In this episode of Sales [UN]Training, Kelly Riggs challenges sales leaders to confront one of the most damaging patterns in sales organizations: focusing on what's outside their control.

Follow the audio podcast and watch OR listen wherever you are: https://linktr.ee/salesuntraining

Economic headwinds. Marketing gaps. Customer service issues. Tariffs. Competition. While all of these factors are real, Kelly makes the case that allowing them to dominate conversations creates a culture of excuses. And once excuse-making permeates a team, performance declines and accountability disappears.

Instead, Kelly outlines four critical areas every salesperson and sales leader can control: decisions, influences, habits, and circumstances. From daily prospecting choices to the people your team surrounds themselves with, these controllable factors shape mindset, skill development, and ultimately win rates. He explains why role play matters, why learning initiative should be non-negotiable in hiring, and why improving win rates even slightly can dramatically impact revenue.

But the responsibility doesn't stop with the sales rep. Kelly emphasizes that the sales leader is the "thermostat" of the culture. If leaders commiserate, make excuses, or tolerate negativity — even from top producers — they risk being held hostage by poor behavior that erodes the team.

This episode is a practical blueprint for sales V.P.s and frontline managers who want to eliminate excuse-making, reinforce accountability, strengthen culture, and build a team capable of performing regardless of external conditions.

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 sales teams operate on "tribal knowledge"—a set of unverified assumptions about why customers choose them. In this episode of Sales [UN]Training, Kelly Riggs sits down with Jeff Bajorek to challenge these assumptions and expose a systemic failure in sales leadership. Research suggests that 80% of salespeople would be shocked to learn the real reasons their best customers buy from them . This gap in understanding often leads to generic messaging and missed opportunities for growth.

Follow the audio podcast and watch OR listen wherever you are: https://linktr.ee/salesuntraining

Jeff introduces a tactical Five-Question Framework designed to bridge this gap through vulnerability and specific discovery. By asking customers exactly why they chose the company the first time—and why they keep coming back—salespeople can refine their go-to-market strategy and slash time spent on maintenance by 50% without losing revenue.

Beyond the technicalities of selling, the conversation explores the human element of leadership. Kelly and Jeff discuss the "coin-operated" management trap, where leaders assume throwing money at a problem replaces the need for genuine relationship-building . They emphasize that while systems and processes require efficiency, people require empathy and time. If you are a Sales VP looking to move beyond "good luck" management and start building a high-performance team grounded in mutual trust and verified value, this episode provides the blueprint for your evolution.

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

In this episode of Sales [UN]Training, Kelly Riggs tackles one of the most misunderstood — and most powerful — drivers of sales performance: culture.

Follow the audio podcast and watch OR listen wherever you are: https://linktr.ee/salesuntraining

Many sales leaders blame poor results on weak selling skills, flawed compensation plans, or lack of process. But Kelly makes a compelling case that culture — defined simply as the commonly accepted behaviors inside your organization — is often the true root cause of underperformance. It's not what you post on the wall. It's what you allow.

Kelly shares research showing how strong cultures outperform the market, improve profitability, reduce turnover, and increase engagement. More importantly, he explains why leaders are the thermostat of culture — not just observers of it. If mediocrity, gossip, entitlement, or poor accountability exist on your team, leadership tolerance is likely the reason.

Through a real-world case study, Kelly outlines a practical blueprint for transforming a toxic environment into a high-performance culture. The steps include defining a clear and elevating vision, hiring and retaining the right people, eliminating toxic behaviors, implementing consistent skill development, and building a culture of accountability.

If you want to attract A-players, reduce turnover, and dramatically improve sales performance, this episode provides a leadership framework you can implement 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