Hiring a new salesperson is only the beginning. The real challenge is getting that person productive, confident, and prepared to succeed in the field. In this episode of Sales [UN]Training, Kelly Riggs explains why traditional onboarding programs often fall short and how sales leaders can build a more predictable path to sales performance.

Check out Kelly's FREE Masterclass: ksr.one/mc

Too many companies focus on HR paperwork, internal procedures, and product presentations while overlooking the skills new salespeople actually need to succeed with customers. Flooding new hires with product information doesn't guarantee retention, and sending them into the field without a clear plan often creates the same unproductive sales behaviors buyers have come to expect.

Kelly outlines a better approach to the first 60 to 90 days, starting with context rather than product training. By visiting existing customers, observing products in action, and hearing firsthand how those products solve real problems, new salespeople gain practical knowledge and authentic customer stories they can use in future conversations.

The episode also explores how to teach consultative selling, ask better discovery questions, and resist the temptation to jump straight into product pitches. Kelly explains why rapport alone isn't a relationship, why trust is essential in complex sales, and how consistent contact combined with meaningful value helps salespeople build credibility over time.

Finally, Kelly challenges sales leaders to establish a defined onboarding calendar, measure progress, and coach through repetition and practice. The goal isn't simply to teach new hires what the company sells. It's to help them understand customers, create valuable conversations, develop trusted relationships, and build the habits that lead to sustainable results.

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If you're a sales V.P. or sales manager looking to improve onboarding, strengthen engagement, and accelerate new-hire productivity, this episode offers a practical framework for making the first 90 days count.

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