Tag Archives for " Performance Management "

The Sad State of Sales Training

By Kelly Riggs | Sales + Leadership

The vast majority of sales training is incredibly ineffective. Not because much of what is claimed to be “sales” training is actually just “product” training. Not at all. Instead, just looking at actual sales training – that is, training designed to improve selling skills – the evidence is clear. It is enormously ineffective. That’s not only my opinion based on 25 years of observation, it is consistent with extensive research on the effectiveness of salespeople.

Continue reading

The Unpopular Road to Top Sales Performance

By Kelly Riggs | Sales + Leadership

The truth is that practice is incredibly important to performance. In fact, I would ask you to name one skill of any consequence that does NOT require practice to excel at that skill. Anything? Of course not. You cannot perfect any skill unless, and until, you practice. Which means that your employees are practicing to improve their skills, or YOU (the manager) are guilty of the ultimate performance killer – no practice.

Continue reading

The Leadership Value of Clarity

By Kelly Riggs | Sales + Leadership

One of the most powerful things you can do to start down the path towards effective leadership is to create clarity for your team. Why? Because people will never run their best race (or do their best work) if they don’t know where the finish line is. Teams will never perform at optimum level without mission clarity, role clarity, and measurable objectives. Here is how one very effective leader created that clarity for his new team members.

Continue reading

Another Loss, Another Pity Party

By Kelly Riggs | Sales + Leadership

When salespeople win a sale – when they close a deal – it’s because they are good at what they do. Just ask them! They will tell you how hard they worked; how smooth they were. The will give you every detail of how they set the hook and reeled in the Big One. But if you listen to salespeople talk about a loss, you will hear something else entirely. Instead of talking about their mistakes or missteps, you’ll hear a litany of reasons that explain why they lost the sale.

Continue reading