By Dr Dave Schalow, PhD, CLU, ChFC, CFA, CFP

Part-Time Business Success | November 1, 2026

Sales can be discouraging when you treat every “no” as a verdict on your ability. It becomes easier to manage when you understand the relationship between your activities and your results.

That relationship is what I mean by the power of ratios.

START WITH A SIMPLE EXAMPLE

Suppose Maria makes four sales from ten qualified prospects. Her observed closing rate is 40%. A new salesperson makes one sale from ten, an observed rate of 10%.

If those rates held, Maria's ten prospects would produce four sales, while the new salesperson would need fifty prospects to produce five. These are hypothetical numbers, not a forecast. Prospect quality, the offer, timing, and sample size all affect the result.

The lesson is that activity and skill both matter. A beginner doesn't have to wait until every skill is polished before beginning useful work.

MEASURE THE RIGHT STEPS

Write down the stages in your own sales process. You might track qualified prospects, conversations, presentations, follow-ups, and completed sales.

Use consistent definitions. Ten names on a list aren't necessarily ten qualified prospects. Comparing two closing rates doesn't tell you much if one person counts every cold contact and another counts only completed presentations.

Look at enough activity to see a pattern, and use the numbers to ask better questions. Where do people lose interest? Which conversations lead to a next step? What happens after follow-up?

IMPROVE ONE SKILL AT A TIME

Possible areas to work on include:

• Finding more relevant prospects.
• Earning referrals.
• Listening and identifying the customer's needs.
• Explaining benefits clearly.
• Responding to concerns honestly.
• Asking for an appropriate next step.
• Following up as agreed.
• Serving existing customers well.

Choose the stage where an improvement would be useful. Practice, get feedback, and compare the results. More calls won't fix an offer that doesn't meet the customer's needs, and a polished presentation won't help if you rarely reach a suitable prospect.

BUILD A ROUTINE THAT SUPPORTS THE WORK

Attitude matters because sales includes uncertainty and rejection. Enthusiasm is helpful when it is supported by preparation, accuracy, and respect for the customer.

Read and listen to useful material, then apply what you learn. Plan the day before it becomes crowded with distractions. Protect time for the activities that create customer conversations and move appropriate opportunities forward.

Spend time with people who take their work seriously and are willing to share constructive feedback. Training, professional events, and experienced colleagues can expose you to better ways of working. Attendance alone isn't the improvement; application is.

USE THE NUMBERS AS FEEDBACK

The goal isn't to pressure every prospect into saying yes. It is to become more consistent at finding a good fit and helping the customer make an informed decision.

​Track your process, improve a specific skill, and review what changed. What you lack in experience today can become a clear plan for practice tomorrow.