use scheduling tools that do the heavy lifting for you. Tools like Calendly or HubSpot’s meeting scheduler let prospects see when you’re available and book a time instantly. For group meetings, these tools can combine everyone’s availability to find the perfect slot — no emails, no hassle. Marketers can step in by making sure your team is equipped with the right tools and knows how to use them. You can also create branded landing pages for scheduling to keep everything in line with your company’s image.

Streamlining scheduling isn’t just about convenience; it shows prospects you’re organized and respectful of their time. When you make the process easy for them, you’re already setting the tone for a frictionless sales experience. Don’t forget to include automated reminders for the meeting. They’ll cut down on no-shows and keep everyone on track. Simplified scheduling can significantly reduce unnecessary delays and enhance overall customer satisfaction, leading to quicker deal closures.

2. Assign Leads Instantly

You’ve got a hot lead on the line. They’re interested, ready to talk… and then crickets. Why? Because no one knows who’s supposed to follow up, the lead just sits there. Automate lead assignment in your CRM, such as HubSpot or Salesforce. Set up rules so leads are routed to the right person immediately — based on location, deal size, product interest, or any other criteria that make sense for your business. Marketers can help by ensuring campaigns clearly define who the lead belongs to before they even come in. Running a campaign targeting enterprise clients? That lead should go straight to the rep who specializes in big deals.

When leads are assigned right away, the sales team can jump on them while they’re still engaged and excited. A quick response shows your business is sharp and ready to help. Plus, prospects don’t feel like they’re lost in the shuffle. Add a notification system that pings the assigned rep as soon as the lead is routed because fast action makes all the difference. This promptness not only preserves the prospect’s interest but also strengthens their perception that your company values their time and needs.

3. Address Unspoken Questions

You know those questions prospects have but never voice? They’re the silent deal-breakers: “How does this actually work?” “Is this right for me?” “Am I going to regret this?” Get ahead of the silence by proactively answering these unspoken questions. Create a killer FAQ page, add in-depth product demo videos, and sprinkle case studies or testimonials throughout your website. Better yet, deploy a chatbot or live chat tool to handle questions instantly. AI-driven options like Drift or Intercom can even nudge prospects toward the info they need without making them feel like they’re asking a “dumb” question.

Marketers, mine your sales team for the questions they hear all the time, then turn those into content gold. Blog posts, explainer videos, and comparison charts can all speak directly to common doubts. Don’t forget to highlight real-world success stories — when framed well, they’re like kryptonite for indecision. Addressing these questions head-on builds trust and makes your sales process feel more transparent. Prospects don’t want to feel uncertain or awkward about asking something obvious, so taking the lead here keeps them moving forward confidently. Use customer feedback to regularly update your content since trends and questions change, so your materials need to keep up.

4. Follow Up Promptly

Picture this: You’ve just had a great meeting with a prospect, and they’re clearly interested. But then… silence. Why? Too often, it’s because your team waited too long to follow up, and the prospect got distracted or moved on. Speed is everything here. Equip your sales team with tools like Fathom or Gong to automatically capture meeting notes and action items. From there, use your CRM to send recap emails or next steps within two hours of the meeting. Automation is your best friend — set up workflows that make this process seamless. Marketers can help by creating polished, ready-to-use follow-up templates.

These should align with your brand voice and be customizable for different prospect types. Work with sales to ensure your CRM integrates perfectly with tools that streamline this process. Fast follow-ups keep you top of mind and signal to the prospect that you’re serious about earning their business. They also help maintain momentum, which is critical in shortening the sales cycle. Include a call to action in your follow-ups that drives the conversation forward — whether it’s booking the next meeting, signing a document, or reviewing a resource. Prompt follow-ups can often be the critical factor in converting interest into a solid deal.

5. Streamline Your Tech Stack

Your sales process shouldn’t feel like a scavenger hunt. If your team is switching between five different platforms just to close a deal, guess what? Your prospects probably feel the same frustration — and it’s slowing everything down. Streamline your tech stack by using all-in-one platforms like HubSpot, which offers CRM, proposals, e-signatures, and onboarding in one place. If consolidating into a single platform isn’t feasible, at least ensure the tools you’re using are well-integrated to function seamlessly together.

Make digital signature tools like DocuSign or Adobe Sign your go-to for contracts. A single click beats printing, signing, and scanning any day. Marketers can advocate for tools that simplify sales workflows and improve the buyer experience. Bonus points if these platforms provide analytics or insights that help refine future campaigns. Marketing should closely collaborate with IT or operations to ensure that these integrations work smoothly without disrupting the workflow. Efficiency isn’t just about saving time for your team — it’s also about creating a smoother experience for prospects. When everything is centralized and easy to navigate, it removes potential roadblocks and speeds up decision-making. Audit your current stack with your sales team to identify redundancies or gaps and fix them before they cost you more deals.

Bonus: Maintain a Friction Journal

While the five tips previously shared may cover a lot of ground, many more ways exist to grease the skids, as they say. Keeping a friction journal can help you document instances where the sales process felt slower than necessary. Note when a customer hesitates or when notes aren’t entered into the CRM due to an SDR’s habits or environment. Over time, you’ll identify patterns, making it easier to address and eliminate recurring friction points.

Final Thoughts

Speeding up the sales process directly impacts revenue growth. However, as we remember from science class, friction inhibits acceleration and can even bring it to a halt. This friction can occur when a simple process becomes complicated or when customers face needless back-and-forth, both of which negatively affect deal velocity. Reducing friction isn’t solely a sales responsibility; marketing teams also play a vital role. They need to fine-tune tools, content, and communication throughout the sales journey. By doing so, they help ensure that the process remains smooth and efficient. Monitoring these friction points is crucial, as is offering tried-and-true solutions that save time. This collaborative effort between sales and marketing fosters a more streamlined process, enhancing overall efficiency and, ultimately, driving faster revenue growth. Therefore, the combined efforts of both departments are essential for identifying and addressing any obstacles that could impede progress, ensuring a seamless and swift sales experience for customers.

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