Most B2B companies don't realize they're leaving millions on the table every year.

The sales team is working hard. Marketing is generating leads. The pipeline looks full.

But revenue growth? Slower than expected.

The problem isn't effort—it's leakage. Small, unnoticed inefficiencies compound over time, silently killing revenue.

If you've ever wondered why your sales team isn't closing more deals, despite having good prospects, this post is for you.

Let's break down the five biggest revenue killers in B2B sales and how to fix them.

1. Wasting Time on Low-Value Prospects

Not all prospects are equal. Some are high-intent buyers ready to move forward, while others are window shoppers who will never convert.

The problem? Most sales teams don't know the difference.

How This Kills Revenue:

  • Sales reps spend too much time on leads that will never buy.
  • The best prospects don't get the attention they deserve.
  • The sales cycle gets longer and more expensive.

How to Fix It:

  • Define a clear ICP (Ideal Customer Profile). Reps should know exactly who the best-fit customers are—and ignore those who don't fit.
  • Score and rank prospects. Prioritize leads based on firmographics, past behavior, and buying signals.
  • Set clear disqualification criteria. If a prospect doesn't meet key qualifications, move on quickly.

Companies that focus on high-value prospects close more deals with less effort.

2. Slow Follow-Up on Inbound Leads

B2B buyers have more options than ever before. If your company doesn't engage them quickly, someone else will.

How This Kills Revenue:

  • 50% of B2B buyers choose the vendor that responds first.
  • Every hour of delay in follow-up reduces conversion rates.
  • Marketing spends money generating leads, only for them to go cold before sales even reaches out.

How to Fix It:

  • Implement a "five-minute rule." Leads should get a follow-up within five minutes of engaging.
  • Use multiple touchpoints. Combine email, phone, and LinkedIn to maximize response rates.
  • Automate meeting scheduling. Reduce friction by making it easy for leads to book a call.

The fastest company to engage a lead often wins the deal.

3. Losing Deals to "No Decision"

You did everything right—the prospect was engaged, interested, and even excited.

And then… they went silent.

This is the dreaded "no decision" outcome. It's worse than losing to a competitor because it means all your effort led to nothing.

How This Kills Revenue:

  • The sales pipeline looks healthy—but deals stall and disappear.
  • Reps waste time following up on accounts that will never close.
  • Forecasts become unreliable because deals don't move forward.

How to Fix It:

  • Dig deeper into "why now?" If there's no urgency, the deal will stall. Find out what's driving the purchase decision.
  • Get commitment early. Ask prospects what the decision-making process looks like—and get buy-in before investing too much time.
  • Provide a clear ROI case. If the value isn't obvious, decision-makers will delay or cancel the purchase.

Most "no decision" deals don't die because of pricing—they die because there wasn't enough urgency to buy.

4. Sales and Marketing Misalignment

Marketing and sales should be working toward the same goal—but in most companies, they operate in silos.

How This Kills Revenue:

  • Marketing generates leads that sales ignores.
  • Sales complains that leads are low quality.
  • Leadership struggles to connect marketing spend to revenue results.

How to Fix It:

  • Define a shared revenue goal. Both teams should be responsible for pipeline and revenue—not just lead volume.
  • Agree on lead qualification criteria. Marketing should only pass leads that meet agreed-upon sales criteria.
  • Hold joint pipeline meetings. Marketing and sales should review progress together, adjusting strategies in real time.

Companies with strong marketing-sales alignment see 208% higher marketing revenue than those without.

5. Forecasting Based on Hope, Not Data

Sales forecasts should be a roadmap to revenue, but in many B2B companies, they're more like wishful thinking.

Reps overestimate their pipeline. Leaders trust gut feelings over data. Deals slip at the last minute.

How This Kills Revenue:

  • Bad forecasts lead to missed targets and poor business decisions.
  • Companies hire too aggressively or too conservatively, leading to budget problems.
  • Leadership loses trust in the sales team.

How to Fix It:

  • Base forecasts on real data. Use historical close rates and deal velocity—not gut instinct.
  • Implement stage-based probability weighting. Not all pipeline deals are equally likely to close.
  • Require exit criteria for each stage. If a deal hasn't met key milestones, it shouldn't be counted as "likely to close."

A data-driven forecast leads to better decision-making and more predictable revenue growth.

Final Thoughts: Small Fixes = Big Revenue Impact

B2B sales isn't about working harder—it's about working smarter.

By eliminating low-value prospects, slow follow-up, deal stalls, sales-marketing misalignment, and bad forecasting, companies can:

  • Close more deals without hiring more reps.
  • Improve revenue predictability and forecasting accuracy.
  • Create a seamless pipeline where marketing and sales actually work together.

Most companies don't need more leads—they need to optimize the way they handle the ones they already have.

If you're ready to fix revenue leaks and scale faster, take a hard look at these five areas. They might be the hidden bottlenecks holding your company back.

Want to Go Deeper?

If your company is serious about scaling revenue without the inefficiencies, let's talk.

Book a free strategy session with GTMpact to diagnose the biggest revenue leaks in your sales process.

Small changes can lead to big revenue growth—but only if you fix the right things.