How to Fix a Broken Sales Process with Dean Nolley (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 886)
Many business owners know something is off in their sales, but they wait until growth stalls or declines before seeking help. By then, the problems have usually deepened. In this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray sits down with Dean Nolley, founder of Sales Growth Imagination, to explore how companies can rebuild their sales process before it’s too late.
Dean shares the patterns he sees across B2B companies of all sizes: missing sales structure, underused CRMs, founder bottlenecks, and a lack of meaningful sales activity tracking. He explains why a solid sales process is not just a set of steps but a system that connects strategy, people, and technology in a way that supports long-term growth.
Dean also breaks down what makes a sales process repeatable, how to make CRM dashboards actually useful, and how to shift from reactive fixes to proactive leadership. Whether you’re doing all the selling yourself or struggling to scale a sales team, Dean offers a roadmap grounded in experience, not theory.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is produced by John Ray and North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, and is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
Key Takeaways from this Episode
- Most companies wait too long to address sales issues, often after growth has already stalled or reversed.
- A missing or undocumented sales process is one of the most common and costly problems.
- Founders who stay in the sales role too long become a bottleneck for growth and scalability.
- Many businesses have CRMs in place but fail to use them effectively, especially for forecasting and accountability.
- The right sales process connects strategy, people, and tools in a way that drives consistent results.
- A repeatable sales system makes onboarding new reps faster and reduces dependency on individual talent.
- Tracking lead indicators—early-stage activities—is essential for long-term revenue health.
- A working CRM should reflect what matters most to owners, whether that’s gross margin, deal velocity, or pipeline strength.
- Dean’s approach involves hands-on implementation, not just advice—he builds systems that last beyond his engagement.
- Fixing sales is not about chasing quick wins. It’s about laying the groundwork for sustainable, confident growth.
Topics Discussed in this Episode
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
01:47 Meet Dean Nolley: Sales Growth Expert
02:48 Dean’s Journey: From Kodak to Sales Consulting
06:27 Common Sales Challenges and Solutions
11:03 The Importance of CRM and Sales Processes
19:53 Hiring and Managing Sales Teams
26:18 Success Stories and Client Testimonials
31:19 Closing Remarks and Additional Resources
Dean Nolley, Sales Growth Imagination
Dean Nolley is a senior sales leader with more than 30 years of experience driving business growth and profitability. He has an impressive record of scaling up sales teams and improving revenue for organizations of all sizes.
With his collaborative approach, Dean structures partnerships for mutual success and a shared sense of accomplishment. His experience includes corporate leadership, a Silicon Valley start-up, and multiple VC/PE-backed portfolio companies, while starting and successfully selling his own company, Digital Imagination.
Thus, Dean is walking down memory lane with supporting small businesses, as he has successfully walked the walk as a small business founder and owner. Dean has certifications in OMG (Objective Management Group), CSL (Certified Sales Leader), and AI Certified (Business Transformation, AI in the Sales Process, and AI Sales Tools).
Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio
Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, with over $17 billion in assets and more than 180 banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services offices throughout the region. All of Renasant’s success stems from each banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way to better understand the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.
Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter) | YouTube
Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio
If you’re a law firm, medical practice, or manufacturer, there’s one headline you don’t want to make: “Local Business Pays Thousands in Ransom After Cyberattack.” That’s where Beyond Computer Solutions comes in. They help organizations like yours stay out of the news and in business with managed IT and cybersecurity services designed for industries where compliance and reputation matter most.
Whether they serve as your complete IT department or simply support your internal team, they are well-versed in HIPAA, secure document access, written security policies, and other essential aspects that ensure your safety and well-being. Best of all, it starts with a complimentary security assessment.
Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube
About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray
With over 880 episodes and having featured over 1,300 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in our community like no one else. We are the undisputed “Voice of Business” in North Fulton!
The show invites a diverse range of business, non-profit, and community leaders to share their significant contributions to their market, community, and profession. There’s no discrimination based on company size, and there’s never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates businesses by sharing positive stories that traditional media ignore. Some media lean left. Some media lean right. We lean business.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. John and the team at North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, produce the show, and it is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
The studio address is 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.
You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.
John Ray also operates his own business advisory practice. John’s services include advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their value, their positioning and business development, and their pricing. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as consultants, coaches, attorneys, CPAs, accountants, bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.
John is the national bestselling author of The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices.
