Episode 45

Fixing Sales Before It Bleeds You Dry

Sales problems rarely start loud. They build quietly through messy processes, wishful thinking in the pipeline, the wrong people in key roles, and pricing that no longer makes sense.

Maartje van Krieken is joined by Nicholas Loise, the founder of Sales Performance Team, to discuss what really drags sales down, and what it takes to turn things around. He shares a practical framework built around four core elements: process, pipeline, people and pricing. Each one either helps move deals forward or quietly holds them back.

Are your salespeople chasing deals that were never real? Is your team structured for speed or stuck in the wrong roles? Are you undercharging without realizing it? Nick tackles these questions head-on and explains why pipeline management isn’t just about tracking numbers but about telling the truth.

They also explore how AI is changing the shape of B2B sales strategy, especially in fast-moving or complex environments. But as Nick points out, automation can’t replace good judgment or clear communication.

If you’re feeling the pressure to hit numbers or just want a clearer view of what’s working, this episode offers a lens on sales performance optimization, and a few ideas you may not have considered.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Sales Performance Warning Signs

01:04 A Framework for Fixing Sales: The 4 Ps

02:46 Pipeline Management and AI Tools

04:32 Pricing Challenges and Missed Opportunities

06:42 External Shifts Impacting Sales Strategy

10:30 How AI Is Reshaping B2B Sales

16:44 Sales Roles and Team Structure Issues

19:28 Communication Breakdowns in Sales Teams

23:37 Why Outside Perspective Matters

Links

Connect with Nicholas Loise:

www.salesperformanceteam.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasloise/


Nicholas Loise is the founder of Sales Performance Team and a seasoned sales leader, entrepreneur, and marketing executive. With a track record that spans Presidents Club wins, keynote stages, and private equity-backed ventures, Nick focuses on helping small to midsize businesses improve their sales processes, systems, and playbooks.

He’s the author and creator of several sales education programs, including Sales Mastery and No BS Guide to Direct Response Marketing. Nick has shared the stage with leaders like Dan Kennedy, Russell Brunson, and Barbara Corcoran, and has taught marketing at North Park University and the Computer Science Institute.

Nick launched Sales Performance Team after leading sales at GKIC-Magnetic Marketing, where he saw firsthand how many businesses struggle to build and manage effective sales teams. He brings a clear, no-fluff approach to helping business owners close gaps and drive results.


Connect with Maartje van Krieken:

https://www.thechaosgamesconsulting.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/maartje/

https://maartjeturnschaosaround.substack.com/


Host Maartje van Krieken is a crisis strategist and decision-making expert who thrives in high-stakes business environments. Combining disaster management training, hands-on experience in global industries, and leadership skills honed as a seasoned sailor, she helps businesses navigate chaos with precision. Whether tackling transformation, scaling challenges, or leadership bottlenecks, Maartje delivers actionable insights to turn turbulence into traction. 



Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

About the Podcast

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The Business Emergency Room Podcast
Triage, Tools & Tactics to recover from or prevent business chaos in this VUCA business environment

About your host

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Maartje van Krieken

Maartje van Krieken is a crisis strategist, executive consultant, and your at host of The Business Emergency Room podcast, where growing businesses go when things get messy. With a career that began in frontier oil and gas and spanned war zones, boardrooms, and billion-dollar pivots, Maartje has spent over two decades helping organizations steer through chaos and come out stronger.
Now through her consulting firm, The Chaos Games, Maartje works with medium-sized businesses, especially those scaling rapidly or navigating uncertainty, to diagnose breakdowns in leadership, collaboration, and decision-making before they become business emergencies. Her signature approach blends practical triage, people-first strategy, and blunt Dutch honesty to help teams realign fast.

​The Business Emergency Room delivers high-impact insights for business leaders, board members, and investors who are tired of the symptoms, disconnection, friction, paralysis, and want the tools to fix what’s really going wrong. Maartje’s episodes cut through fluff with stories, frameworks, and metaphors that turn even the most complex chaos into something leaders can act on.
Maartje is based in New Orleans and speaks regularly on navigating organizational storms, building business resilience, and turning reactive firefighting into proactive leadership. Whether you’re scaling a business, running a team, or dealing with dysfunction, The Business Emergency Room is the place to find straight talk and smarter tools.