Why do organizations invest billions of dollars in sales training every year while win rates and quota attainment continue to disappoint? In this episode of Sales [UN]Training, Kelly Riggs examines the biggest reason traditional sales training fails to produce meaningful, lasting results.

Follow the audio podcast and watch OR listen wherever you are: https://linktr.ee/salesuntraining

Kelly explains why one-time seminars, kickoff meetings and information-heavy training sessions rarely create new habits. Simply exposing salespeople to new concepts isn't enough. Real improvement requires repetition, coaching and consistent reinforcement that helps sales professionals apply new skills in real customer conversations.

The discussion also explores why modern selling is far more complex than following a scripted presentation. Every buyer, opportunity and sales conversation is different, making adaptability one of the most valuable skills a salesperson can develop. Kelly outlines why sales managers must spend less time acting as the "super salesperson" and more time developing their people through intentional coaching.

You'll also hear a practical coaching process that sales leaders can begin using immediately, including how to prepare before customer meetings, observe without taking over during sales calls and conduct effective post-call coaching conversations that reinforce learning.

If you're a Sales VP, sales manager or business leader looking to improve quota attainment, increase win rates and develop a stronger sales culture, this episode provides practical ideas you can put into action with your team right away.

Stop relying on training events alone and start building a coaching culture that creates confident, adaptable salespeople who continue improving long after the training session ends.

Kelly Riggs is an author, speaker, and business consultant for executives and companies throughout the United States and Canada. He has written two books: 1-on-1 Management: What Every Great Manager Knows That You Don't and Quit Whining and Start SELLING! A Step-by-Step Guide to a Hall of Fame Career in Sales.

Get more Kelly: www.BizLockerRoom.com.

Widely recognized as a powerful speaker and performance coach in the areas of sales, management leadership, and strategic planning, Kelly is a former sales executive, a two-time national Salesperson-of-the-Year, a business owner, and a member of the Forbes' Coaches Council since 2019.

Music and Editing by Pod About It Productions @dougbranson

Sales managers love dashboards, reports, and KPIs—but are they measuring the numbers that actually improve performance?

Follow the audio podcast and watch OR listen wherever you are: https://linktr.ee/salesuntraining

In this episode of Sales [UN]Training, Kelly Riggs uses an unexpected comparison to the NFL to explain why some statistics predict success while others simply record history. Looking at championship football teams, Kelly identifies the key performance indicators coaches prioritize and shows how those same concepts apply to sales leadership.

You'll learn why managing lagging indicators and activity metrics often produces disappointing results, and why a structured sales plan creates a much stronger foundation for consistent growth. Kelly also explains how common sales "turnovers" cost organizations deals every day, why advancing qualified opportunities through the sales process is similar to converting third downs, and how improving your "red zone efficiency" can dramatically increase win rates.

The conversation also explores one of the biggest mistakes sales organizations make inside their CRM systems: bloated pipelines filled with opportunities that have little chance of closing. Kelly shares practical guidance on identifying high-value opportunities, eliminating wasted effort, and helping salespeople spend more time pursuing business that meaningfully impacts revenue.

Whether you're a sales VP, sales manager, or business owner responsible for coaching a team, this episode provides a fresh framework for evaluating performance, developing better coaching habits, and focusing your organization on the metrics that truly influence results.

If you've ever wondered which sales numbers deserve your attention—and which ones are distracting your team—this episode offers a practical perspective you can put to work immediately.

Kelly Riggs is an author, speaker, and business consultant for executives and companies throughout the United States and Canada. He has written two books: 1-on-1 Management: What Every Great Manager Knows That You Don't and Quit Whining and Start SELLING! A Step-by-Step Guide to a Hall of Fame Career in Sales.

Get more Kelly: www.BizLockerRoom.com.

Widely recognized as a powerful speaker and performance coach in the areas of sales, management leadership, and strategic planning, Kelly is a former sales executive, a two-time national Salesperson-of-the-Year, a business owner, and a member of the Forbes' Coaches Council since 2019.

