Addition by Subtraction in Sales: How Saying No Helped Us Grow
Addition by Subtraction in Sales: How Saying No Helped Us Grow
We didn’t grow our catering sales by doing more—we grew by doing less. Here’s how saying no to small custom orders helped us focus, streamline, and finally hit our revenue goals in 2025.
The Power of No: How Doing Less Helped Us Grow More
There’s this idea that gets drilled into sales teams—and life, honestly—that the key to success is to just do more. Solve more problems. Make more calls. Send more emails. Hustle harder.
And that’s not entirely wrong.
But it’s not entirely right either.
At some point during 2024, our sales team fell into a pattern.
We were working hard—really hard. There was no shortage of effort, hustle, or willingness to go the extra mile. But despite all of that, we weren’t seeing the results we wanted. The numbers didn’t reflect the grind. The ROI just wasn’t there.
And the truth is, it wasn’t the team’s fault.
It was mine.
I had told them, “Be problem solvers.” And they listened. They followed my lead. But I hadn’t drawn a clear enough boundary around which problems were worth solving. So we ended up spending way too much time customizing small orders—chasing down every client request, trying to win deals that just weren’t big enough to justify the effort.
That realization didn’t come from a big strategy session or some expensive consultant.
It came from a simple team conversation.
We looked back on 2024 and asked ourselves:
What did we do well?
What should we keep doing?
And what needs to stop?
The answer was clear.
We were burning too much time and energy on orders under $2,000 that needed heavy customization. They were distractions—well-meaning ones, but distractions all the same.
So we made a decision:
No more custom orders under $2,000.
Instead, we created a value bundle for our more budget-conscious clients. It’s streamlined, efficient, and still delicious. It represents who we are. We stripped away a few of the gourmet flourishes, but kept the quality. Clients still win because they stay on budget, and their teams still feel cared for.
This shift wasn’t about lowering our standards.
It was about raising our focus.
We started saying no more often—strategically, intentionally, and without guilt. We sharpened our aim and decided to pursue clients who can spend $1,000+ per order and do it multiple times a year. That’s who we’re built for.
Now, here’s the kicker:
2025 didn’t start strong. January and February were down from 2024. But we held the line. We stayed focused. We had faith that saying no to the wrong work would eventually make space for the right work.
And it has.
We’re working smarter. Chasing better leads. Building momentum with the clients that matter most.
Because sometimes growth isn’t about doing more.
It’s about doing less—but doing it with clarity, conviction, and purpose.
Postscript:
April Update
As I’m writing this, we’re about to close out April with higher monthly sales than the same month last year—for the first time in 2025. Not only that, we’re on track to hit our full revenue goal. Proof that saying no more often is finally paying off.
📈 May Update
We had an even better month than April — and beat our 100% sales goal for May.
The team is starting to hum on all cylinders. You can feel it: energy is higher, delivery is tighter, and we’re building the kind of momentum that stacks wins month after month.
A good kitchen hums when everyone’s moving with purpose.
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