The SmartBusiness? Academy

Seems like every time I visit a business, I get a request for feedback (and typically, a review) Texts, emails, calls…it never ends! Most businesses say they want feedback. The real question is: Are they actually listening? Too often, feedback is collected, skimmed, and forgotten. ?? Good companies do more than gather feedback—they act on it. And the best ones? They share that information publicly to show their commitment to continuous improvement of their customer experience. ?? Here’s how you can turn customer feedback into a revenue-driving advantage for your biz: 1?? Make It Easy to Give Feedback If customers have to hunt for a survey link or send a formal email, they won’t bother. Build feedback into the experience: Post-sale, after service interactions, or in automated follow-ups. Encourage responses with one-click ratings, quick polls, or short “What could be better?” forms. 2?? Look for Patterns Over Complaints One bad review? It happens. The same issue showing up again and again? That’s a red flag. Analyze support inquiries, FAQs, and online reviews—what small frustrations keep surfacing? ?? Our study found that 48% of buyers walk away if they have to repeat themselves. ?? If your feedback reveals that customers are frustrated with slow response times, confusing processes, or unclear pricing—fix it. 3?? Close the Loop—Show Customers Their Feedback Matters Ever fill out a survey and wonder if anyone even read it? Show your customers you do. If feedback leads to a change, tell them. (“Thanks to your input, we’ve made checkout even easier!”) Showing that you’re listening builds trust—and trust leads to loyalty. ?? Bottom Line: If your customers are telling you what’s frustrating them—and nothing changes—you’re losing them. ?? What’s one piece of feedback that changed the way you do business? Let’s talk in the comments! ====== ???? I’m Leslie, your strategic sales coach. If you suspect customer feedback is revealing hidden roadblocks in your sales process, let’s talk. DM me, and I’ll help you turn insights into action that drives revenue.

Thursday Truth: If your sales process feels like work, customers won’t complain—they’ll just leave. We ran a study to understand why buyers abandon purchases, and the results were eye-opening: ?? 45% of buyers walk away if the process has more than 3 steps. ?? 48% of buyers say having to repeat themselves makes sales feel like hard work. Bottom Line… ? Simple = More Sales ? Seamless = Higher Conversions ? Clear Next Steps = More Yeses ?? The BS Our brains are wired to conserve energy. When faced with complexity or too many decisions, it triggers cognitive overload. The brain’s response? Avoidance. ?? How it plays out in sales: ? Too many steps? The brain tunes out. ? Unclear pricing? The brain hesitates. ? Too much information at once? The brain defers the decision (a.k.a. never comes back). ?? When a process feels simple, familiar, and predictable, the brain rewards it with confidence and action. ?? The businesses that win in 2025 will be the ones that prioritize ease. ?? What’s a frustrating sales process that made you walk away? Drop it in the comments! ====== ???? I’m Leslie, your strategic sales coach. If you suspect your sales process is quietly costing you customers, let’s talk. DM me, and I’ll help you pinpoint what’s working—and what’s pushing buyers away.

Ever get halfway through ordering something online and just…give up? I do. Last month I was on the road, hungry, trying to order dinner. I found a restaurant with a great takeout menu, and I was excited to try it. ?? So I pressed “Order Now”. And then… ?? The friction started. ? The website wasn’t mobile-friendly. ? I had to click into each item just to see what was included. ? No clear pricing until I got to checkout. ? The ordering process was clunky, with too many steps. I could have pushed through. I could have figured it out. But I didn’t. I was too hungry to invest any more time in the process no matter how great the food was. Instead, I ordered from a place I’d been to before. One where I knew the menu was easy, the ordering was seamless, and I could place my order in seconds. The reality? Customers don’t always choose the “best” option—they choose the easiest one. ?? Our research backs this up: ?? 45% of buyers walk away if the process has more than 3 steps. ?? 48% say having to repeat themselves makes sales feel like work. And this happens with every purchase decision. If buying from you feels like work, your customers won’t complain. They won’t tell you what went wrong. They’ll just leave—and buy from someone else. ?? Brands that win make it effortless to say yes. ?? When was the last time you walked away from a purchase because it felt like too much work? Share in the comments! ====== ???? I’m Leslie, your strategic sales coach. If you suspect friction in your sales process is quietly costing you customers, let’s talk. DM me, and I’ll help you pinpoint what’s working—and what’s pushing buyers away.

