How to know if you have a sales problem or an offer problem so you can fix it fast

This blog has been written to help business owners quickly find out if low sales are because of a weak sales process or a weak offer. You’ll learn how to spot the difference easily and fix the right problem fast.

Introduction

A lot of people get confused when their sales start to fall or start to stay flat. Then they start asking themselves where the issue is. Whether it is the offer? salespeople? Or with the pricing?

And most of them, when they don’t clearly identify where the issue was, they end up guessing and fixing things that were not even bad in the first place. This wastes their time and destroys something that was even working well.

See, most of the times, sales stops growing because of just two reasons. One is when the product/service is good, but the way it is sold isn’t turning enough people into buyers. This is a sales problem.

But when the sales method is good, but customers don’t feel enough value or excitement to be interested in it, then that is an offer problem.

When you start confusing whether you have a sales problem or an offer problem, that is when problems start to arise.

You end up wasting energy and time on fixing the wrong thing, and no matter what, sales won’t improve, as you are not even fixing what’s broken.

So to help you out, I have written this blog with the exact steps to identify if you have a sales problem or an offer problem so that you can quickly fix what’s really causing the issue and get back into the game.

Why do you need to identify the right problem immediately?

I understand that when sales drop or stay stuck at the same level, you panic and try changing things in order to fix it somehow. Reducing prices, re-training the sales team, or adding new features, you end up trying everything.

But there is a big problem with that. If you do not know where the hole is, you will always be guessing, and until you keep fixing things that are not broken, the leak will always be there, unfixed. Guessing the wrong problem can also create other serious problems.

In the beginning, it might seem harmless, but as time passes, you realise it has hurt your business in ways you could not even fathom. Let me tell you a few ways how this problem can affect you and your business:

• It wastes your money and time as you keep changing the offer when the problem is in the sales process, or you keep changing the sales process when the problem is in your offer.
• Your team gets tired and frustrated trying to adapt to the constantly changing sales method or offer, and without seeing any improvement in sales. It demotivates them heavily and ends up making them doubt their abilities.
• Your customers get confused about what you sell, and end up trusting you less. That’s because one day, you will be offering something else, and on another day, you will start offering something else. The more changes you make, the more problems it creates.
• You fall behind your competitors, as they spot where the problem is, and fix it clearly, while you chase solutions that don’t help. You fall behind even if you have a better product/service.
• Your growth completely slows down as you end up trying to fix things that are not broken and don’t fix the thing that is broken. This slows down your progress, kills your momentum, and makes recovery harder even after you realise the right mistake.
• Your confidence drops drastically as you start doubting yourself because even after changing multiple things, nothing has improved. This hits your motivation harder than you think, hence making running your business feel even harder for you.

The simple truth is that guessing is expensive, tiring, and dangerous, as it slowly weakens your business from within.

And the quicker you correctly spot whether you have a sales problem or an offer problem, the faster you can make the changes needed and be on a growth momentum again.

So, before you make any more changes or get confused on what to do, read this step-by-step method to identify which kind of issue you have and how to quickly fix it.

A step-by-step method to find what’s actually killing your sales

Now that you know why it is important to identify your problems correctly, it’s time for you to understand how to spot them. Because until you don’t understand how you can spot it in your own business, all of this will just be theory for you.

So let me now break down the exact steps that you need to follow to find out what’s really hurting your business without any confusion or stress.

Step 1: Track the funnel numbers (don’t guess)

Before you try anything, first get clear about the numbers. Because data can tell you things that guesswork can’t. Nothing else matters except real numbers because that will clearly and accurately tell you where people are dropping off.

Your goal now is simply to extract numbers that show you whether people are not interested at all, which will be an offer problem, or people are interested but not converting, which will be a sales problem.

Once you get to know that, it will become much easier to understand what genuinely needs fixing. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Check how many people are landing on your offer page

Start by finding out how many people are coming to your landing page, as that will tell you whether people are getting interested in your offer or not.

