Business owners tell me all the time, "We're getting leads, but we're not getting any sales." I get it. You're paying for marketing and the bank account isn't moving.
So I sat down with my friend Mark Torbett to dig into it. Mark lives in Draper and has spent almost 10 years in merchant processing. Before that, he ran a tree removal company through the '90s and eventually built and sold a million-dollar business in 2006. He's an old-school guy who still calls people and shows up at their business in person.
We put it all in a video called "Sales Tips for Business Owners Who Struggle to Close." I'll walk through the biggest lessons below, but I'd really encourage you to watch the whole thing. Mark's stories hit harder when you hear them from him.
Key Takeaways
- If you're getting leads but no sales, first check whether anyone is calling them.
- Fear is usually what stops people from picking up the phone, and you can get past it.
- How you sound on the first call matters as much as what you say.
- Expect rejection. Mark counts on a yes somewhere in every 10 to 12 nos.
- Follow up longer than feels normal. Mark approached one business owner about 12 times over three years before he signed.
1. Call the Lead Right Now
Before we hit record, I watched something I wish every business owner could see. A lead came through to Mark's phone. He looked at it and said, "Let me just call." Then he did, right there. They ended up talking for about 15 minutes.
Mark is one of our clients at Fiture Marketing, and we send him leads. He's a breath of fresh air for us because he calls them. Then he tells us, "Hey, I got an appointment with this guy tomorrow."
We also have clients where we generate tons of leads and they tell us they're not getting appointments. Then we find out they're not calling the leads at all.
Someone who fills out your form is raising their hand, and the longer that lead sits, the colder it gets. If you're getting leads but not closing, start here. Look at how fast someone is actually picking up the phone.
2. Be Honest That the Real Problem Is Usually Fear
I asked Mark why he thinks so many people are afraid to call. His answer was simple: "They're just scared."
He told me about his wife, who's smart and great in business. If you asked her to go out on the streets of Salt Lake City and knock on doors for deals, Mark says she "would rather die than do something like that." She's never had to do it, so she doesn't have the tools.
A lot of business owners are in the same spot. You're great at what you do, and selling it over the phone feels awful. So the leads sit there.
Mark put it in perspective for me:
"Worst case, they're gonna tell you no, and I've been told no my whole life."
Mark Torbett
These people asked to hear from you. As Mark put it, they're not going to bite.
3. Open With Confidence
When nervous people call a lead, Mark says you can hear it right away. "Hey, hey, this is… Mark…" They stumble, and the person on the other end picks up on it. His fix is to go in with confidence.
When Mark called that lead, he said who he was and reminded the guy that he'd reached out. He said it like of course they were going to talk. Then he went straight into his questions, and the guy answered right along with him.
Mark admitted he was nervous on that call, and this is a guy who can talk to anyone. What got him through was focusing on the person on the other end. He believed he could really help that man and his family.
Believing in what you sell is where that confidence comes from. If you know you can help, say so like you mean it.
4. Do the Rejection Math
Mark has been hearing no for decades, and he's made peace with it. The way he sees it, about 80% of people say no, and the 20% who say yes are enough to make the whole thing worth it. He gets even more specific:
"Out of every 10 to 12 nos, I'm gonna get a yes."
Mark Torbett
He used to carry a pad and pen when he walked into businesses. When someone turned him down, he'd write down their name and tell himself something like, "John said no thanks. You're my 11th guy." Then he'd walk next door expecting that business to be the yes.
Mark also leans on mentors when it gets rough, including his brothers, who do the same work he does.
Watching Mark work, two things stand out to me. He has an extremely abundant mentality, so he believes opportunities are everywhere. And he has a kind of faith in what he's doing, a belief that it's all going to work out. If you struggle with rejection, those are the two things I'd work on.
5. Follow Up Longer Than Feels Normal
Before we started recording, Mark told me about a business owner right off I-15 who took about three years to sign. Mark approached him somewhere around 12 times. He just kept showing up.
Mark kept going that long because he doesn't get involved with things that don't work for people, and he knew he could help this guy.
