Sales [UN]Training

Stop overwhelming prospects with information; it isn't persuasive and it's killing your deals. Discover the seven critical psychological steps you must guide a buyer through to build trust, prove value, and create urgency. In this episode of Sales [UN]Training, host Kelly Riggs tackles one of the most common and costly mistakes in sales: believing that giving prospects more product information will win the deal. Drawing from decades of observing sales calls, Kelly dismantles the “show up and throw up” approach and replaces it with a proven, customer-focused framework. Listeners will learn the Seven Critical Steps to a Sale, a process that goes beyond features and functions to address the real decision-making drivers in a prospect’s mind. Kelly walks through each step in detail: identifying or creating a perceived need, helping the buyer see the loss of inaction or the gain from change, building trust in your solution, making change feel manageable, minimizing risk, ensuring value exceeds price, and creating genuine urgency. With practical insights, real-world examples, and the reminder that “information isn’t persuasion,” Kelly shows how the best salespeople connect emotionally, align with personal agendas, and move deals forward without stalling. Whether you lead a sales team or close deals yourself, this episode will help you replace product dumping with a strategic, emotionally intelligent sales approach that wins more business—faster. 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  

Everyone throws around “value,” but most salespeople can’t actually communicate it. Kelly explains why credibility comes first—and how selling ROI without trust is just noise. “Value” might be the most overused and misunderstood word in sales. Sales leaders preach value propositions, ROI claims, and solution-based selling—but when your reps hit the field, are they actually communicating value or just tossing around buzzwords? In this episode, Kelly breaks down what value really is: something perceived, not proclaimed. He shares stories of companies with solid ROI pitches that failed to connect, and exposes the disconnect between what sales teams promote and what customers care about. You’ll hear why “the first sale is your credibility,” how trust is the gateway to value, and why selling features instead of outcomes leads to missed targets. Kelly also walks through the phases of a true value conversation—from establishing credibility, to diagnosing pain, to aligning your offering with exactly what the buyer needs. He even explains how to address the real objection behind “your price is too high”: fear of change. If you’re tired of sales training that leads to reps talking past their prospects, you need this episode. It’s time to rewire your sales brain. 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

Salespeople are taught to sell product features, yet prospects almost never buy them. This episode breaks down why this common sales tactic fails and reveals how to connect with what customers actually want. Still leading sales calls with product features? Kelly says that's not just outdated—it’s losing you deals. In this episode of Sales [UN]Training, we tackle Sales Dumpster Fire #6: the mistake of selling what prospects don’t care about. Kelly walks through the truth most salespeople avoid: buyers aren’t sold on specs, they’re sold on results. Time saved. Headaches avoided. Personal wins that make them look good at work. This episode breaks down why features are just noise unless you clearly tie them to meaningful outcomes. You’ll learn: Why buyers tune out product specs (even the flashy ones) What you should be leading with on a sales call How emotion—not logic—actually drives purchasing decisions The 3 things you should always be selling: results, value, and risk reduction Kelly also shares a killer question that opens the door to your buyer’s personal motivation—and why that matters more than any one feature. Plus, hear what science says about how people decide and how to use that to your advantage. If your team is getting ghosted or struggling to close, this is required listening. Quit pitching. Start connecting. And watch your sales performance shift. 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

Why do salespeople struggle with accountability? Kelly shows how the real problem often starts at the top—and what you can do to change it. If your reps aren’t owning their results, you might be looking in the wrong direction. In this episode of Sales [UN]Training, Kelly pulls no punches: “It’s not them—it’s you.” From vague expectations to weak training and poor hiring choices, he breaks down the four most common ways leaders accidentally create a culture of excuse-making. Follow the audio podcast and watch OR listen wherever you are: https://linktr.ee/salesuntraining This is not about coddling your reps. It’s about facing the reality that accountability doesn’t magically appear—it’s built, modeled, and reinforced from the top down. Kelly walks through the damaging effects of unclear communication, underdeveloped skills, low motivation, and hiring without grit—and then shows how to fix each one. He also shares what not to do if you want accountability to take root: blame your people. If you make excuses as a leader, your team will too. But if you’re serious about performance, it starts with extreme ownership. ✅ 4 leadership mistakes that kill accountability ✅ Why salespeople “not getting it” is often your fault ✅ The #1 behavior that shuts down coaching before it starts Whether you're managing a team or preparing to build one, this episode will challenge you to rethink how you lead, train, and build trust. Let’s rewire your sales leadership brain—one hard truth at a time.   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

If you sound like a salesperson, you're toast. Kelly walks through six dead-giveaway phrases that kill your credibility before you ever get a shot at the deal. This week, Kelly calls out one of the most common—and costly—mistakes salespeople make: sounding exactly like every other salesperson your prospect’s ever met. If your opener screams “commission breath,” the shades come down, the windows close, and your prospect is already looking for the eject button. Kelly breaks down five behaviors that scream “salesperson” and follow them with six phrases that almost guarantee resistance, ghosting, or a polite brush-off. From asking a prospect to “tell me about your business” (without doing your homework) to the classic “I’m just calling to follow up,” this episode is a must-listen if you’re tired of stalled deals and prospects going cold. Instead of resorting to generic claims and weak openers, Kelly offers hard-earned insights on how to build credibility, earn attention, and extend the conversation. The real first sale? Your trustworthiness. If you don’t land that, the product pitch doesn’t stand a chance. 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