Go to your analytics dashboard, whether Google Analytics, your landing page builder, Shopify, whatever you use, and look at the page views. If you are not yet tracking it, that’s a very big mistake.

Because trying to fix something in your funnel without knowing how many people are dropping in, is like being blindfolded and running your funnels.

2. See how many people are actually showing interest

Now check the number of how many people clicked on the CTA, as this will show how many people were ready to get converted.

Check this in your Meta or Google ads dashboard, your funnel builder, or install Hotjar, Clarity, or a basic link tracker. Anything that shows you who clicked what

3. Count how many people actually bought

Now, finally, check how many people got converted. Go to your payment gateway or CRM and pull the number of completed purchases.

Once you have all three of these numbers, simply put them all together and try to diagnose. Let me show you an example so that you understand this even better.

Suppose 1000 people visited your landing page, out of which 300 clicked on the CTA, and 6 people bought. That means you have a 30% interest rate and a 2% conversion rate.

So it shows that your hook was strong, as people showed interest, but your sales game was weak, whether in pricing, pitch, or follow-ups. So the problem is in the sales process, and not the offer.

This is why this is the first step, as it will help you exactly pinpoint where the drop is happening so that you can focus on that area where the focus is genuinely needed.

This is how you would be moving from guessing to diagnosing. By looking at the numbers, you won’t be shooting in the dark, but you will be fixing the right thing with supreme confidence.

Step 2: Look at the first reaction (the offer hook)

So now you’ve tracked your funnel numbers and figured out where the drop is happening. If people are clicking but not buying, that’s a sales problem. But if people aren’t even clicking, then you’ve got an offer problem.

And the fastest way to spot it is by testing the one thing that decides whether people even care to read more, which is the hook. Because the truth is, most offers don’t fail because the product is bad. They fail because the first impression doesn’t make anyone care.

People see the headline, feel nothing, and bounce. So, before fixing your price or your features or your checkout flow, first fix this. Let’s break it down.

1. Show it to 5 people who’d actually consider buying it

Pick people who fit your audience. Not your cousin, not your coworker. Reach out to past customers, LinkedIn connections in your niche, Facebook group members, or people from relevant online communities.

If you sell a CRM for freelancers, show it to freelancers. You want feedback from someone who’d realistically spend money on this, not just give you “nice” reactions.

This matters because only buyers can tell you if the offer feels like a must-click or not. Randoms will say “yeah, cool” and move on. Buyers will tell you if they’d actually care.

2. Don’t give any background, just show the top section

No pitching. No explaining. Just drop the link or open the page and ask them to read the headline, subheadline, and price. That’s what a cold lead sees. And that’s all they’ll use to decide whether to scroll.

This matters because in real life, you don’t get to sit beside your leads and explain. You’ve got five seconds to hook them or lose them.

3. Ask one question: “Would you be interested in this? Why or why not?”

Don’t lead them. Don’t rephrase. Just ask this exact thing. Their answer tells you everything. If they hesitate, say “maybe,” or look confused, then that’s your sign. If they say, “Actually, yeah, sounds useful,” that’s your other sign.

This matters because now you’re not guessing what works, but you’re seeing it directly. You’re hearing their doubts before they hit your real funnel. Now, make sure you write down exactly what they say word for word.

Don’t just note the gist. Write the exact words. If they say, “I don’t get what this is,” or “sounds cool but not sure if it’s worth it,” that’s the raw data you need.

This helps you fix the hook. If they don’t get it, you need to make it clearer. If they’re kind of interested but unsure, you know it’s not urgent or specific enough. And boom, now you’ve got the truth.

If the hook doesn’t make people say, “That’s exactly what I need,” then you’ve got an offer problem. And that’s the first thing you need to fix. Not your checkout page. Not your script. Fix the first impression. Because if that doesn’t work, the rest doesn’t matter.

Step 3: Check your sales message (the bridge)

So you’ve confirmed that the offer is solid. People are stopping. They’re curious. They’re clicking. But they’re still not buying. That means the offer isn’t the problem. The problem is in how you’re explaining it.