Music and Editing by Pod About It Productions @dougbranson

Why do so many qualified prospects still choose not to buy—even after hearing a compelling presentation and a strong ROI story?

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In this episode of Sales [UN]Training, Kelly Riggs welcomes behavioral science expert Matt Szczurek, author of The Hidden Yes, for a conversation about the psychology behind customer decision-making. Rather than adding more features, benefits, or discounts, Matt explains why top-performing salespeople first identify the psychological barriers keeping buyers from moving forward.

Kelly and Matt break down the three most common mistakes sales professionals make: focusing too heavily on motivation instead of removing obstacles, relying on logical arguments instead of using context to shape perception, and implementing tactics before defining the behavioral outcome they want to achieve.

The discussion also explores two of the hidden barriers covered in Matt's research. You'll hear why uncertainty often becomes the biggest conversion killer, how small changes in messaging can dramatically improve results, and why reducing perceived effort can make customers far more likely to act.

Throughout the episode, Kelly connects these concepts to real-world sales leadership, showing why traditional product training alone rarely changes behavior. If you're responsible for developing salespeople, improving conversion rates, or helping your team influence buying decisions more effectively, this conversation provides practical strategies backed by behavioral science and real case studies.

If you're ready to rethink how customers actually make decisions, this episode will challenge many long-held assumptions about selling.

Kelly Riggs is an author, speaker, and business consultant for executives and companies throughout the United States and Canada. He has written two books: 1-on-1 Management: What Every Great Manager Knows That You Don't and Quit Whining and Start SELLING! A Step-by-Step Guide to a Hall of Fame Career in Sales.

Get more Kelly: www.BizLockerRoom.com.

Widely recognized as a powerful speaker and performance coach in the areas of sales, management leadership, and strategic planning, Kelly is a former sales executive, a two-time national Salesperson-of-the-Year, a business owner, and a member of the Forbes' Coaches Council since 2019.

Music and Editing by Pod About It Productions @dougbranson

What does "adding value" actually mean?

In this episode of Sales [UN]Training, Kelly Riggs challenges one of the most overused phrases in sales and explains why many sales organizations struggle to define value from the customer's perspective. While salespeople often believe they're communicating value through product features, quality, or service, customers make buying decisions based on something much different.

Follow the audio podcast and watch OR listen wherever you are: https://linktr.ee/salesuntraining

Kelly explores why price objections aren't always about cost and how perceived value determines whether customers see your solution as worth the investment. He explains why sales professionals should spend less time defending pricing and more time uncovering the outcomes customers actually care about.

Throughout the conversation, Kelly shares practical examples of how successful salespeople uncover emotional buying drivers, create stronger customer conversations, and position their solutions around the problems customers are trying to solve—not simply the products they're selling.

He also discusses why buyers willingly pay premium prices for predictability, consistency, proactive communication, and an easier customer experience. Using a memorable luggage story, Kelly demonstrates how companies can command higher prices by solving problems customers genuinely value instead of competing on discounts.

If you're leading a sales organization, coaching a team, or looking for ways to improve win rates without sacrificing margins, this episode offers practical strategies that can change the way your team thinks about value, pricing, and customer conversations.

Stop competing on price—and start selling what customers actually want.

Kelly Riggs is an author, speaker, and business consultant for executives and companies throughout the United States and Canada. He has written two books: 1-on-1 Management: What Every Great Manager Knows That You Don't and Quit Whining and Start SELLING! A Step-by-Step Guide to a Hall of Fame Career in Sales.

Get more Kelly: www.BizLockerRoom.com.

Widely recognized as a powerful speaker and performance coach in the areas of sales, management leadership, and strategic planning, Kelly is a former sales executive, a two-time national Salesperson-of-the-Year, a business owner, and a member of the Forbes' Coaches Council since 2019.

Music and Editing by Pod About It Productions @dougbranson

Sales training remains one of the largest investments organizations make, yet sales performance data continues to show disappointing results. Why are so many salespeople missing quota despite the abundance of training programs, technology, and sales tools available today?

