🦾 The Million-Dollar Mistake: When Success Becomes Your Enemy

Hey Insider, I still remember the exact moment I realized what my "improvement" had cost: $2.1 million in lost deals. All because I tried to fix what wasn't broken.

Sitting at my desk, staring at my quarterly numbers, the math was brutal:

The Real Cost of "Efficiency":

• Before: 67 closes from 100 opportunities

• After: 40 closes from 100 opportunities

• Lost Revenue Per 100 Deals: $2.1M

• Time Saved Per Call: 15 minutes

• Cost Per Minute Saved: $140,000

The Seduction of "Better"

Twenty-three closed deals in a row. That's when the whispers started.

"Your discovery calls take too long."

"Prospects don't need all these stories."

"Just show them the features and move on."

The chorus grew louder with each success. And slowly, deal by deal, I started to believe them.

I streamlined my process. Cut my discovery time. Focused on features instead of diving deep into prospects' challenges.

Warning Signs You're Breaking What Works

Check yourself against these red flags:

1. Process Changes

   • Your discovery calls are getting shorter

   • You're doing more talking than listening

   • You've stopped telling your core success stories

   • Your presentations feel "smoother" but close less

2. Mindset Shifts

   • You feel pressure to be more "efficient"

   • You assume prospects know more than they do

   • You rush through familiar territory

   • You're more focused on your calendar than your close rate

3. Result Patterns

   • Shorter sales cycles (but fewer wins)

   • Less prospect engagement

   • Fewer follow-up questions

   • Quicker "no" decisions

The Anatomy of a Downward Spiral

My calendar looked better. Meetings got shorter. My talk track became crisp and efficient.

And my business was dying.

The signs were everywhere:

Meeting Metrics:

• Sales calls: 15% shorter

• Client speaking time: Down 40%

• Follow-up questions: Cut in half

• Implementation pipeline: From 6 weeks to 3

The Recovery Plan

Here's how I rebuilt my success, week by week:

Week 1: Return to Full Discovery

• Scheduled 60-minute first calls

• Asked all "obvious" questions

• Let silence do the work

• Recorded calls for review

Week 2: Resurrect Key Stories

• Listed all customer success stories

• Mapped stories to common challenges

• Practiced delivery and timing

• Asked for prospect reactions

Week 3: Measure New Metrics

• Prospect talking time

• Questions asked

• Story reactions

• Engagement signals

Week 4: Compare Results

• Close rates

• Deal sizes

• Implementation timelines

• Client satisfaction scores

The Real Formula for Success

1. Trust Your Discovery Process

   • Every prospect deserves a fresh conversation

   • Their story matters more than your efficiency

   • Questions unlock opportunities features never will

   • Time invested here pays dividends later

2. Own Your Stories

   • Your best stories work because they work

   • Repetition builds confidence, not boredom

   • Experience isn't inefficient - it's invaluable

   • Stories bridge understanding gaps

3. Track What Matters

   • Monitor your close rate weekly, not quarterly

   • Measure engagement, not just time

   • Watch your implementation pipeline

   • Calculate revenue per minute, not minutes saved

The Transformation Back

The first meeting after returning to my proven process felt like coming home. T

he prospect leaned in, engaged deeply, and shared challenges they hadn't even told their own team.

By the end, they weren't just hearing our value proposition - they were selling it back to me.

Sales Fit Challenge 💪💼

This week, calculate your own "efficiency tax":

1. Track Your Numbers

   • Record your last 30 deals' close rate

   • Calculate average deal size

   • Measure average call length

   • Count prospect talking time

2. Audit Your Process

   • List your "skipped" discovery questions

   • Document your unused success stories

   • Review your shortened processes

   • Calculate the real cost of "efficiency"

3. Commit to Excellence

   • Schedule full-length discovery calls

   • Bring back your best stories

   • Let conversations breathe

   • Trust what made you successful

Your Homework: Calculate your own "efficiency tax." What percentage of deals are you losing to save a few minutes?

Remember: Your prospects aren't buying your efficiency. They're buying their future success.

What story will you bring back this week?

Win the Day!

Ken Lundin