Sales Coaching vs. Sales Training: A Playbook on the Future of Sales Training

In this compilation episode of Sales [UN]Training, Kelly Riggs shares his best insights into the crucial distinction between sales coaching and sales training, highlighting how effective coaching can be the key differentiator for successful sales organizations. The episode features strategies from industry expert Dave Kurlan, founder of Objective Management Group, who underscores the shortcomings of traditional sales training, which often focuses too heavily on product knowledge rather than understanding customer problems and developing practical selling skills. Kurlan argues that great sales coaching involves continuous, hands-on development and problem-solving, rather than just onboarding and product training.

The episode also features Graham Hawkins, founder of Sales Tribe, who discusses the under-appreciated role of sales coaches and how leaders often misinterpret coaching as merely giving directives. Hawkins and Riggs agree that true coaching requires creating an environment where salespeople can admit their weaknesses and work on them constructively. The conversation touches on the importance of role-playing, real-time practice, and the need for sales leaders to spend more time in the field with their teams. This episode is packed with actionable advice for transforming sales training into a more dynamic, supportive, and effective coaching process. For more insights, visit Objective Management Group and Sales Tribe.

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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