In this episode of Sales [UN]Training, Kelly examines one of the most common yet flawed approaches to sales training: training for the sake of training. He explains how many sales organizations rush to implement training as a quick fix for low revenue or flat sales without properly identifying the root causes. Kelly emphasizes that tactical sales training—like learning how to handle objections or close more deals—barely addresses deeper systemic issues. To create real, sustainable change, companies need to focus on foundational problems, such as ineffective sales processes, lack of leadership involvement, and unclear behavioral objectives.

Throughout the episode, Kelly makes it clear that the goal of sales training should not be just to “get better,” but to enact specific, measurable behavior changes that will ultimately drive results. He challenges listeners to dig deep into their own sales processes, ask the right questions, and identify core issues before attempting any tactical training. This episode is essential for sales leaders who want to stop wasting time and money on ineffective training and start seeing real results.

Inside the episode:

• The mistake of scheduling sales training without identifying systemic issues
• Why tactical training fails without addressing foundational problems
• The critical importance of behavior change in effective sales training
• Identifying root causes using the "Five Whys" method
• The role of leadership in reinforcing training and creating lasting change

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

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

This episode originally aired on April 22nd, 2024

In this episode of Sales [UN]Training, host Kelly Riggs talks with Graham Hawkins, founder of SalesTribe, about why traditional sales training often misses the mark. Hawkins explains how his extensive research into modern buyer behavior revealed that most sales training programs are outdated and ineffective. He highlights the need for a shift toward microlearning and continuous development, rather than the conventional one-size-fits-all approaches. According to Hawkins, sales training must evolve to meet the changing expectations of today’s buyers, who are more informed and prefer to bypass salespeople when they don't add value.

The conversation also focuses on the importance of sales leaders moving from a directive style to a coaching approach. Hawkins shares his experience working with organizations to map the buyer’s journey and tailor sales strategies accordingly. By focusing on delivering value at every touchpoint, sales teams can create better outcomes and lasting relationships with their customers. This episode challenges listeners to rethink traditional methods and embrace more customer-centric strategies that align with modern sales dynamics.

Key topics discussed:

• The Ineffectiveness of Traditional Sales Training and Why It Fails
• The Changing Role of Buyer Behavior and Its Impact on Salespeople
• The Shift from Product-Centric to Customer-Centric Sales Approaches
• The Importance of Microlearning for Modern Sales Teams
• Why Coaching Is Essential for Driving Long-Term Sales Success

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

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, host Kelly Riggs kicks off the "Dumpster Fire" series by addressing one of the biggest issues in sales training: generic claims. Riggs highlights how generic, unprovable statements like "we have the best quality" or "our service is unbeatable" erode trust and credibility with potential clients. Through his direct and engaging style, Riggs explains why these claims fail and shares a much more effective approach—using real success stories from clients to build authenticity and rapport.

He dives into how social proof, or what he calls "third-party selling," can replace these empty claims with concrete, believable narratives. By teaching salespeople to focus on real customer success stories, Riggs argues that you can differentiate your company, establish trust, and create more meaningful sales interactions. If you’re tired of watching your sales efforts go up in smoke, this episode provides actionable strategies to put out that "dumpster fire" and improve your team’s approach to selling.

This episode is packed with practical advice for salespeople and sales managers alike, encouraging listeners to rethink their approach to customer conversations and leverage real-world examples to boost credibility.

In this episode:

Why clients don’t believe your people's sales claims, and how it backfires

Understanding the concept of social proof and third-party selling

How to effectively leverage success stories in sales conversations

The difference between a generic claim and a compelling story

Next-level sales training: immersing salespeople in customer success

The importance of capturing and using client testimonials in sales training

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

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

In this episode of Sales [UN]Training, host Kelly Riggs sits down with Chris Lancaster, VP of Sales for Spectrum Paint, in the second installment of the "Crushing Your Number" series, talking to real people making real sales decisions every day. Chris, with over 25 years of experience in the paint and coatings industry, shares his journey from salesperson to VP, highlighting the challenges and triumphs of managing a large sales team across multiple locations. The conversation delves into the complexities of transitioning from sales to leadership, particularly the difficulty in allowing team members to learn from their failures and the importance of setting clear expectations. Chris emphasizes that while sales success often leads to promotion, the skills required for effective sales management are vastly different. He candidly discusses the struggles with developing a consistent onboarding process and the critical need for clarity in expectations to ensure team success. Whether you're a seasoned sales leader or just starting your management journey, this episode offers invaluable insights into the often-overlooked aspects of sales leadership and training.

Inside this episode...

Chris discusses the challenges of transitioning from salesperson to VP of Sales and the hardest parts of sales management.

The pitfalls of assuming great salespeople make great managers; the importance of letting team members fail and learn.

The struggle of knowing when to trust your team to make decisions and the impact of leadership autonomy.

Chris shares his evolution in thinking and how it took years to get comfortable with letting others lead.

The challenge of managing people: unexpected responses and the difficulty in getting people to think for themselves.

Importance of setting clear expectations and accountability in training new salespeople.

The difficulties sales managers face and the trap of promoting top salespeople into management roles.

This episode is packed with actionable advice for sales leaders and managers, focusing on real-world challenges and strategies for overcoming them.

