Sales Jet Lag: Seven Clear Signs Your Team Has It And How to Fix It Fast
Mark Roberts
Helping Manufacturing CEOs and Business leaders strategically Drive Explosive Growth in Revenue, Profits, and Shareholder Value for over 37 years. Leveraging data to drive results. Certified Scaling Up Coach
Does something in your sales results feel off today? Sales teams that once consistently grew sales 20% or more year over year for years are now struggling to meet last year’s sales results. You have led sales teams for years; something feels off today. What is happening, and more importantly, how can we fix this sales problem and get sales and profits back on track quickly? Your sales team is likely suffering from “Sales Jet Lag.”
What Is Sales Jet Lag—and Is Your Team Suffering from It?
In travel, jet lag happens when your body’s internal clock doesn’t match the current time zone.
Sales Jet Lag happens when your team is still selling like it’s 2018 ( or older) while today’s buyer has moved on.
Salespeople stuck in outdated sales habits feel tired, discouraged, and out of sync with what drives deals today. If your team’s close rates are dropping and they seem burned out, you might be dealing with this invisible performance killer: Sales Jet Lag.
What are the Seven Symptoms of Sales Jet Lag in 2025?
Here’s how to spot the signs that your sales team is stuck in the wrong time zone:
1. Sales Performance Key Metrics Below Goals
Sales growth goals are not being met, and profit per sale often declines.
Your average close rate has dropped.
The number of sales conversations turning to proposals has declined.
Key account organic sales are missing planned growth forecasts.
Your team lost one or more key accounts in the last six months.
2. Using Outdated Sales Tactics
If your reps are still pushing hard closes, cold-calling without personalization or market knowledge, or relying on canned scripts, they’re out of sync with buyer expectations. Modern buyers want insight, not pressure.
3. Lack of Digital Selling Skills
In 2025, professionally written emails, LinkedIn, and virtual demos will be core to the sales process. In every engagement, salespeople deliver something the decision makers value. Our Assessment data shows that top-performing salespeople have strong social selling skills today. If your team doesn’t know how to prospect, connect, or engage online, they’re invisible to today’s decision-makers.
4. Misunderstanding the Buyer’s Journey
Today’s B2B buyers do the majority of research before speaking with sales. If your sales reps treat the first call like an introduction, they’re already behind.
5. Underusing Sales Technology
CRM tools, automation platforms, and sales engagement software increase speed and efficiency. If your reps avoid tech or only use it for basic tasks, they’re slowing down your pipeline.
6. Slow Follow-Up Time
Response speed is a competitive advantage. Delayed follow-up or lagging deal progression shows your team hasn’t adjusted to the pace of modern buying.
7. Burnout and Low Motivation
Salespeople lose confidence when they use outdated strategies that no longer produce results. That leads to frustration, lower productivity, and eventually turnover.
You assessed the effectiveness of your sales team and found motivation and morale are at an all-time low.
One or more of your top performers left your team.
How Do We Fix Sales Jet Lag Problems and Sync with Today’s Buyer?
Start by helping your team understand that the buyer has changed—and so must your approach. This will set the foundation for mindset shifts and skill upgrades.
Offer coaching on digital sales techniques, consultative selling, personalized outreach, and using AI tools. Ongoing skill development is critical in a fast-moving market.
Refresh pitch decks, sales scripts, and discovery questions to reflect current challenges and buyer expectations. Focus messaging on value, not features and benefits.
Train reps to ask better questions, listen actively, and provide value in every conversation. Replace the pitch with a solution-oriented conversation.
Your top performers are likely already operating in the right time zone. Encourage them to share real success stories and strategies that reflect modern buyer behavior.
Track engagement, response time, deal velocity, and digital touchpoints—not just calls made. These modern sales KPIs better align with buyer behavior and help identify what’s working.
Conclusion: Reset Your Sales Team’s Internal Clock Before You Fall Further Behind.
Sales Jet Lag is real—and costly. It reduces your close rate, drains morale, and disconnects your team from your market. But with intentional training, updated tools, and a buyer-first mindset, you can bring your sales team back to the present.
Are your Salespeople suffering from sales jet lag?
Are your salespeople invisible to current and prospective customers?
Could your salespeople be using outdated sales processes and messaging?
Does your sales team need to increase close rates and gross profit margins?
Need help diagnosing Sales Jet Lag or updating your sales process for 2025?
Let’s talk. We specialize in helping sales leaders modernize their teams’ sales effectiveness.