The Comfortable Discomfort of Sales Transformation
Why Changing the Game Starts with Ditching the Couch
Welcome to the paradox of sales transformation, where everyone agrees something needs to change… as long as it doesn’t make them too uncomfortable. Think of it like upgrading from your favorite, sagging couch to a standing desk. One promises better long-term health and performance. The other? Well, it just feels better right now.
That’s where most sales organizations are stuck: wanting progress, resisting discomfort.
The Familiarity Trap
Let’s be honest. Sales teams are creatures of habit. The current process may be clunky, inefficient, or outdated, but at least it’s familiar. We know how it works (or at least how to work around it).
But today’s buyers have changed.
83% of the B2B buying process now happens without a seller involved. Buyers are doing their own research, comparing solutions, and narrowing options long before a rep is looped in. If your sales approach still relies on outdated tactics and bloated tech, you’re showing up to a digital-first race on a La-Z-Boy.
The Unsettling Truth
So, what do companies do when they realize the game has changed? They throw tools at the problem. Tech stacks swell and SWELL. Training programs multiply. And transformation initiatives are launched…again.
And yet, satisfaction remains low. Only 29% of Chief Sales Officers say they’re happy with their current sales tech stack. At the same time, $130 billion is poured into learning and development each year. Only 25% of it is considered effective.
The issue isn’t wanting to transform. It’s continually confusing activity with impact.
New tools don’t fix broken processes. Training events don’t fix cultural misalignment.
It’s like buying a state-of-the-art treadmill and wondering why you’re not getting fitter when it’s still in the box.
Why Transformation Feels So Hard
Here’s the kicker: most transformation efforts don’t fail because people hate change. They fail because they’re already maxed out.
76% of sales managers still carry their own quota leaving little room to coach their teams through transformation. And when only 32% of their time is spent managing people, behavior change doesn’t get delayed, it gets ignored.
Transformation often shows up as more work – meaning more meetings, more systems, more complexity. But real change doesn’t come from piling more on. It comes from building better into what already exists. It’s about simplifying, streamlining, and supporting people while they do the work not after.
Finding Comfort in Change
Successful organizations are the ones that understand this key distinction:
Efficiency is about speed. Effectiveness is about outcomes.
It’s not about doing more. It’s about doing what works.
Too many transformation programs fall apart because they don’t go far enough or they go in the wrong direction. Seventy-five to eighty percent of transformation initiatives fail. Sales leaders, who average 18–24 months in their role, rarely have time to fix what’s broken before being replaced.
And those big-name sales methodologies everyone talks about? Few companies ever see lasting success. Not because the method doesn’t work, but because the follow-through doesn’t.
BETR Believes in Small Bets, Big Shifts
We help teams evolve by designing small bets, not noise. We focus on effectiveness, not activity. We coach in real time, prioritizing behavior, not buzzwords.
BETR believes in smart sequencing, embedded coaching, and accountability. Because transformation doesn’t have to be loud. It just has to work.
Ready to Get Uncomfortable?
Let’s ditch the sagging sofa and build something stronger. Something that supports your team, and fuels growth, now and in the future.
If you’re done spinning your wheels on “transformation” and ready to actually transform, we’re here. BETR was built for it.