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

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

Kelly will be back next week with Part 2 in his series Crush Your Number, talking with real salespeople about real sales problems. Until then, enjoy one of our most popular episodes on training salespeople to be believable. Is it even possible?

In this episode of Sales [UN]Training, Kelly examines critical issue of trust in sales, exploring why salespeople are often not believed by prospects. Riggs highlights alarming statistics showing that salespeople are trusted as little as lawyers and politicians, raising the question of whether traditional sales training is to blame. He critiques the common sales approach where representatives immediately boast about their products and services, which makes them indistinguishable from each other and therefore not credible.

Riggs suggests that to gain trust, salespeople need to avoid generic claims and instead provide concrete, specific data and real-world examples that clearly differentiate their offerings. Riggs further explains that sales training often focuses too heavily on product knowledge rather than on teaching salespeople how to genuinely connect with prospects. He underscores the importance of presenting oneself as a professional consultant who understands the client’s business and can offer tangible solutions. This approach not only sets salespeople apart but also helps in building a trustworthy relationship with potential clients. Riggs advises that companies should rethink their sales training strategies to emphasize believability and specific, verifiable claims, rather than the usual, repetitive sales pitches that prospects have come to distrust.

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

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, host Kelly Riggs discusses how to "play the long game" in sales relationships, a crucial yet often neglected aspect of effective selling. Kelly emphasizes the importance of nurturing long-term relationships with potential clients, even when immediate sales are not on the horizon. He challenges the traditional notions of relationship-building in sales, urging salespeople to move beyond superficial interactions and instead focus on consistently providing value and authenticity. Kelly illustrates how real relationships, built on trust and consistent, meaningful engagement, can position salespeople at the forefront when opportunities arise, rather than scrambling to catch up after an RFP is released.

Kelly also stresses the importance of training sales teams to understand and implement these long-term strategies. He debunks common myths about relationships in sales, pointing out that rapport alone doesn't equal a relationship, and that authenticity is key to earning trust and business over time. Kelly closes the episode by encouraging sales leaders to rethink their approach to training, ensuring their teams are equipped to play the long game effectively. Whether you're a seasoned sales professional or just starting, this episode offers valuable insights into the art of strategic, relationship-driven selling.

Show Notes

How do you nurture long-term opportunities?

Misconceptions about relationships in sales; true relationships go beyond superficial interactions.

Importance of having real relationships before opportunities arise.

Distinguishing between rapport and real relationships

Consistency as the foundation of trust and relationships

The importance of being both visible and valuable in every interaction.

Practical advice on how to build value over time in sales calls.

The necessity of balancing short-term and long-term sales strategies.

The real role of relationships in sales

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

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, host Kelly Riggs explores the critical importance of understanding the "Forgetting Curve" in sales training. He breaks down the alarming statistics behind the numbers 50, 70, and 90, which represent the percentage of information forgotten by trainees after an hour, a day, and a week, respectively. Kelly emphasizes that without proper reinforcement, most of the time and resources spent on sales training are wasted, as the material quickly fades from memory. Through a discussion of Hermann Ebbinghaus's research on memory retention, Kelly reveals effective strategies to ensure that training sticks, including the need for immediate review, repetition, and contextual application.

Kelly also shares practical tips on how to make training sessions more impactful. From encouraging immediate feedback after each session to taking learning into the field, he highlights the importance of engaging salespeople at multiple levels to ensure long-term retention. Kelly concludes with actionable advice on how to use these insights to improve your sales team's performance and reduce the frustration of forgotten training. Whether you're a sales leader or a trainer, this episode provides invaluable tools to enhance your training methods and drive better results.

In this episode...

• Introduction of the three critical numbers: 50, 70, and 90.
• Common ineffective training methods and the importance of planning.
• Explanation of Hermann Ebbinghaus's Forgetting Curve.
• The impact of immediate review on retention.
• The challenge of long-term retention and how to test it.
• Strategies to combat the Forgetting Curve in training.
• The importance of contextual learning and real-world application.
• Final tool: Having trainees present what they've learned.

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

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 Doug Branson and Pod About It Productions

In this episode of Sales [UN]Training, host Kelly Riggs kicks off a series with real sales leaders by featuring Brian Key, Director of Aftermarket Sales at Multivac USA. With 16 years of experience, including the last four in leadership, Brian shares his insights on the challenging process of hiring and training top-tier sales talent. He discusses the difficulties of finding candidates who not only look good on paper but also align with the company’s values and have the discipline to focus on prospecting and customer engagement. Brian highlights the importance of avoiding “professional visitors” and instead cultivating salespeople who are genuinely committed to driving results through effective prospecting and disciplined follow-up.

The conversation also dives into the critical role of timing in sales training and the importance of hands-on learning, such as shadowing successful reps in challenging meetings. Brian emphasizes that great sales reps do not always make great sales leaders, as the skills required for leadership are distinctly different. He underscores the need to hire for character and to ensure that sales training focuses on real customer needs and problem-solving in the field. This episode is packed with practical advice for sales leaders looking to enhance their teams’ effectiveness and develop future sales managers.

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

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 Doug Branson and Pod About It Productions