Because what most people miss is that getting attention is only step one. The real work is turning that attention into action. That’s what your sales message is supposed to do. It’s the bridge between “This looks interesting” and “I need to buy this now.”

So if people are coming but not converting, this is where to look. Let’s break it down step by step.

1. Read your full pitch out loud, exactly how a buyer would

Pull up your sales page, your VSL script, or whatever pitch you’re using and read the whole thing out loud, start to finish. Not in your head. Out loud. Because when you hear it like your buyer would, you catch what’s clunky, what drags on, and what doesn’t make sense.

You’ll spot the dead zones where people might be zoning out or clicking away. This matters because buyers don’t finish reading things that confuse them. They scroll fast. You’ve got to hold their attention the whole way through.

2. Ask yourself: Is it 100% clear what I’m selling?

Sounds basic, but you’d be shocked how many pitches ramble for 2 pages before telling the reader what they’re even buying. Fix this first. In the first 10–15 seconds, the buyer should know:

• What is it?
• Who is it for?
• What does it help them do?

If that’s not obvious right away, they’re gone. No one sticks around to solve a riddle.

3. Check: Am I actually solving their problem, or just listing features?

Go line by line and ask: Does this sentence talk about a feature? Or does it talk about what that feature does for the buyer?

People don’t care that your course has 8 modules. They care that they’ll finally feel confident posting content. Or closing deals. Or getting clients. This matters because features don’t sell. Outcomes do.

4. Look for proof, as it’s the trust builder

You can say all the right things, but if there’s no proof, it won’t land. That’s because over 95% of consumers say that testimonials play a huge role in their buying decisions. Ask yourself:

• Have I shown someone else succeeding with this?
• Have I shared any real numbers, screenshots, or stories?
• Would I believe this pitch if I saw it for the first time?

If the answer is no, you need to add proof. Fast. This helps remove doubt and makes the buyer think, “Okay, this actually works.”

5. Handle the objections before they come up

Don’t wait for the buyer to wonder if it’s too expensive, or too hard, or not meant for them. Bring it up first. For example: “Worried this won’t work if you’re just starting out? Here’s why it still will.”

This matters because when people still have unanswered questions in their heads, they won’t buy. But when you say what they’re already thinking and answer it, they trust you instantly. And once you’ve gone through all this, now fix what’s weak.

Also, make sure you use simple language that a 12-year-old could understand. Because if someone feels confused, unsure, or overwhelmed, they’re out. But if they feel seen, understood, and guided, now they’re in.

And boom, just like that, your pitch stops being a nice story and starts being a conversion machine. You didn’t even need to change your offer. You just fixed the bridge.

Step 4: Test the irresistibility (offer stack)

So now your offer is grabbing attention. Your pitch is making sense. People are clicking through and reading. But still, not enough are buying. That means there’s one more thing you need to check, that is: does your offer feel like a no-brainer?

Because the truth is that people don’t always buy the best product. They buy the offer that feels like it gives them the most value. If your offer looks “nice,” they’ll keep thinking about it. If it looks “too good to ignore,” they’ll take action now.

This step is all about stacking your offer in a way that makes them feel like they’re getting a crazy deal, even if the core product stays the same. Let’s break it down.

1. Ask the only question that matters: “Would 10 out of 100 say yes instantly?”

Not after thinking. Not after a call. Instantly. Would 10 out of 100 people from your audience look at this offer and feel, “I need this right now”?

If yes, great. If not, then you’ve got an offer that might be good, but not irresistible. And “good” doesn’t convert. Urgency and emotion do.

2. List everything they actually get

Write it down on paper. Every single thing included in the offer:

• The main product or service
• Any bonuses
• Support or guidance
• Guarantee or refund policy
• Delivery timeline or access duration

Now look at that list and ask, “Does this look exciting on paper?” If it just looks like a course with some videos and a support call, it won’t convert. You need to stack value that they can feel.

