Executing Sales
HarvestBox was attracting interest. People attended workplace tastings, followed the business online, and asked Naledi Mokoena for more information.
But interest did not always become a sale.
Some potential customers requested a menu and never replied. Others tried one meal box but did not subscribe. A few workplace discussions continued for weeks without reaching a decision.
Naledi had been treating each situation separately. Once she mapped the complete sales flow, she began to see a pattern.
Following the Customer Journey
Naledi captured the typical journey for an individual customer:
Discover HarvestBox → Ask for information → Review the menu → Order a trial box → Receive the box → Choose whether to subscribe
At every stage, both HarvestBox and the customer needed to do something. The team needed to respond quickly, explain the offer, and deliver a good experience. The customer needed enough clarity and confidence to take the next step.
Naledi looked at the numbers and discovered that many people requested a menu, but only a small number ordered a trial box.
This was where the sales journey was getting stuck.
Finding the Friction
The team reviewed the message sent to each menu. It contained meal options, subscription packages, delivery details and several pricing choices—but no clear recommendation or next step.
Customers were interested, but they had to work too hard to decide what to do.
Naledi had assumed that offering more information and more choices would be helpful. Instead, it was creating uncertainty.
The problem was not necessarily the product or the price. It was friction in the sales flow.
Testing One Simple Improvement
Rather than redesigning the entire sales process, Naledi tested a small change.
The team created a simple trial offer with three meals, one clear price, and no subscription commitment. Every menu enquiry received a short message explaining the offer and a direct link to order.
They also followed up two days later with one helpful question:
“Would you like us to reserve a trial box for next week, or is there anything you would like to know first?”
More customers began moving from interest to trial. The team could then focus on the next stage: helping trial customers become regular subscribers.
Naledi learned that executing sales was not about pushing people through a process. It was about understanding what customers needed to feel ready for the next step.
As you map your own sales flow, ask:
- Where are customers slowing down or dropping away, and what may be causing the hesitation?
- What single change could you test to make the next step clearer or easier?
Your sales system does not need to be perfect. You simply need to see what is happening.
Once Naledi could see the journey clearly, sales stopped feeling random. Each conversation became part of a flow the team could observe, test and improve.
Sometimes, one small improvement in the right place is enough to create more conversations, better decisions, and real momentum.
Until next time, Instant Startup community!
