Good Ideas (Based on Bad Assumptions) Are Crippling Sales Leadership
From Sales [UN]Training by Kelly Riggs & Pod About It Productions
May 4, 2026 · 24 min
About this episode
Kelly Riggs discusses the dangers of making assumptions in sales leadership and the importance of diagnosing core issues for better team performance.
In this episode of Sales [UN]Training, Kelly Riggs challenges one of the most common—and costly—habits in sales leadership: making assumptions. From declining win rates to underperforming reps, many leaders jump to quick conclusions and implement fixes that never address the real issue. Follow the audio podcast and watch OR listen wherever you are: https://linktr.ee/salesuntraining Kelly shares a powerful personal story that highlights how easy it is to misdiagnose a problem—and how dramatically outcomes can change when you identify the true root cause. He connects that lesson directly to sales teams, where leaders often assume poor closing is the issue, when the real breakdown happens much earlier in the process. You'll hear why "I don't have time" is one of the most dangerous mindsets in leadership, how surface-level fixes create frustration and stagnation, and why role play and structured practice remain essential tools for development when done correctly. Kelly also takes aim at common myths around motivation, showing how high-performing organizations succeed by building systems, culture, and standards—not by blaming people. The episode wraps with a critical leadership…
People in this episode
Host: Kelly Riggs
Topics covered
- sales leadership
- assumptions
- problem diagnosis
- team performance
- motivation myths
- leadership challenges
Keywords
- sales leadership
- assumptions
- win rates
- closing issues
- role play
- motivation
- team potential
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Sales [UN]Training
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