3. Include one quick win that works in 24–48 hours

Buyers love instant payoff. Even if your main result takes weeks, give them one small thing that delivers a win in a day or two. It could be:

• A script that gets replies today
• A tool that shows instant insights
• A checklist that gives clarity in minutes

This gives them momentum. It makes them feel the win immediately, and once that happens, they’re in.

4. Use real scarcity, but don’t fake it

If you have limited seats, an early-bird bonus, or a timer on the page, great. Use it. But make sure it’s real. Scarcity builds urgency, but fake scarcity kills trust. So if it’s limited to the first 20 buyers, stick to it.

6. Make the return feel obvious

Show how this saves them money, makes them money, or saves time, and use real examples like “One cold email using this script could book you a ₹20K client.” That’s how you flip the conversation in their head from “Can I afford this?” to “I can’t afford to miss this.”

Now, at last, read the whole thing out loud and ask yourself honestly, Would I buy this? Read it like a first-time visitor. If you don’t feel excited, if your gut says “It’s okay, but not amazing,” then it’s not done yet. You want your brain to say, “Damn, this feels like a steal.”

Because that’s the feeling you’re selling, not just the product. And once your offer is stacked, you’re not just selling something. You’re giving them an unfair advantage. That’s when they stop thinking and start buying.

Step 5: Review the close (call to action & friction)

You’ve done all the hard stuff. The offer is solid, the message is working, people are reading, but then they just vanish at the last step. That’s not always a problem with the offer.

Sometimes, people genuinely want to buy, but something in the last 10 seconds blocks them. And that’s what this step is for.

Because the best pitch in the world means nothing if your checkout feels confusing, slow, or risky. This is where you clean up every last bit of friction and make the CTA (Call to Action) impossible to ignore. Let’s walk through it.

1. Go through the entire journey like a first-time visitor

Literally start from zero. Click on your ad, land on the page, and scroll through like someone who just found you. Try buying for yourself. Look for anything that feels off:

• Does the CTA button blend in or stand out?
• Is there a moment where you pause and wonder, “What happens next?”
• Are there too many steps or forms before the payment goes through?

Even a 3-second delay or one extra field can break the flow. So don’t assume it’s “fine.” Test it like you’re allergic to friction.

2. Make your CTA button clear and punchy

This is what tells people what to do and why to do it now. But most sites just say “Submit” or “Next.” That’s lazy. Your CTA should answer two things, which are what am I doing? & what do I get when I do it? That adds clarity, urgency, and motivation, all in one.

3. Cut every piece of unnecessary friction from checkout

Buyers are already halfway sold. Don’t make them jump through hoops. Shorten the form. Remove the account creation. Fix mobile bugs. Speed up the load time. Here’s what to check:

• Are you forcing them to sign up before buying? Don’t.
• Is the form asking for stuff you don’t even use? Cut it.
• Is the page working smoothly on mobile? If not, fix it.

If someone wants to give you money, make it feel like one smooth motion, not like filling out a loan application.

4. Reassure them right before they click

The CTA button is where most hesitation builds. So right above or below it, remind them what they’re getting and what happens next. For example: “Your order will be confirmed by email. We ship within 24 hours.”

This sounds small, but it removes the mental doubt that makes people stall. And when that’s gone, they click faster. And when your CTA is sharp, the checkout is smooth, and people know exactly what they’re stepping into, they’ll stop hesitating and start converting.

Most people ignore this step. But this is where warm leads either go cold or turn into cash. Clean it up, and you’ll unlock sales you didn’t even know you were losing.

Step 6: Run a simple split test (offer vs. sales)

You’ve fixed the offer, cleaned up your pitch, and removed friction, but still, something feels off. Sales are slow. People aren’t converting. And now you’re stuck asking the one question every marketer hates: “Is my offer weak… or is my sales process broken?”

This is where most people spiral. They keep tweaking things randomly. One day it’s the headline, next day it’s the bonus, and after 3 weeks, nothing improves. That’s why this step matters.

