Why Sales Teams Underperform: Mario Hernandez on Trust as the Missing Ingredient

In a recent LinkedIn post, Mario Hernandez delves into the common reasons behind sales team underperformance, arguing that the issue often lies not with the salespeople themselves, but with the environment and conditions they are placed in. Hernandez contends that many companies fail to acknowledge this fundamental truth, leading to misguided strategies for improving conversion rates.

Hernandez highlights a critical disconnect between the resources provided to sales teams and the expectations placed upon them. He points out the typical scenario:

“Companies hire talented salespeople… Then give them: • Cold leads • Zero trust • No context • No relationship history • No signal of urgency And expect them to magically close at 20%.”

According to Hernandez, the core problem is not a lack of sales acumen but rather a flawed operational environment. He contrasts this with a more effective approach:

“Warm introduction from a trusted operator • Buyer already educated on the problem • Trust transferred before the first call • Internal credibility already established • Need already validated”

This stark contrast, Hernandez explains, leads to a significant jump in close rates, not due to a change in the salesperson’s skills, but because the foundational conditions for success have been altered. “The environment changed,” he asserts.

The Environment vs. The Individual

Mario Hernandez argues that the prevailing focus on improving conversion rates often overlooks the foundational elements that enable conversions in the first place. Companies, in his view, frequently resort to tactics that offer diminishing returns.

As Hernandez notes, these common, yet often ineffective, strategies include:

• Hiring more Sales Development Representatives (SDRs)
• Increasing outbound sales volume
• Purchasing additional software tools
• Boosting advertising spend

He posits that these efforts, while seemingly proactive, bypass the most impactful factor: the establishment of trust before a sales conversation even begins. “Most companies are trying to improve conversion rates… Without improving the conditions conversion depends on,” Hernandez writes.

The Power of Pre-Positioned Conversations

Hernandez emphasizes that the most effective revenue systems are not built on the arduous task of convincing complete strangers. Instead, he advocates for strategies that allow sales professionals to enter conversations with a degree of pre-existing credibility and trust.

“The best revenue systems don’t rely on convincing strangers. They rely on entering conversations already pre-positioned.”

This is where partnerships and established relationships become invaluable. According to Hernandez, they offer a more sustainable and efficient path to sales success.

Partnerships as a Trust Multiplier

Hernandez draws a direct parallel between the effectiveness of partnerships and the limitations of cold outbound strategies. He explains that partnerships allow for the leveraging of existing trust, a resource that is incredibly difficult and time-consuming to build from scratch through cold outreach.

“You borrow trust instead of manufacturing it from zero,” he concludes, underscoring the strategic advantage of entering the market through channels where trust has already been cultivated. This approach, he suggests, is a key differentiator for high-performing sales operations.