Most people don’t have a motivation problem.
They have a bottleneck problem.
They keep trying to improve everything at once.
I see this with closers all the time.
They’re working on: → Better objection handling → Better follow-up → Better tonality → Better scripts → Better closing techniques
While the real problem is sitting somewhere else.
Because sales is a chain: Opportunities → Discovery → Problem uncovered → Offer → Close.
A bottleneck early in the chain limits everything that comes after it.
The best objection handling in the world can’t save a rushed discovery.
The sharpest closing technique can’t fix a calendar with no quality opportunities.
So instead of trying to improve everything, ask:
What’s the bottleneck? What must be solved right now?
Then run discovery on yourself.
Say your close rate is low. Why?
Deals keep stalling after the pitch. Why?
I’m handling objections I should have uncovered earlier. Why?
My discovery is rushed. Why?
Digging deeper into the prospect’s pain feels risky. I’m worried they might challenge me.
There it is.
The bottleneck wasn’t closing. It wasn’t even discovery.
It was fear.
And that’s an important observation.
Bottlenecks usually fall into two categories:
- Mechanical: You don’t know how to do the thing yet.
Reps and training can fix that.
- Mental: You know how to do it, but you’re avoiding it.
More training won’t necessarily fix that.
You being honest might.
This is why I don’t believe in trying to fix everything at once.
- Find the constraint.
- Solve it properly.
- Then find the next one.
It applies to sales. It applies to business. It applies to leadership. It even applies to personal growth.
You don’t need to solve step 10 when step 1 is still broken.
Solve the constraint in front of you. Then move.