

Sales [UN]Training
Kelly Riggs & Pod About It Productions
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.
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 6, 2023 • 24min
The Truth About Hiring Effective Sales Reps - What the Data Shows
One of the most difficult things on the planet is consistently identifying and hiring high performing salespeople. We get fooled. A LOT! In this episode of Sales [UN]Training, host Kelly Riggs tackles the challenge every sales manager faces: hiring and developing effective salespeople. From the dangers of elevating top sales reps to managerial roles without proper training, to the pitfalls of the hiring process, Kelly provides insights that will make you rethink how you identify high-performing talent. Discover the rigorous methodologies that can significantly improve your chances of hiring salespeople who are not just skilled but committed to the craft. Follow the audio podcast and watch OR listen wherever you are: https://linktr.ee/salesuntraining Kelly also discusses the imperative of onboarding and training with purpose and rigor. Learn why most sales training programs fail and what you can do to turn the tables. Kelly shares compelling data on what sets top 10% salespeople apart and offers actionable strategies for developing a sales team that's not just filling seats but is truly geared for success. Tune in for an episode that promises to reshape how you think about sales talent development. 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 @dougbranson

Oct 30, 2023 • 31min
How Poor Sales Training Creates "Stuck" Deals with James Muir
In this episode of Sales [UN]Training, host Kelly Riggs talks with James Muir, author of The Perfect Close, about the common reasons sales deals get stuck and how to prevent or unstick them. They discuss how poor sales training leads reps to focus too heavily on product features rather than uncovering the customer's core problems and facilitating good decisions. Muir explains that salespeople often wrongly assume stuck deals are due to issues on the buyer's end, when in reality it's usually because of mistakes in the sales process - like bad targeting, not properly qualifying leads, and failing to address client concerns. He outlines the main reasons deals get stuck - sales issues, client indecision, and business case problems - and provides tactics to diagnose and address each one. Follow the audio podcast and watch OR listen wherever you are: https://linktr.ee/salesuntraining Today's podcast stresses the importance of training reps to lead conversations with discovery rather than leading with product info. Salespeople tend to overlook the emotional drivers in buyer decision making, and sharing ways to minimize risk and uncertainty can get stalled deals moving again. 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

Oct 16, 2023 • 19min
How to Get FAR More Out of Your Annual "Sales Meeting"
hold

Oct 9, 2023 • 24min
Why Sales Training Fails: A Lesson from Leadership
Are you frustrated that your company's sales training doesn't seem to be working? In this episode, host Kelly Riggs explains why sales training often falls short and what needs to change. Follow the audio podcast and watch OR listen wherever you are: https://linktr.ee/salesuntraining Kelly draws an interesting analogy between ineffective sales training and leadership training. Just as many leadership training programs fail to boost employee engagement, sales training initiatives frequently don't improve sales rep performance. Kelly argues that in both cases, the objectives are unclear and the training is too abstract and conceptual. He advocates for more contextual, experiential training focused on driving behavioral change. Kelly lays out four specific things organizations can do, from hiring learners to effective coaching. If you want to understand why sales training fails and how to make it more impactful, don't miss this episode. Leadership training and employee engagement. (3:51) Leadership training challenges and objectives. (9:21) Sales and leadership training challenges. (13:14) Effective sales training and coaching. (19:00) 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 @dougbranson #sales #selling #salestraining

Oct 2, 2023 • 20min
3 Areas of Improvement to TRANSFORM Your Sales Results From Good to Great
In this episode of Sales [UN]Training with your host, Kelly Riggs, dive deep into the transformative challenges facing the modern sales world. Kelly delves into the stark realities of sales teams in an average economy and stresses why only a few can achieve consistent growth year over year. Drawing parallels with Colorado head coach Deion Sanders' radical approach to rebuilding a struggling football program, Kelly discusses the importance of hiring unique talent, the distinct difference between a great salesperson and a great sales leader, and the need for a bulletproof sales process. Follow the audio podcast and watch OR listen wherever you are: https://linktr.ee/salesuntraining Tune in to hear why transformation is a daunting but achievable task, and discover the systemic problems in the corporate world that often go overlooked. If you're committed to understanding and redefining your sales approach, this episode promises to completely rewire your sales brain. Don't miss it! 3:43 - Deion Sanders' radical leadership and what it means for your sales team 6:05 - Transforming sales results through drastic changes. 11:41 - 3 areas you can address RIGHT NOW to improve sales results 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 and Doug Branson

Sep 25, 2023 • 23min
The ONE Selling Skill You Can't Live Without
Dive into this enlightening episode as Kelly Riggs challenges the age-old beliefs surrounding the quintessential skill every salesperson should master. For years, the common notion was that listening took the crown, but Kelly has an unexpected twist to share. Is simply listening enough, or is there a deeper art to creating dynamic dialogues in sales? Follow the audio podcast and watch OR listen wherever you are: https://linktr.ee/salesuntraining Unpack the true essence of creating a productive back-and-forth, the pitfalls of mere question-asking, and the intriguing concept of 'whitespace' that has salespeople on edge. Kelly warns of the unforeseen dangers lurking in conventional sales training methods and offers invaluable insights that just might reshape your entire sales strategy. Don't miss this game-changing discourse! 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 @dougbranson

