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The faster the sales process, the faster the revenue growth. 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. Don’t make scheduling harder than it should be
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.
The fix
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. The easier prospects can book, the faster sales can move.
Why it works
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.
Pro tip: Don’t forget to include automated reminders for the meeting. They’ll cut down on no-shows and keep everyone on track.
Dig deeper: How to align sales and marketing for revenue growth
2. Assign leads right away (seconds, not minutes)
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. By the time someone gets to them, they’re already looking at your competitor. Ouch.
The fix
Automate lead assignment in your CRM (think HubSpot, Salesforce or whatever you’re using). 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. And if you’re using automation, double-check that it’s working correctly — there’s nothing worse than a lead slipping through the cracks because of a tech hiccup.
Why it works
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.
Pro tip: Add a notification system that pings the assigned rep as soon as the lead is routed. Fast action makes all the difference.
3. Answer the questions prospects are too afraid to ask (but are silently thinking about)
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?”
These unanswered doubts can stall or even kill a deal before it really gets started.
The fix
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. And don’t forget to highlight real-world success stories — when framed well, they’re like kryptonite for indecision.
Why it works
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.
Pro tip: Use customer feedback to regularly update your content. Trends and questions change, so your materials need to keep up.
Dig deeper: How to optimize sales and marketing processes for efficient customer acquisition
4. Follow up fast — like, really fast
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.
The fix
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, help your sales teams by creating polished, ready-to-use follow-up templates. These should align with your brand voice and be customizable for different prospect types. Also, work with sales to ensure your CRM integrates perfectly with tools that make this process efficient.
Why it works
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.
Pro tip: 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.
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.
The fix
Streamline your tech stack. Use all-in-one platforms, like HubSpot for example, to keep everything — CRM, proposals, e-signatures and onboarding — in one place. If that’s not an option, at least integrate the tools you’re using so they play nicely together. And 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. Plus, marketing can work closely with IT or operations to make sure integrations don’t break the flow.
Why it works
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.
Pro tip: Audit your current stack with your sales team. Identify redundancies or gaps and fix them before they cost you more deals.
Dig deeper: How embedding BDRs into marketing can boost your sales
Bonus: Keep a friction journal
We said five tips, so that’s what we shared — but there are many more ways to grease the skids, as they say. But you must be a keen observer and document what you’re seeing.
I love to keep a friction journal — or notes and records of any time I hear about something taking longer than they should or when a customer pauses or ghosts or when notes don’t get in the CRM due to something with an SDR habit or environment.
You’ll eventually see patterns to address!
Final thoughts
These steps might seem straightforward (or, in some cases, obvious), but the impact is huge when you take the time to implement them. It’s amazing how often I’ve talked to leaders who acknowledge what we’ve shared here but are not consistently doing the work.
By tackling these friction points, you’ll speed up sales and create a better experience for everyone involved.
Dig deeper: 7 ways to end the sales and marketing Catch-22
Contributing authors are invited to create content for MarTech and are chosen for their expertise and contribution to the martech community. Our contributors work under the oversight of the editorial staff and contributions are checked for quality and relevance to our readers. The opinions they express are their own.
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