Kevin Gaither’s Post

Shouldn't sales leaders just hire great salespeople, get out of their way & let them hit their goals however they can hit them? Don't you trust your salespeople enough to get their job done? Here’s the thing: The positives sound great. Salespeople are left to their own devices. No micromanaging. Just results. But in my experience, here's the downside—when you let “anything goes” rule your sales floor, you invite chaos. I’ve seen it firsthand. Cutting corners. Unethical deals. Damaged reputation. It’s all fun and games until the shortcuts catch up with you. And then you have to make hard changes. And change management from chaos is really tough. I've learned the hard way, it’s not just about hitting the target—it’s about how you get there. The “whatever it takes” mentality can burn bridges, erode trust, and put your company at risk. The best sales teams (probably the best teams generally speaking) are built on process, integrity, and consistency. It’s your job as the sales leader to make sure reps know there’s a right way to win. Goals are crucial, but principles? Non-negotiable. What do you think? PS: I've made this mistake. I also wrote about 99 other sales leadership mistakes I made in my book There's even a free sample to download. https://lnkd.in/gka6WYbY

"Why Do Most People Fail in Sales?" Having spent over 30 years in business to business sales this one question occurs most often and in my experience its usually down to one (or more) of the following:- Poor Communication: Communication is everything, not only in sales but in life. As a sales leader effective communication with your team is critical. You need to clearly explain what’s expected of them and above all you need to listen to understand them. If your sales team are struggling to perform, communication is often one of the main factors Lack of Motivation: Even the best salespeople perform poorly if they lack the right attitude and drive. As a sales leader, your job is to tune them for success and push them to achieve more. Not just through financial incentives, but true leadership and vision. Inefficient Systems/Processes: This is a big one! Salespeople can only perform based on what’s in front of them. Do they have the right tools? Do they follow a proven process? Is the system they are part of setting them up to succeed or fail? Misunderstood Vision: This is a tricky one because although many sales teams allow their members to operate individually, it’s important everyone follows a consistent company plan. This comes down to you as a leader communicating the bigger picture vision that individuals and the team can buy into. 

Sales Leaders who constantly adjust sales comp plans are playing a dangerous game. One that destroys loyalty, kills morale, and ultimately drives top talent out the door. When I first started in sales, I worked for a company that changed our comp plan 3x times in a single year. We’d set targets, build momentum, and just when we thought we had clarity, leadership would change the game. The result? Pure confusion. The goalposts kept moving, and no one could say what success even looked like. Here’s the brutal truth: Constantly shifting incentives don’t motivate teams — they burn them out. They create distrust, kill morale, and make reps feel like they’re playing a game they can't win. If leadership wants loyalty and performance, they need to give salespeople stability and a clear path to hit their goals. ✌ p.s. let me know if you've seen this first hand.

Sales leaders usually get paid more than their sales reps but they're often also treated unfairly compared to the reps. It's not fair but it comes with the territory. Here are 7 ways I've personally experienced being treated differently than the sales reps: 1/ Less job security: If things don’t go well, the sales leader will be the first to be shown the door. Likely with little explanation or notice. 2/ Frequent blame: Your sales team underperforms? It’s on you, whether or not you had control over it or not. 3/ Always on-call: Nights, weekends, vacations, it doesn’t matter. You’re expected to be available 24/7. 4/ Less praise: Sales reps get celebrated. Leaders usually get...silence. The higher I went the less praise I received. 5/ Navigating politics: This is one of my least favorite parts and reps usually don't have to deal with this crap but leaders do. 6/ Big mistakes, big consequences: If the rep makes a mistakes = "coachable moments." Sales leader mistakes = Can be job-ending. 7/ Restricted personal expression: Reps are encouraged to "bring their authentic self to work." Leaders just can't do this. But here's the thing: Despite all this, the impact I can make on my salespeople's careers and lives is worth every challenge. Fellow sales leaders, are you feelin' me?

