My Sales Struggles Turned Into Your Success Story

Welcome to another peek behind the curtain here at Kefford Consulting! I’m Edwin Kefford, your founder, and I’ve been navigating the wild world of sales for over 20 years. A year ago I started right here in Idaho with nothing but a desk, a dream, and a whole lot of determination. Today, I want to share a personal story about how my early sales missteps shaped the practical tips we now offer.

Let’s dive into some lessons learned, backed by real stats, and see how you can turn those lessons into wins with a little help from our ACT bot and community.

Back when I was starting out, I thought sales was all about flashy pitches and endless cold calls. I’d spend hours crafting the perfect script, only to watch deals fizzle out after a couple of tries. It was exhausting, and my pipeline felt like a ghost town!

Then, one quiet evening, I scribbled a what seemed like a trite note to myself: “Keep it simple, keep it real.” (Cringe, I know)

That moment changed everything. I began focusing on persistence and empathy. It turns out, 80% of sales need 5-12 touchpoints to close, yet 48% of reps give up after just two (HubSpot 2025). That stat hit me hard, and it’s why I built Kefford Consulting to save you that trial-and-error headache.

Here are a few practical tips from my journey that can boost your sales game:

1. Follow Up with Heart: I learned the hard way that a gentle nudge beats a hard sell. Personalize your follow-ups; like, “I recall your team’s focus on [pain point]—here’s a tip that helped me save 15 hours/week. What else is challenging right now?” Salesforce data shows this boosts response rates by 25%.

   
   

2. Use Free Tools Wisely: Early on, I couldn’t afford fancy software, so I leaned on free options like Google Sheets. Come to find out, 91% of buyers prefer personalized outreach (McKinsey 2025) so I started prompting free AI to craft emails in minutes and save 2-3 hours per lead.

   
   

3. Turn Objections Into Opportunities: I once lost a deal to a “budget” excuse, but bundling a free tracker with my pitch turned it around. Now I look for small value adds to help close. SPOTIO 2025 notes 60% of deals die after four objections; reframe with empathy for a 22% faster close (Gong data).

   
   

These lessons, refined over decades, are the heartbeat of our playbooks. They’ve helped clients achieve 20-30% uplifts, and I want that for you too! It might seem simple, but over time, it's easy to lose track of the little things that provide big results.

Create a free member account at keffordconsulting.com to chat with our ACT bot. It estimates your time and money savings, often revealing efficiency gains that surprise even seasoned pros. Inside, you’ll find exclusive content, including teaser playbooks on sales and more, plus our Unlimited Referrals program. Earn a $100 Visa reward for each successful referral you send our way. It’s my way of growing together, just like those early days.

What’s the toughest sales hurdle you’ve faced? Drop it in the comments. I’d love to hear your story and connect. You type, we ACT! 👇