It’s not always the big things that drive customers away. Often, it’s the little frustrations—the ones businesses don’t even notice. ?? Think about it: A confusing checkout process. A slow response to an inquiry. A website that makes you dig for answers. The ‘runaround’ when trying to get help. Individually, they seem minor. But together? They quietly kill sales. Here’s how to spot and fix the small details that can impact your bottom line: 1?? Identify "Micro-Frustrations" in Your Customer Journey ?? Where do customers hesitate or abandon the process? ?? Are there places where you get a lot of requests for help? ?? What complaints keep coming up in reviews or support inquiries? ?? If customers are asking the same questions repeatedly, there’s a gap you need to fix. 2?? Remove Unnecessary Steps ?? How many clicks does it take to buy? ?? Do they have to repeat themselves to different contacts? ?? Can they get basic pricing info without jumping through hoops? ?? Simplify. If it doesn’t add value, it’s adding friction. 3?? Speed Matters—Audit Your Response Times ?? How quickly do you reply to inquiries? ?? Do customers get connected to the right people to answer their questions the first time? ?? Are follow-ups happening consistently? ?? Slow response time = lost sales. 4?? Make Every Interaction Feel Seamless ?? Do your website, sales process, and follow-up align with your brand promise? ?? Are customers getting a consistent experience across touhpoints? ?? Are you making it easy for them to trust you? ?? Inconsistency erodes confidence. The best brands make every interaction feel effortless. ?? Bottom Line: Customers rarely say, “This was too frustrating, so I’m leaving.” They just leave. If you’re not actively removing friction, you’re quietly losing sales. ?? What’s a tiny frustration that’s made you walk away from a business? Drop it in the comments so we can all learn! ====== ???? I’m Leslie, your strategic sales coach. If you’re ready to pinpoint and eliminate the small details that are costing you customers, let’s talk. DM me, and I’ll help you optimize every step of your customer journey.

Thursday Truth… Customers don’t just buy the best product. They buy the easiest option. It’s about more than what you sell—it’s about how easy you make it to buy. ?? Think about it: ? People aren’t just buying coffee from Starbucks—they buy speed, consistency, and convenience. ? Customers don’t just buy iPhones for the features—they buy the seamless, intuitive experience. ? Amazon isn’t just about the products—it’s about one-click purchases and instant trust. And the brands that lose? They’re creating friction. Unclear next steps. Clunky purchase processes. Too many forms before you even get to see pricing. ?? Here’s the BS: We process decisions through two key systems… 1?? The Emotional Brain: Does this feel easy? Am I confident in my choice? 2?? The Logical Brain: Do I have all the information I need? If something feels hard, uncertain, or requires too much effort, the brain says “skip it” and moves on. The businesses that remove friction and make buying effortless will outsell those that don’t—every single time. ?? Agree or disagree? Let’s talk in the comments! ====== ???? I’m Leslie, your strategic sales coach. If you’re ready to turn more leads into sales by making the buying process effortless, let’s talk. DM me, and I’ll help you pinpoint where you’re losing customers—and how to fix it.

The easier you make it to buy, the more people will. But I’m getting ahead of myself… I was online shopping for a new pair of glasses and found a site that seemed perfect. It let me complete an in-depth analysis to find the right styles for my face shape and color preferences—it even did a 3D scan of my face! Impressive, right? I was excited to see my personalized recommendations. ?? Then, the roadblocks started. Before I could see my results… ? I had to enter my email. ? I had to provide more information about the type of glasses I wanted. ? Finally, I had to upload my prescription—before I even knew if I’d like the recommended glasses! At that moment, I felt stuck. I had already invested time in their fancy, AI-driven experience. But instead of giving me instant value, they put friction between me and my decision. Could I have given them my email? Sure. Could I have completed the process? Absolutely. But I didn’t. ?? I didn’t leave a complaint. I didn’t start a chat for help. I didn’t give feedback. I just left. And I found another site where I could: ? Virtually try on the glasses in seconds. ? Answer a few simple questions to refine my choices. ? Get immediate recommendations. Boom. They were in my cart. Oh—and they also offered a 30-day, no-questions-asked return policy. ?? The lesson? Customers don’t want to “work” to buy from you. If it’s easier for them to walk away than to figure it out, they will. ?? Have you ever abandoned a purchase because the process felt like too much effort? Drop a comment—I want to hear your story! ====== ???? I’m Leslie, your strategic sales coach. If you suspect friction in your customer journey is quietly costing you sales, let’s talk. DM me, and I’ll help you pinpoint what’s working—and what’s pushing buyers away.

Asking for a friend…?? Ever wonder why the most captured person on your Ring camera is the Amazon driver, or how Apple makes spending $1,000 on a new iPhone feel exciting instead of stressful? ?? It’s no accident—it’s science. ?? The best brands design their customer journey to feel effortless. And the good news? You don’t need a billion-dollar budget to do the same. ???? ?? Here’s how to apply brain science and big-brand strategies to make saying “YES” easy for your customers: 1?? Reduce Decision Fatigue The brain is wired to avoid complexity. If something requires too much effort to understand or too many choices to make, we abandon it. ? Make it easy to buy: Minimize unnecessary steps, limit overwhelming choices, and use clear, simple messaging. ??Our recent study showed 45% of buyers abandon purchases if there are too many steps. 2?? Create a Predictable Path Amazon’s “Buy Now” button works because there’s zero friction—customers know exactly what will happen next. ? Takeaway: Your sales process should be so clear that customers never have to ask, “What’s next?” If they have to guess, you’re losing them. ?? 48% of buyers we surveyed say having to repeat themselves makes the sales process feel like hard work. 3?? Make It Feel Personalized Apple’s customer experience feels exclusive and tailored—even when millions of people buy the same product. ? Takeaway: Personalization = perceived value. Whether it’s custom recommendations, proactive support, or remembering customer preferences, small details build trust. 4?? Eliminate Risk & Build Trust Why do people buy from Amazon without hesitation? Because they trust they can return anything if it doesn’t work out. ? Takeaway: Reducing risk increases conversions. Guarantees, social proof, and seamless support remove hesitation and push customers toward “yes.” ?? Bottom Line: If your customer journey feels effortless, intuitive, and trustworthy, people buy faster and with confidence. If it feels clunky, overwhelming, or uncertain, they hesitate—or walk away completely. ?? What company do you think has an effortless sales experience? Drop it in the comments below so I can check them out! ====== ???? I’m Leslie, your strategic sales coach. If you’re ready to remove friction from your customer experience and turn more leads into sales, let’s talk. DM me, and I’ll help you optimize your process for growth.