I used to think being a great sales leader meant keeping all the reps happy. But I couldn’t have been more wrong. If you’re trying to lead AND be a people pleaser, you’re setting yourself and your team up for failure. Why? Because real sales leadership requires making tough decisions that won’t always win you popularity points with your reps. >> You're going to have to deliver harsh feedback >> You're going to have to hold salespeople accountable >> You're going to have to say "no" when the rep wants you to say "yes" >> You're going to have to change that commission plan or raise that quota and nobody likes that 🚫 People-pleasing leaders avoid conflict, sugarcoat the truth, and prioritize feelings and friendships over results. But what they don’t realize is that you can’t build an elite sales team without honest accountability. The best sales teams don’t need a “buddy” for their sales leader. They need a sales leader who cares enough to push them to new levels, even when it’s really, really hard for them. Every time I’ve prioritized avoiding conflict over being honest, my team has paid the price. ✅ I learned the hard way: Accountability is the highest form of care. But if you’re leading to be liked by your salespeople, you’re not really leading. Ask yourself: When was the last time you made a decision that upset someone—but was exactly what your team needed? 👉 Real sales leaders focus doing what's right for the team over trying to be liked by their reps. Always.

Here are five tips for becoming a more effective sales leader.⁠ ⁠ 1. Say no to interruptions.⁠ ⁠ There are likely only 1 or 2 types of fires that actually require your attention urgently. Identify what yours are, all other 3,462 types of fires can wait. Just say, “I’m not available right now but I can be at X or X time”. You’ll find that when you give your people time to handle their own problems… they will!⁠ ⁠ 2. Resist the urge to solve the problem for them.⁠ ⁠ Yes, snapping your fingers and solving the problem for your team member WILL solve the problem faster BUT it will also increase the frequency and duration in which your team brings you their problems. Instead, teach your people to solve their own problems by taking the next 3 steps.⁠ ⁠ 3. Ask them, "What are your options?"⁠ ⁠ The greatest skills a leader can help their people develop are their problem solving skills. Help your people develop this muscles by encouraging them to think for themselves.⁠ ⁠ 4. Ask them, "What’s your best option?"⁠ ⁠ This question is critical in helping your team understand that they are indeed capable of solving their own problems because as soon as they answer it they’re proving their ability. It also audibly speaks your confidence in your team member by showing them that their opinion matters.⁠ ⁠ 5. Empower them to take action!⁠ ⁠ Finally, and most importantly, let them run with the best option and validate that they will be able to handle it. They might choose an option you wouldn’t and that’s okay! As long as they’re not choosing a detrimental option, and they won’t, let their choice be okay. RESIST the urge to tweak and nit-pick because that tells your team, “You need me to solve your problems” when they don’t!⁠ ⁠ What are your tips for becoming a better leader?⁠

Sales. Sales is always a top priority. Reviews aren’t about making people feel bad. They’re about helping people get better. I’ve seen people get fired who didn’t even know there was a problem. It’s heartbreaking. Feedback is a gift and a responsibility. Your job is just to become a better, more capable version of you. Not to become someone else. People who lose their tempers tend to not be good at emotional regulation. Most of us never learn it. But you CAN learn it. I know a great class. Wildly valuable. Should be mandatory for managers. (Contact Jules Wilhelm) You are so much better at having the hard conversation than you were 6 months ago. When you’re small, it totally works to do all hands on deck and just jump on the closest problem, solve it, and move to the next one. When you get big, it creates total chaos and so many new problems. The biggest mistake I see leaders make is they’re operating from a fantasy and not actually dealing with reality. They’re thinking about what they wish was true instead of what is. You can’t solve a problem if you won’t acknowledge it’s there. Fantasy is a killer. The danger with being too prescriptive is that you end up with EXPENSIVE MINIONS instead of leaders. I want you to practice speaking second. You’re in a no man’s land where you need to solve problems AND develop people. If it’s on fire, jump in. If it’s not, try to let them take the lead in solving it. If we give them more staff before we fix the problems w how they manage it’ll all just get worse. They’ll hire someone just like them. And even if they do manage to hire someone good, they’ll hate them and fight and eventually drive them out. Comp is always a problem. Did I seriously schedule the Chicago CEO Intensive on a national holiday?!?! (Look for a new date Monday. Sigh.🤦♀️🤣) Why yes that IS Ham from the Sandlot on my t-shirt and you ARE killin’ me Smalls. #leadership #personaldevelopment