Sales reps don’t get enough reps—and it’s killing performance. Kelly and guest Jeff Bajorek show how ChatGPT can simulate high-stakes cold calls and discovery sessions so your team doesn’t practice on prospects. Three out of four salespeople are failing. Why? Because most sales training stops short of actual practice. In this episode, Kelly is joined again by Jeff Bajorek to demonstrate a live, unscripted roleplay using ChatGPT. No scripts, no retakes—just real-time practice that mirrors the real world. They start with a cold call simulation and then shift into a face-to-face discovery meeting, each designed to uncover and overcome the two big obstacles every sales team faces: lack of pipeline and stalled deals. You’ll hear exactly how ChatGPT can be used to rehearse permission-based openers, work through objections, and tailor questions based on buyer psychology. You’ll also hear how to level up AI roleplay sessions with contextual prompts from real earnings calls or buyer research, and why this approach beats traditional practice methods—hands down. This isn’t theory. It’s tactical, repeatable, and ready to use. If you're managing a sales team or trying to sharpen your own skills, this is the episode you didn’t know you needed. 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

Most salespeople say they want to improve, but never actually change—and sales leaders let them off the hook. Kelly explains how mindset, repetition, and the absence of deadlines are sabotaging your team's potential. You hear it all the time: “I want to get better at sales.” But the truth? Most salespeople won’t change—and most sales leaders don’t know how to make them. In this episode, Kelly breaks down the harsh reality of why sales training fails: because it relies too heavily on exposure and doesn’t build in accountability, coaching, or clear expectations. He outlines the three root causes behind the failure to change—momentum, mindset, and lack of confidence—and why vague coaching like “get serious” or “make more calls” won’t move the needle. You’ll hear the role of repetition, specific practice, and why deadlines matter just as much as the skill itself. Sales managers, if you're frustrated by your team’s lack of follow-through, this one’s for you. Kelly pulls no punches as he lays out how to actually build a sales team that improves week over week—not just one that listens to another training video. Plus, he opens up limited slots to book 30-minute calls for anyone facing a specific sales challenge. It’s real talk for real change—and your wake-up call to rewire your sales brain. 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

Three out of four salespeople are falling short, despite having mountains of available training content at their fingertips. In this episode, Kelly is joined again by Jeff Bajorek to tackle the real issue: why sales organizations fail to execute—even when they know what to do. ChatGPT joins the show (yes, literally) to offer insight into how AI can help close the “knowing-doing” gap. Jeff discusses how he uses ChatGPT to uncover blind spots, rehearse tricky calls, and pressure test sales strategies before taking them to market. Kelly and Jeff go beyond the hype to show how AI isn't just another tool—it can become a true thinking partner. You'll hear exactly how to set up ChatGPT for cold call roleplay, overcome price objections, and get reps consistent, meaningful practice in the final 15 minutes of every workday. Plus, Kelly lays out what separates strong sales leaders from the rest—and how they can use AI to build a culture of continuous improvement. This episode is packed with tactical advice and mind-bending ideas. Whether you're a VP of Sales or a frontline manager, this one’s worth a listen. 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

Sales training fails when it becomes a box to check instead of a culture to create. Kelly explains how sales leaders set the tone, and why your team’s lack of engagement might just be your fault. Three out of four salespeople are missing quota. But it's not always because they're lazy, unmotivated, or disinterested—often, it’s because sales leadership is dropping the ball. In this episode of Sales [UN]Training, Kelly pulls no punches. He lays out why traditional sales training often turns into a total dumpster fire, how sales leaders are enabling it, and what it actually takes to build a high-performance sales culture. From setting clear expectations during hiring, to eliminating excuses for skipping training, to understanding the difference between exposure and behavior change—Kelly breaks down why engagement starts at the top. You'll hear exactly what role coaching plays, why notebooks should be mandatory, and how to create real accountability around learning. He even offers a pro tip for using books to level up your team (without boring them to death). If you’ve ever said “we tried training, but it didn’t work,” this episode is a wake-up call. Leadership isn’t about control—it’s about clarity, standards, and consistency. And it starts with you. 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

You won the deal. Now what? Kelly explains why execution—not the close—is what separates pros from amateurs, and how being present after the sale sets you up for the next one. You did the hard work. You prospected, qualified, presented, and closed. But if you think the job’s done, think again. In this episode of Sales [UN]Training, Kelly sounds the alarm on one of the biggest threats to future business: poor execution after the deal is done. Winning the sale means nothing if your delivery and implementation process falls apart. Kelly walks through the critical steps every salesperson must take after the contract is signed—from maintaining contact during execution, to handling hiccups without throwing teammates under the bus, to building a branded delivery process that competitors won’t touch. You’ll also hear why your customer’s experience matters more than the quality of your solution, and how salespeople can turn great execution into repeat business and internal referrals. If you're checking out after the signature, you’re lighting your next deal on fire. 🔑 In this episode: Why being “present” during delivery drives loyalty How to brand and sell your execution process What most reps get dead wrong about post-sale ownership The magic of proactive communication and follow-up 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