Because when you’re not sure what’s broken, you don’t guess, but you test. You put both parts to the test and let the data give you a straight answer. Let’s break it down.

1. Choose one traffic source and split it cleanly

Start with traffic that’s already working. It could be your Instagram swipe-up, Meta ads, email list, wherever. Then split that traffic in two. One group sees version A. The other sees version B.

But the key is to only change one thing at a time. Keep budget, audience, and time of day, all of that the same. That’s how you get clear results without noise.

2. First, test if the offer is the issue

Take your exact same landing page and swap the offer. Version A = your current offer (product + basic bonuses). Version B = the same product, but with stronger bonuses, urgency, better stack, clearer positioning

You’re not changing the sales pitch. Just making the deal feel more valuable. Now watch the numbers. If Version B gets more sales, the problem wasn’t how you were selling, but it was what you were offering. You just made it feel like a no-brainer.

3. Next, test if the pitch is the problem

Now, keep the offer the same, but rewrite your sales pitch. Version A = current sales page or email. Version B = same product, but a rewritten version of the pitch

You can do this in landing pages, call scripts, ad copy, and even DM outreach. Doesn’t matter where, as it just needs to test the angle, not the offer. If the new version gets more sales, your offer was fine all along. You just weren’t explaining it the right way.

Just remember that for this, you don’t need fancy tools, just a clean test. This doesn’t require complicated setups. Here’s how you can do it right now:

• Send two different emails to the same list on the same day
• Post two ads with different pitches to the same audience
• Build two pages with the same product but different offer stacks or angles

Run both for a few days. Then check the clicks, the replies, or the purchases. You’ll know exactly what’s working and what’s not. And once you do this, there’s no more guessing. You’ll know if the issue is the offer or the pitch.

Step 7: Decide and fix

You’ve done all the heavy lifting. You’ve tracked the numbers, tested the hook, reviewed the pitch, strengthened the offer, optimized the close, and even run split tests. Now you finally know what’s not working. And this is the step where most people mess it up.

They spot the problem, but instead of fixing it quickly, they stall. They overthink. They try to fix ten things at once. Or worse, they start rebuilding the entire funnel from scratch. That’s not the goal here. The goal is to find the one thing that’s broken, fix it fast, and go live again.

1. Revisit what the earlier steps told you, and label the core issue

Go back through your numbers and patterns:

• Was the problem at the top of the funnel (people not interested at all)? That’s an offer problem.
• Was the problem after people showed interest but didn’t convert? That’s a sales problem.

Be honest. Don’t try to blur the line between the two. It’s either an interest problem (your offer isn’t exciting enough) or a conversion problem (your pitch isn’t convincing enough). That clarity tells you exactly where to focus.

2. If it’s an offer problem, fix what you’re selling (not just how you describe it)

Here’s the method to strengthen your offer:

1. Clarify who it’s for and what result it gives. Write a one-liner that answers: “This offer is for [who] who want to [achieve what specific result].” If that sentence feels vague or generic, your positioning is weak. Refine it until anyone reading it instantly knows whether it’s for them or not.
2. Make the value stack feel unfair in their favor. List out everything they get, whether main product, bonuses, support, or delivery. Now ask, “Is this more valuable than what I’m charging?” If the answer isn’t a hard yes, add something that either makes it faster, easier, safer, or more personal to implement. That’s how you tilt the value.
3. Add a clear transformation. Describe life before your product and after. Use emotional language. Ask yourself, “Will someone reading this feel like it can change something in their life or business?” If not, rewrite until they do.
4. Price-to-value test. Ask, “If I didn’t know me, would I feel like this is worth it at this price?” If it still feels like a stretch, work on the value. Don’t rush to discount, but boost the perception.

