Kellblog · Dave Kellogg
articleinsightPlease Don’t Scare the Children: Thoughts on a Delicate Reason to Split Off the New Business Team
6 October 2026Operations
Source excerpt
About KellblogSalespeople run on emotion. Bruising renewal conversations can erode the conviction they need to win new business. A delicate reason to separate land from expand and renew—and why confronting the brutal facts doesn’t require everyone to take the same daily beating.
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Apollo layer
What a founder can learn
Founder takeaway
Consider separating new-business sales from renewals when difficult renewal conversations repeatedly undermine the confidence and conviction needed to win new customers. Preserve transparency about churn and customer problems, but do not assume every salesperson must absorb those pressures firsthand each day.
Why it matters
Role design affects emotional performance as well as efficiency. Specialization can protect acquisition momentum while giving renewals focused ownership—provided customer feedback still reaches leaders and informs the product and sales story.
Relevant guides
Put it to work
Ask: Are renewal pressures making our new-business team more accurate and effective, or merely less confident—and how could we separate ownership without concealing customer reality?