I saw it happen again this week.
A founder blamed the market.
Another blamed competitors.
A third blamed “bad leads.”
They were wrong.
I was in a sales coaching session this week with Andrew Macfarlane.
One line stopped the room:
“You don’t have a sales problem. You have a clarity problem.”
It landed hard.
Most founders chase activity. More calls. More leads. More noise.
The real problem is simpler. And harder.
No clarity on your ideal client.
No clarity on which numbers matter.
No clarity on where leads come from, or go to.
No clarity on what’s working versus what looks busy.
Without clarity, sales are reactive. Inconsistent. Momentum-dependent.
With clarity, sales become intentional. Predictable. Powerful.
But here’s where most founders fail:
They see something working… and quit too soon.
Follow-up is the clearest example.
Most opportunities aren’t lost to competitors.
They’re lost because the follow-up stopped.
Not after one message. Not after two.
Somewhere between discomfort and ego, most founders quit.
Grant Cardone cites a stat worth noting: 80% of sales happen between the 5th and 12th contact.
Exact number doesn’t matter. The principle does.
Most people quit before it pays off.
Discipline is the lever.
Clarity is the anchor.
Without both, it’s just noise.
Then there’s speed.
The founder who responds first, asks better questions, follows up consistently, not aggressively; wins.
Speed without clarity = chaos.
Speed with clarity = serious advantage.
Then, Andrew dropped a metaphor that stuck with me:
“You’re the chip. They’re the seagull.”
The seagull circles. Desperate. Reactive. No plan.
The chip stays visible. Leads with value. Trusts the process.
A few other newsletters I pay attention to when I want sharp thinking on work, leadership, and decision-making:
In partnership with The Code
Learn how to code faster with AI in 5 mins a day
You're spending 40 hours a week writing code that AI could do in 10.
While you're grinding through pull requests, 200k+ engineers at OpenAI, Google & Meta are using AI to ship faster.
How?
The Code newsletter teaches them exactly which AI tools to use and how to use them.
Here's what you get:
AI coding techniques used by top engineers at top companies in just 5 mins a day
Tools and workflows that cut your coding time in half
Tech insights that keep you 6 months ahead
Sign up and get access to the Ultimate Claude code guide to ship 5X faster.
Takeaway
Most founders aren’t missing strategy.
They’re missing discipline.
They’re missing identity.
So the question isn’t about leads.
It’s about you:
Are you the seagull?
Or the chip?
One operates in hope.
One operates with intention.
Pick one lead today and follow up five more times than you normally would
Which one are you being today?
How Did This Edition Land For You?
With appreciation,
Chris
P.S. Thoughts on this edition? Reply and let me know. I welcome feedback and read every email.