3. If it’s a sales problem, fix how you’re selling, not the product

Now look at how you’re explaining the offer:

1. Walk them through a clear structure. Check your pitch or page and ask: “Does this go in order?” It should start with the pain, show the solution, prove that it works, and then invite action. If any part feels out of order or missing, rearrange the flow.
2. Handle doubts before they even ask. Write down the top 3 reasons someone might hesitate. Then scan your pitch, are those objections addressed? If not, plug the gaps. Add specific answers right where those doubts are likely to pop up.
3. Add proof where belief might break. Anywhere you’re making a promise, ask, “Do I back this up with evidence?” If not, add testimonials, screenshots, case studies, or product walkthroughs. People trust what they can see.
4. Test your CTA and checkout. Click through the entire path like a buyer. Ask:

• “Is the button clear?”
• “Is anything making me stop or hesitate?”
• “Is the buying process smooth on mobile?”

Fix anything clunky, slow, or vague. Especially near the payment step.

Go live again with only that one fix. Once you’ve fixed the right thing, rerun the same funnel, the same ads, the same emails, don’t rebuild from scratch. Just push traffic back through with the new version. Then watch what changes.

You’ll know immediately if the fix worked. If it did, double down. If not, test the next weak point. But keep it focused, one variable at a time. And just like that, you’re not stuck anymore. You’re not fixing blindly or rebuilding everything. You’re fixing with purpose.

This is how real funnel improvements happen, not with random redesigns, but with fast, focused moves that actually get results.

Conclusion

Now it should be clear to you that when sales are low, the answer isn’t to randomly tweak everything and hope it works. The key is to first figure out whether the problem is in your offer or in how you’re selling it.

Once you know that, fixing it becomes simple. You’re no longer guessing. You’re making smart, focused changes that actually move the needle.

Now you have a step-by-step system to find the real issue fast and fix the exact part that’s holding your sales back. No more confusion. No more trial and error. Just clarity, action, and results. Stop guessing and start diagnosing because your sales fix is just one clear step away

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

1. What if I have both a weak offer and a weak sales process?

That’s possible, but the smart thing is to fix one at a time. Start by tracking your funnel numbers like I explained in Step 1. If no one’s clicking or showing interest, fix the offer first. If people are interested but not buying, fix the sales pitch. Once one is working well, you’ll start seeing what else still needs improvement. Don’t try to fix everything at once. Fix one, test, then move to the next.

2. Should I always run a split test before changing anything?

Not always. If the problem is obvious, like nobody is clicking at all, you don’t need a test to know your offer needs work. But if you’re unsure whether it’s the offer or the pitch, and both look decent, then a simple A/B test will save you weeks of confusion. It’s a tool to get clarity fast, not something you have to do every time.

3. How do I get honest feedback on my offer if I don’t have an audience?

You don’t need thousands of followers to test an offer. You just need 5–10 real people who fit your target audience. Join Facebook groups, DM past leads, ask in forums, show them the offer (just the headline, subhead, and price), and ask, “Would you be interested in this? Why or why not?” The feedback you get from even 5 serious prospects is worth more than guessing based on 5,000 strangers scrolling.

4. What if people are buying, but not as many as I expected?

That usually means you don’t have a big problem, but something’s still underperforming. Go back to Step 1 and track the funnel numbers. If your interest rate is high but conversions are low, tighten your pitch. If interest is low, make the offer stronger. Even a small bump at the right step can double your results. Don’t settle for “some sales” if your funnel has room to grow.

5. I’m selling in DMs and calls. Does this still apply to me?

100%. In fact, it matters even more. Because if you’re selling 1-on-1, you get real-time feedback from your audience, and that’s gold. If people show interest but stall on the price, that’s likely a sales issue. If people hear the offer and aren’t even curious, that’s an offer problem. Use your calls as live data. Track the reactions, objections, and drop-off points just like you’d track funnel numbers.

6. What if I’ve already changed everything and nothing worked?

Then most likely, you’ve been fixing the wrong thing every time. This blog is built to stop that cycle. Start again, this time with Step 1: track the funnel numbers. Don’t guess. Don’t change what’s already working. Just find the drop-off point and fix only that. When you follow a system, you stop wasting time and finally start fixing what actually matters.