He's honest that it isn't glamorous. Picture 7 a.m. in February with snow everywhere. He gets out there anyway, and he even bought a four-wheel-drive truck so the weather couldn't stop him.
It's easy to stop after a lead says "let me think about it." But timing changes, and Mark's story shows what can happen when you're still around when it does. If you believe you can help someone, keep following up well past the point where it feels comfortable. A real follow-up system makes that a lot easier to keep up.
6. Build the Skill With Practice
When I asked Mark whether he was just born with the ability to knock on doors, he said no. "I don't think I was born with that gift." He says it came from doing it.
He grew up watching it. His parents were hustlers, and his dad spent 55 years in the car business. In college, Mark played soccer, coached soccer, worked at Subway and raked leaves door to door. "Hey, I wanna rake your leaves." That's all he knew how to do.
Around 1992 or 1993, he and his brother didn't have jobs. His brother showed up one Saturday, borrowed the ladder out of Mark's garage and said they were going to knock on doors and clean gutters. Mark thought he was kidding. He wasn't. They each came home with about $800 that day. That led to a tree removal company Mark ran through the '90s, and eventually to a million-dollar business he built and sold in 2006.
He still gets nervous sometimes, and he's been doing this for decades. That should take a lot of pressure off. Reps are what build the skill. Make the calls, get comfortable, and it gets easier.
Sports came up a lot in our conversation too. Mark played soccer for about 45 years, and we both think competing teaches you to find value in losing. A loss shows you what not to do next, and that carries straight into sales.
7. When One Way Stops Working, Try Another
Mark used to be able to walk into a strip mall and visit 13 businesses in an hour. He might walk out with one sale and a couple of maybes.
Then he spent about two and a half years recovering from knee operations, and when he came back, his industry had shifted. So many people were doing the same thing that businesses were getting tired of people walking through their doors. For the next nine months to a year, he kept getting turned away.
So he turned to social media to reach people. That's how we started working together. He just got his first sale from the new leads, and he's still putting in the work.
The tactic that worked five years ago might not work today. When that happens, find where your customers are now and meet them there.
Marketing Is One Thing. It's Not the Entire Picture.
At the end of our conversation, I told Mark something I believe completely. We own a marketing agency, and marketing is one thing, but it's not the entire picture. Once you get a lead, you've got to know what to do with it.
The clients we work best with are people like Mark, who understand what to do once a lead comes in. The hard ones are business owners who won't step outside their comfort zone. We hand them 100 leads, people who said they want to talk, and they don't call. Or they don't follow up. That's an opportunity on a silver platter, and it goes to waste.
If you're getting leads but no sales, figure out where they're getting stuck before you buy more. Sometimes it's the follow-up. Sometimes the ads are bringing in the wrong people, which I covered in how to attract better clients.
Want More of Your Leads to Turn Into Sales?
Fiture Marketing is a Utah marketing agency that runs lead generation campaigns and sets up the follow-up that turns those leads into customers.
Our free strategy call includes a full audit of your ads and marketing. We'll look at what's bringing leads in and where they're falling off, and give you an honest read on what to fix first.
Book Your Free Strategy CallAnd if you haven't yet, watch "Sales Tips for Business Owners Who Struggle to Close." Mark's energy alone is worth it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why am I getting leads but no sales?
The most common reason I see is that the leads aren't getting called fast enough, or at all. After that, it's usually weak follow-up or a nervous first conversation. Sometimes the ads are attracting the wrong people. Look at your last batch of leads and figure out where each one stopped.
How fast should I respond to a new lead?
As fast as you can. Mark called a lead the moment it hit his phone and talked with him for 15 minutes. The longer a lead sits, the colder it gets.
How do I get over the fear of calling leads?
Start by remembering the worst case. They say no, and you move on. Practice makes it easier, and so does believing in what you sell. Even Mark still gets nervous, and he's been doing this for decades.
How many times should I follow up with a lead?
Probably more than you think. Mark approached one business owner about 12 times over three years before he signed. If you know you can help, keep showing up respectfully.
What are the best sales tips for business owners?
Call your leads quickly and open with confidence. Expect rejection and follow up longer than feels normal. Above all, treat selling as a skill you build with practice.