Why Process-First Selling Is Costing You Sales (And What to Do Instead)

Sales teams today are more trained than ever.

They know the process.
They know the steps.
They know the scripts.

And yet, buyers are walking away.

At the International Builders' Show, Ryan Taft, founder of Impact Eighty-Eight, is challenging one of the most accepted beliefs in modern sales:

That tighter processes automatically lead to better results.

In reality, overly rigid, process-first selling is quietly eroding trust, connection, and confidence - the very things buyers need to say yes.

The Problem With Process-First Sales Systems

Most sales systems were designed to create consistency. And structure matters.

But when the process becomes the priority over the person, sales conversations start to feel:

• Scripted
  
  
• Transactional
  
  
• Rushed
  
  
• Robotic
  
  

Buyers can feel it immediately.

Instead of feeling guided, they feel managed.
Instead of feeling understood, they feel handled.

And when trust drops, conversion follows.

Why Well-Trained Sales Teams Still Struggle

One of the biggest misconceptions in sales leadership is that low conversion equals poor training.

In reality, many sales teams are doing exactly what they were taught—following the process step by step—while unknowingly pushing buyers away.

Rigid scripts, checklist selling, and forced transitions may look good on paper, but they often:

• Disrupt natural conversation
  
  
• Prevent real listening
  
  
• Undermine authenticity
  
  
• Create pressure instead of partnership
  
  

Salespeople stop being human guides and start sounding like systems.

A Better Way: Structure With Human Connection

In his IBS session, Ryan Taft flips the script on traditional sales systems—without throwing structure out the window.

This isn’t about abandoning frameworks.
It’s about using them correctly.

By blending structure with real human connection, sales teams can:

• Build trust faster
  
  
• Increase buyer confidence
  
  
• Create natural momentum in conversations
  
  
• Reignite passion for selling
  
  

When buyers feel heard, valued, and understood, they don’t resist the process—they lean into it.

What This Session Will Help You Do

Ryan’s session is packed with real-world stories, mystery shop insights, and practical examples pulled directly from the field.

You’ll learn how to:

• Identify overly processed behaviors that quietly hurt trust
  
  
• Recognize how scripts and rigid systems lower conversion rates
  
  
• Balance structure with authenticity in every sales conversation
  
  
• Help salespeople find their own voice instead of hiding behind scripts
  
  
• Restore confidence, connection, and credibility with today’s buyers
  
  

This is advanced, practical insight designed for leaders and sales professionals who want results and not theory.

Be sure to add Ryan’s session to your IBS agenda! 

Tuesday, February 17 | 8:15 - 9:15 AM

OCCC - West 315A