We sell to revenue leaders. That means they are leading teams that are trying to do the exact same thing we do. Given that, some of the things my buyers do SHOCK ME. Here's what I mean: Some of my prospects: Lead me on Completely ghost me Are nice rather than direct Act like they have more power than they do Don't know or can't explain their buying process And the list goes on... Granted, for the prospects this happens to, IT'S ON ME for not doing a good enough job in the sales process. I take full responsibility for that. But it amazes me that sales leaders do the exact things they try to teach their reps to avoid. And they get mad at their own prospects for doing the same things they are doing. It demonstrates that all buyers all the same. And you have to create an amazing buying experience or you'll get trapped. But maybe for good sales karma, revenue leaders buyers could be better prospects :) I know I am.

Modern sales leaders aren't afraid of how sales is evolving. You need to align yourself with these change agents. I'm lucky to know a few...and Clara Johnson is one of them. Gone is the boiler room. Welcome is breath work. Gone is fear mongering. Welcome is acceptance of risk. Gone is doing it MY way. Welcome is doing it OUR way. Gone is "this always used to work." Welcome is "let's find a new way." Gone is top down. Welcome is collaboration. Gone is daily calls about deal updates (when nothing has happened). Welcome is a weekly structure deal review that helps reps. Gone is overcoming objections. Welcome is understanding them. Gone is chest-beating. Welcome is balancing masculine and feminine energies. Gone is doing it for the money. Welcome is doing it for the growth (bc $ follows growth). Gone are focusing solely on sales skills. Welcome is investing in the inner-game. Gone is using people. Welcome is enjoying people. Gone is all old white dude leadership teams. Welcome is diverse teams that look like your reps and customers. Gone is "Bob works FOR me." Welcome is "I work WITH Bob." Gone is managing Welcome is coaching. Gone is micromanagement. Welcome is trust. The best sales leaders are rejecting the things we know don't work anymore...no matter how much they worked for us in the past. Sales is changing. If you leader isn't, it'll be hard for you to. And if you aren't changing, you are dying...just like your deals.

Sales Leaders: Walk the Talk Here's Why Sales Leaders MUST Lead by Example Sales leadership is a battlefield, and your team is counting on you to be the strongest, most strategic warrior out there. But can you inspire them to victory if they don't see you in the trenches with them? Here's the reality: talk is cheap. To be a true leader, you've gotta walk the walk. Here are 5 ways to bridge the gap between your words and actions: 1. Dominate the Craft: You preach selling excellence, so become the master of your craft. Hone your skills, learn the latest techniques, and become a resource your team can trust. 2. Be on the Front Lines: Don't be a sideline general. Coach deals, jump on calls, and be there for your team in the thick of the battle. 3. Embrace the Grind: Sales is a grind, and your team needs to see you hustle alongside them. Set the pace with your work ethic, and let your never-say-die attitude be contagious. 4. Celebrate Wins (Big & Small): Recognition fuels motivation. Celebrate every win, big or small, to keep your team's fire burning bright. 5. Lead with Transparency: Be honest and upfront with your team. Share your struggles, setbacks, and even the occasional losses. Let them see how you bounce back and learn from them. Remember, your team is a reflection of your leadership. Are you ready to walk the walk and become the leader they deserve? "Sales are contingent on the confidence of the salesperson. The more confidence you have, the more easily you will persuade." - Zig Ziglar Let's get to work! Are you ready to take your leadership to the next level and become the role model your sales team craves? Share your comments below!