Crush Your Number #3: How Sales and Operations Can Drive Future Wins with Rich Gaffney, Sentry Equipment

In Part 3 of the Crush Your Number series, Kelly sits down with Rich Gaffney, VP of Commercial Operations at Sentry Equipment, to explore how aligning sales with operations can drive both short-term wins and long-term success. Rich shares his insights from over 20 years of experience leading sales teams, emphasizing the critical role of integrating sales with backend functions like engineering and manufacturing. In this episode, Rich and Kelly discuss why sales teams often fail when they operate in silos and how building business acumen—rather than just focusing on sales tactics—can transform a team from good to great.

Throughout the conversation, Rich breaks down the importance of empathy, communication, and ownership in the sales process. He shares strategies for developing salespeople who think like business leaders, not just closers, and how delivering on promises after the sale is just as important as securing the deal. Whether you're a sales leader or a sales professional, this episode is packed with actionable advice on how to create a holistic, customer-centric approach that fosters trust and future opportunities.

Key Topics:

• Breaking down the silos between sales and operations for better results
• The importance of business acumen in creating well-rounded salespeople
• How empathy and communication can prevent deals from going sideways
• The value of staying engaged with customers post-sale to ensure delivery success
• Developing a robust training program that includes internal collaboration and business-wide understanding

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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 Pod About It Productions @dougbranson