Truth: Your product or service isn’t the only thing customers are buying. They’re buying the experience. They’re buying how easy you make it to work with you. They’re buying whether they feel valued every step of the way. ??Sales doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Every single touchpoint—before, during, and after the sale—either builds trust or breaks it. ? Your website loads too slowly? Customers are already forming an impression. ? Your sales process is clunky? They start second-guessing. ? Your follow-up is inconsistent? They wonder if your service will be, too. ?? Here’s the BS: (you know I have to! ??) Our brains are wired to make split-second decisions based on trust signals. If something feels disjointed, slow, or inconsistent, the brain flags it as a risk and we retreat. If the experience is smooth, clear, and aligned, the brain relaxes and moves toward "yes." ??You could have the best offer in the world, but if your customer experience creates friction, you’re losing deals before they even happen. ?? The brands that win in 2025 will be the ones that understand—Everything Speaks. ?? Agree or disagree? What’s one small detail that’s made or broken a deal for you? Let’s discuss in the comments! ====== ???? I’m Leslie, your strategic sales coach. If you’re ready to remove friction from your sales process and optimize every touchpoint for revenue growth, let’s talk. DM me, and I’ll help you uncover what’s working—and what’s costing you sales.

A client came to us frustrated. They had a great product, a strong team, and solid marketing, but they weren’t seeing the returns they expected from the leads coming in. They assumed the issue was lead quality or sales objections. We dove in and found the real problem was hidden inside their customer experience. ?? By secret-shopping their sales process. Here’s what we found: ? Too many steps before a decision could be made. ? Customers had to talk to multiple people before getting a proposal, having to repeat their story several times. ? Follow-ups were inconsistent, and questions were often left unanswered. It wasn’t their product. It was the friction in their process. We worked with them to simplify their sales cycle. ? We cut out redundant steps that slowed things down. ? We streamlined the handoff process so customers had a consistent contact. ? We optimized follow-ups so leads didn’t slip through the cracks. ?? The result? They cut their sales cycle in half. They closed deals faster, and customers were happier—because the buying experience felt effortless. ?? The lesson? Sales is about more than what you offer. It’s about how easy you make it to say yes. ?? Have you ever made a small change that had a big impact on sales? Drop your story in the comments! ====== ???? I’m Leslie, your strategic sales coach. If you’re wondering whether friction in your process is costing you customers, let’s talk. DM me, and I’ll help you identify what’s working—and what’s slowing you down.

Most businesses spend a lot of time perfecting their product or service. (Been there! ????♀?) Here’s the real question: Does your customer experience align with your brand promise? The bottom line? Everything speaks. Everything. From the first email a customer receives to how they’re greeted on a call… From the sales process to how you handle complaints… From the speed of your response to the ease of working with you… Every single interaction is shaping their decision to buy, stay, or leave. ?? So how do you know if your customer journey is helping—or hurting—your revenue? ?? Here’s how to audit your customer experience to make sure it aligns with your brand promise: 1?? Map the Entire Customer Journey Write down every single step a prospect or client takes from first interaction to purchase to retention. Where do they first encounter your brand? How easy is it to take the next step? Where are they dropping off? 2?? Secret Shop Your Own Business Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Visit your website—Is it easy to navigate? Send a contact form—How long does it take to get a response? Call in with a question—Is your team helpful and aligned with your brand? 3?? Collect Customer Feedback (And Actually Use It) Your customers are already telling you what’s working and what’s frustrating them. Are you listening? Look at reviews, testimonials, and support requests. Identify patterns: Where do people feel confused, frustrated, or pleasantly surprised? Ask a simple question: What’s one thing we could do to make your experience better? 4?? Fix the Gaps & Optimize Touchpoints Now that you’ve uncovered the weak spots, fix them. Are emails too slow? Streamline response times. Is onboarding clunky? Simplify it. Are there inconsistencies in how customers are treated? Train your team to deliver a seamless experience. ?? Bottom line: If your customer experience isn’t intentional, consistent, and aligned with your brand, you’re losing revenue—and probably don’t even realize it. ?? When was the last time you audited your customer journey? Share something you learned in the comments. ==== ???? I’m Leslie, your strategic sales coach. If you’re ready to fine-tune every touchpoint to drive more revenue, let’s talk. DM me, and I’ll help you uncover what’s working—and what’s costing you sales.