Sales [UN]Training

Hosted by Kelly Riggs & Pod About It Productions

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151

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Aug 2026

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About the show

Your weekly sales strategy guide that will rewire your sales brain to bust bad habits and crush your number. The way that companies train salespeople is broken. Host Kelly Riggs discusses what ACTUALLY works in sales with leading experts in our industry. Forget what you think you know about sales. It's time to train hard and play to win. Kelly Riggs is an author, speaker, and business consultant for executives and companies throughout the United States and Canada. 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. 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. His third book is the award-winning Counter Mentor Leadership: How to Unlock the Potential of the 4-Generation Workplace, co-written with his Millennial son, Robby Riggs. It was selected as the 2019 Gold Medal winner in the leadership category by Axiom Business Books Awards. Note: No trophies were awarded during the writing of this book. For more information, visit www.BizLockerRoom.com.

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August 17, 202627 min

Avoid Selling CHAOS! How To Turn "Change" Into Better Sales Performance.

Leading a sales team through change is one of the toughest responsibilities in sales leadership, yet it's a challenge every manager faces. Whether it's a new CRM, revised compensation plan, updated sales process, or organizational restructuring, change often creates uncertainty, resistance, and a temporary decline in performance. The question isn't whether change will happen—it's whether you're prepared to lead your team through it successfully. Follow the audio podcast and watch OR listen wherever you are: https://linktr.ee/salesuntraining In this episode of Sales [UN] Training , Kelly Riggs explains why change creates friction inside sales organizations and why even experienced sales leaders often underestimate its impact. Drawing from personal experience, Kelly shares a real-world example of how a poorly communicated compensation plan nearly tore apart a high-performing sales organization, illustrating how leadership—not the change itself—often determines the outcome. Kelly also outlines practical strategies every sales leader should use before introducing significant change. Learn why having a communication plan matters, how gaining the support of your top performers can influence the rest of the team, why pre-selling change reduces resistance, and how ongoing conversations help keep performance on track throughout the transition. Finally, Kelly discusses one leadership mistake that can permanently damage trust during periods of change: blaming the company instead of leading with confidence. If you want your sales team to embrace new initiatives faster, maintain productivity, and build stronger trust during organizational change, this episode offers practical leadership lessons you can begin applying 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

August 10, 202627 min

Do You Consider the Impact of Change When You Train Your Salespeople?

Most salespeople spend countless hours learning their products and studying competitors, yet they often overlook the competitor that quietly wins more deals than anyone else: change. In this episode of Sales [UN]Training , Kelly Riggs explains why customers frequently choose to do nothing—even when your solution is objectively better—and why understanding the psychology of change can dramatically improve your win rate. Follow the audio podcast and watch OR listen wherever you are: https://linktr.ee/salesuntraining Kelly breaks down how the human brain naturally resists disruption, why every purchase introduces risk, and how those concerns can extend buying cycles, strengthen incumbent vendors, or result in frustrating "no decision" outcomes. You'll learn why great presentations and compelling ROI alone often aren't enough when buyers are weighing operational disruption against future benefits. The episode introduces three critical dimensions every salesperson should evaluate in every opportunity: the customer's need to change, capability to change, and will to change. Kelly also shares practical questions that uncover hidden concerns before they become silent objections inside the buying committee. Finally, Kelly outlines practical strategies for reducing the perceived risk of change, including using customer success stories, preparing buyers for implementation, and helping prospects visualize a successful transition. Sales leaders will also hear why onboarding and coaching should include training on managing customer change—not just product knowledge—if they want more consistent wins. If you've ever lost a deal to "we've decided to stay with what we have," this episode will change the way you think 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

August 3, 202629 min

The Typical Sales Call Disaster: How Sales Training Creates "Ghosting"

Why do customers so often stop responding after what seemed like a great first meeting? According to Kelly Riggs, the answer isn't bad luck—it starts with how most salespeople have been trained. Follow the audio podcast and watch OR listen wherever you are: https://linktr.ee/salesuntraining In this episode of Sales [UN]Training, Kelly explains why the average sales call is remarkably predictable regardless of industry, product, or company. Rather than creating curiosity and urgency, salespeople often lead with company information, product features, and presentations that sound nearly identical to every competitor. The result is familiar to every sales professional: proposals that go nowhere, endless follow-up, delayed decisions, and eventually being ghosted. Kelly also explores the role sales training plays in creating this cycle. He argues that organizations spend enormous amounts of time teaching product knowledge while spending very little time developing consultative conversations that uncover what customers actually care about. Drawing on research and decades of coaching experience, he explains why elite salespeople ask better questions, create stronger dialogue, and earn trust by understanding the customer's business instead of focusing on their own products. Finally, Kelly shares practical ideas sales leaders can immediately apply, including learning directly from top customers, identifying why customers truly buy, and building conversations around operational challenges instead of product presentations. If you're responsible for improving sales performance, increasing win rates, or coaching stronger sales conversations, this episode offers actionable ideas to help your team stand apart from the competition. 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

July 27, 202623 min

AI-Generated Information WON'T Replace Effective Discovery: Unlock Sales Info With THESE Questions

Technology has transformed the sales profession, but has it actually made salespeople better? In this episode of Sales [UN]Training, Kelly Riggs explains why the biggest competitive advantage in selling still comes from one timeless skill: conducting exceptional discovery conversations. Follow the audio podcast and watch OR listen wherever you are: https://linktr.ee/salesuntraining Kelly challenges the growing belief that AI, CRM platforms, and other sales technologies are the answer to improving sales performance. While these tools provide valuable information, they cannot uncover a buyer's motivations, emotions, priorities, or desired outcomes. Those insights only emerge through meaningful conversations led by a genuinely curious salesperson. Throughout the episode, Kelly shares a memorable story from sales expert Larry Levine that illustrates how a single thoughtful question transformed a routine customer visit into an extraordinary opportunity to build trust and uncover valuable business insight. He also explains the difference between rapport and true relationships, why most discovery calls feel more like interrogations than conversations, and how salespeople can replace scripted questions with authentic dialogue. You'll also learn the concept of tactical curiosity—following the buyer's answers with genuine interest instead of rushing toward a presentation or product pitch. Kelly outlines practical ways to encourage prospects to share what matters most and reveals one discovery question that consistently produces deeper conversations and better sales outcomes. If your team wants stronger discovery calls, more consultative selling, and better customer conversations that create lasting value, this episode provides practical ideas your salespeople can begin using 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 Larry Levine podcast: https://sellingfromtheheartpodcast.com Fill the Funnel: https://blkr.co/ftf

July 20, 202625 min

Is the Way You Do Sales Training a Complete Waste of Time and Money?

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

July 12, 202628 min

Which Numbers Matter? The Formula That Predicts Sales Success and Improves Team Performance

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

July 6, 202628 min

Psychological Sales Killers -- Interview with Matt Sucha

Why do so many qualified prospects still choose not to buy—even after hearing a compelling presentation and a strong ROI story? Follow the audio podcast and watch OR listen wherever you are: https://linktr.ee/salesuntraining 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

June 29, 202624 min

Value Isn't Value Until the Customer Says So

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

June 22, 202629 min

Three Principles of Effective Sales Training

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

June 15, 202624 min

Training for the Competitors You Don't See

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