Sep 11, 2023 • 30min
People Just Don't Like Salespeople. But Why? with Larry Levine
In the latest episode of Sales [UN]Training with Kelly Riggs, we're diving deep into the truths and myths about sales training with special guest Larry Levine from Selling From the Heart. Do you ever wonder why most sales training seems to fail and why so many salespeople can't meet their revenue targets? Larry has some candid thoughts on why traditional sales training is a recipe for disaster and how being 'product-centric' can actually be a setback. Larry Levine is the best-selling author of Selling from the Heart and the co-host of the Selling from the Heart Podcast. With 30 years of in-the-field sales experience within the B2B technology space, he knows what it takes to be a successful sales professional. In a post-trust sales world, Larry Levine helps sales teams leverage the power of authenticity to grow revenue, grow themselves and enhance the lives of their clients. Follow the audio podcast and watch OR listen wherever you are: https://linktr.ee/salesuntraining We also get real about what it truly means to build relationships in the sales world. Larry shares invaluable insights on why many salespeople miss the point of relationship-building and end up getting ghosted by prospects. If you've ever been puzzled by the disconnect between what sales training preaches and what actually works in the field, this episode is for you. Prepare to unlearn what you think you know about sales, because we're about to turn your approach upside down. Don't miss it! 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 @dougbranson

Sep 4, 2023 • 24min
What Happens When Your Sales Reps Don't "Practice"??
In this episode of Sales [UN]training we dive into the vital yet often overlooked world of practice within the sales industry. Kelly begins by likening the importance of practice to Allen Iverson's famous press conference, emphasizing that true success doesn't solely happen on the game floor but starts with repetition, consistency, and comfort with your product. He also tackles the common excuses that prevent sales teams from engaging in roleplay, thereby hindering their growth and performance. Listen in to learn how a process-driven approach, guided by real customer interactions, can build a solid foundation for your sales conversations. But Kelly doesn't stop there; he goes deeper into the systemic issues within many sales organizations, explaining the importance of allowing sales teams to perfect their craft rather than merely practicing on potential customers. With personal anecdotes and proven strategies, Kelly stresses the need for sales leaders to rewire their sales brain, empowering and giving time to coaching and training, rather than relying solely on sheer willpower. Whether you're a sales leader, a beginner in the field, or a seasoned professional, this episode promises to transform the way you approach your craft, offering valuable insights to help you get the results you deserve. Subscribe to Sales [UN]training and don't miss out on this enlightening conversation! The excuses that prohibit sales leaders from roleplaying. (2:13) Roleplay doesn't have to be embarassing (8:27) Developing a practice process (13:17) Why you should be practing WITH your sales staff (19:36) 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.

Aug 28, 2023 • 26min
Need Sales Training? Ask the Right Questions! + 3 Things to Consider BEFORE You Start Training
In this episode of Sales [UN]training, host Kelly Riggs reveals why so many sales training efforts end up wasted. Kelly breaks down the common misconceptions about sales training, unveiling the truth behind why many approaches don't work. He explains the importance of context, individualized coaching, and understanding the root problems that need to be addressed, rather than just throwing money at generalized training solutions. Is sales training actually transforming your organization, or are you simply looking for a quick fix? In the second half of the episode he elaborates on the systemic challenges associated with sales training and 3 considerations you should make before beginning a new sales training process. Whether it's dealing with closing problems, prospecting issues, or finding the right solution presentation, the episode offers a thorough analysis of the complexities involved. Kelly's insights on tailoring training to specific situations and the need for sales leaders who can coach and reinforce will resonate with anyone looking to make significant and dynamic changes in their sales process. If you want to move beyond a mere band-aid approach to sales training, this episode is a must-listen. What do you need to think about to make you annual sales meeting training session effective? (1:29) Is lack of sales training your actual problem or is it something deeper? (5:00) The problem with "silver bullet" training (9:52) 3 things you should carefully consider BEFORE starting your training (15:34) 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

Aug 21, 2023 • 23min
How Companies and Sales Leaders Actually Train Salespeople to Be Despised and Rejected
Have you ever wondered why people seem to dislike salespeople so much? In this episode of Sales [UN]training, host Kelly Riggs digs into this question with Jeff Bloomfield, author of Neuroselling. They discuss how traditional sales training focuses too much on arming sales reps with facts, figures, and benefits while ignoring the human factor. This leads to sales conversations that feel manipulative rather than relationship-driven. Jeff explains how the brain's biology contributes to change resistance and fear of risk, making prospects instinctively want to cling to the status quo. He shares insights on how to structure sales conversations in a way that resonates emotionally first before logically justifying with data. Kelly and Jeff also talk about how sales reps must shift to a mindset of serving the customer's needs rather than pushing their own agenda. If you want to understand the science behind more effective selling, don't miss this engaging discussion. Most salespeople inadvertently show up and communicate in a way that refutes relationships. (1:22) Why do people hate salespeople? (4:43) "The order matters" the biology behind why people buy (6:54) People buy emotionally and justify logically. (9:57) The biology of change and change resistance. (13:59) What is the quantifiable risk of change? (17:17) 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