Follow the audio podcast and watch OR listen wherever you are: https://linktr.ee/salesuntraining

In this episode of Sales [UN]Training, Kelly Riggs examines the disconnect between sales training investments and actual sales performance. Drawing on research, real-world examples, and years of experience helping organizations improve sales effectiveness, Kelly outlines the three bedrock principles that separate impactful sales training from programs that fail to create lasting results.

First, Kelly explains why context must come before product knowledge. Rather than overwhelming salespeople with information, effective leaders help them understand how customers use products, the problems they solve, and the outcomes they create.

Next, Kelly explores the importance of confirmation. Learning doesn't happen simply because information was presented. Through assessment, testing, and active recall, sales leaders can dramatically improve retention and identify learning gaps before they become performance problems.

Finally, Kelly addresses consistency—the most overlooked component of sales development. From role play and coaching to call reviews and preparation, consistent practice is what transforms knowledge into habits and habits into results.

Whether you're onboarding new salespeople, developing experienced reps, or leading an entire sales organization, this episode provides a practical framework for building a training culture that improves performance, strengthens retention, and creates better sales outcomes over time.

If you're a sales leader looking to get more from your training investment, this episode offers a clear roadmap for doing exactly that.

Kelly Riggs is an author, speaker, and business consultant for executives and companies throughout the United States and Canada. He has written two books: 1-on-1 Management: What Every Great Manager Knows That You Don't and Quit Whining and Start SELLING! A Step-by-Step Guide to a Hall of Fame Career in Sales.

Get more Kelly: www.BizLockerRoom.com.

Widely recognized as a powerful speaker and performance coach in the areas of sales, management leadership, and strategic planning, Kelly is a former sales executive, a two-time national Salesperson-of-the-Year, a business owner, and a member of the Forbes' Coaches Council since 2019.

Music and Editing by Pod About It Productions @dougbranson

Salespeople often assume they're losing deals to competing vendors, but what if the biggest threats to winning business aren't competitors at all?

Follow the audio podcast and watch OR listen wherever you are: https://linktr.ee/salesuntraining

In this episode of Sales [UN]Training, Kelly Riggs examines three powerful forces that quietly undermine sales opportunities: risk, change, and uncertainty. These hidden competitors frequently influence buying decisions long before a prospect compares products, pricing, or features.

Kelly explains why buyers become paralyzed by perceived risk, how fear of making a bad decision can lead to delayed purchases, and why traditional ROI presentations often fail to address the concerns that matter most. He also explores the challenge of organizational change and why prospects frequently choose the status quo—even when they admit your solution is better.

The conversation continues with a look at uncertainty, one of the most misunderstood obstacles in the sales process. Buyers often struggle with what they don't know about implementation, adoption, and future outcomes. Kelly shares practical ways sales professionals can reduce anxiety, build confidence, and help customers visualize success before a purchase is made.

Throughout the episode, Kelly emphasizes the importance of consultative selling, understanding buyer motivations, asking better questions, and communicating value from the customer's perspective rather than the seller's. He also highlights the critical role that trust, credibility, and storytelling play in helping prospects move forward.

If you're a sales leader looking to improve win rates, shorten stalled sales cycles, and help your team navigate complex buying decisions, this episode offers practical insights you can put to work immediately.

Kelly Riggs is an author, speaker, and business consultant for executives and companies throughout the United States and Canada. He has written two books: 1-on-1 Management: What Every Great Manager Knows That You Don't and Quit Whining and Start SELLING! A Step-by-Step Guide to a Hall of Fame Career in Sales.

Get more Kelly: www.BizLockerRoom.com.

Widely recognized as a powerful speaker and performance coach in the areas of sales, management leadership, and strategic planning, Kelly is a former sales executive, a two-time national Salesperson-of-the-Year, a business owner, and a member of the Forbes' Coaches Council since 2019.

Music and Editing by Pod About It Productions @dougbranson

Many sales leaders spend countless hours tracking calls, proposals, meetings, pipeline movement, and CRM activity. But what if that focus is actually limiting sales performance instead of improving it?

