Insights from the ISP Round Table

Procrastination is a common challenge in sales, but what really drives it—and how can sales professionals and leaders address it? At our recent ISP Round Table, held this month, our panel explored the deeper causes of procrastination in sales, from fear of failure to unclear priorities and discussed practical strategies to keep sales teams focused and productive.

 

Key Takeaways:

🔹 Procrastination isn’t just about poor time management—it often stems from fear, confidence issues, and misaligned priorities.

🔹 It can damage trust and credibility, ultimately impacting sales performance and results.

🔹 A supportive environment, coaching and well-aligned incentives can help overcome inaction and drive better outcomes.

 

Thank you to our panel for sharing their insights:

Niamh Moynihan (Better Workday)
Christopher Capon FF.ISP (Westfield Health)
Kathryn Mead (UCAS)
John Tunstall (Sales Achievement Solutions)
Matt Spencer F.ISP (Govsell Services)
Andrew Eckert (Oasys Software)
Guy Lloyd (ISP – Host)

 

Key Observations:

Procrastination is multi-faceted. It extends beyond poor time management.  Contributors include inefficiencies in engaging prospects, fear of impacting pipeline, aversions to performing certain tasks, initiating too many tasks and poor multi-tasking are complicating factors.

• Procrastination, not getting things done, impacts trust and credibility of salespeople.
• Procrastination is often linked to a lack of confidence or fear of losing a deal.
• Fear of failure and hesitancy with promoting new products also contribute to procrastination.
• Lack of clarity from leadership can contribute to inaction as well as improper incentivisation.

 

 Conclusions:

Setting clear expectations and establishing a supportive environment will reduce procrastination and delays in getting things done.  Coaching and understanding personal motivations help identify underlying drivers for procrastination.

Aligning rewards with individual emotional drives helps tackle procrastination.

A supportive environment that encourages experimentation and learning, recognising the complexity and challenges of professional sales will reduce procrastination and thus improve results.

 

Questions explored:

 What does procrastination look like in sales?

• Why do salespeople procrastinate?
• What is the impact of procrastination on the individual, team and organisation?
• What steps can a salesperson take to overcome procrastination?
• What can managers do to manage procrastination in sales teams?