Follow the audio podcast and watch OR listen wherever you are: https://linktr.ee/salesuntraining

In this episode of Sales [UN]Training, Kelly Riggs challenges one of the most common assumptions in sales management: that more activity automatically leads to better results. Drawing inspiration from a youth baseball coaching story and lessons popularized by Moneyball, Kelly explores the difference between managing outcomes and managing the inputs that actually influence those outcomes.

You'll hear why an obsession with metrics can create unnecessary pressure, anxiety, and disengagement among sales teams. Kelly explains how sales managers often make the mistake of looking at historical numbers and trying to force future performance through activity mandates, only to discover that more calls, more proposals, and more presentations don't necessarily create more sales.

Instead, Kelly makes the case for focusing on what sales leaders can truly influence. He breaks down the difference between outputs and inputs, explains why quality matters more than quantity, and shares the two characteristics he believes have the greatest impact on long-term sales success.

You'll learn why learning is a critical driver of growth, how curiosity improves customer conversations, and why both should become foundational elements of a high-performance sales culture.

If you're a sales VP, sales manager, business owner, or team leader looking for a more effective way to develop people and improve results, this episode provides a practical framework for managing what matters most.

Here is the link to the article that Kelly references in this episode: https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-simple-fix-for-americas-broken-youth-sports-machine?author=Gates+Garcia&category=News&elementPosition=0&row=0&rowType=Vertical+List&title=The+Simple+Fix+For+America's+Broken+Youth+Sports+Machine

Kelly Riggs is an author, speaker, and business consultant for executives and companies throughout the United States and Canada. He has written two books: 1-on-1 Management: What Every Great Manager Knows That You Don't and Quit Whining and Start SELLING! A Step-by-Step Guide to a Hall of Fame Career in Sales.

Get more Kelly: www.BizLockerRoom.com.

Widely recognized as a powerful speaker and performance coach in the areas of sales, management leadership, and strategic planning, Kelly is a former sales executive, a two-time national Salesperson-of-the-Year, a business owner, and a member of the Forbes' Coaches Council since 2019.

Music and Editing by Pod About It Productions @dougbranson

In this episode of Sales [UN]Training, Kelly Riggs tackles one of the most overlooked skills in professional selling: follow-up. Drawing from recent personal experiences as a customer, Kelly highlights the disconnect between what customers expect and what many salespeople actually deliver once the deal is closed.

The conversation explores why customer experience remains a critical part of the sales process, even after contracts are signed and orders are placed. Kelly shares examples of poor communication, missed updates, inaccurate information, and reactive service that leave customers feeling ignored and uncertain. He explains why customers value proactive communication, timely updates, problem ownership, and clear expectations throughout implementation and delivery.

For sales leaders, this episode is also a reminder that follow-up is not a skill that should be assumed. Kelly outlines the responsibility managers have to train salespeople on every aspect of the customer journey, including implementation communication, expectation setting, issue management, and post-sale relationship building.

The episode concludes with a powerful lesson on professionalism: never blame other departments when something goes wrong. Instead, great salespeople take ownership, communicate solutions, and strengthen trust when problems arise.

If you want your team to generate more repeat business, improve customer retention, earn more referrals, and create exceptional customer experiences, this episode provides practical guidance you can put into action immediately.

Kelly Riggs is an author, speaker, and business consultant for executives and companies throughout the United States and Canada. He has written two books: 1-on-1 Management: What Every Great Manager Knows That You Don't and Quit Whining and Start SELLING! A Step-by-Step Guide to a Hall of Fame Career in Sales.

Get more Kelly: www.BizLockerRoom.com.

Widely recognized as a powerful speaker and performance coach in the areas of sales, management leadership, and strategic planning, Kelly is a former sales executive, a two-time national Salesperson-of-the-Year, a business owner, and a member of the Forbes' Coaches Council since 2019.

Music and Editing by Pod About It Productions @dougbranson