When sales numbers dip, the instinct is almost always the same: “We need better sales training.”
More scripts. More techniques. More pressure to close. But here’s the truth many businesses learn the hard way: sales results don’t improve sustainably until leadership improves first.
You can have the best sales framework in the world, but if your sales leaders don’t know how to lead, coach, and motivate their people, results will always be inconsistent. That’s why the most successful organisations invest in leadership training before (or alongside) sales training.
So let’s discuss why leadership training comes first, and how it directly impacts sales performance.
Sales Teams Don’t Fail, Leadership Systems Do
Most salespeople want to succeed. They want clarity, confidence, and support. When results aren’t there, it’s rarely because the team doesn’t care, it’s usually because leadership hasn’t created the conditions for success.
Without strong leadership, sales teams often experience:
• Conflicting priorities
• Inconsistent coaching
• Low accountability
• Micromanagement or total hands-off management
• Confusion around expectations and targets
Leadership training equips sales leaders to build structure, trust, and consistency, which sales training alone simply can’t do.
Leadership Sets the Standard for Performance
Sales leaders set the tone, whether they realise it or not.
Their behaviour influences:
- How confident the team feels
- How challenges are handled
- Whether mistakes are used as learning opportunities or punished
- How motivated the team stays under pressure
When leaders receive leadership training, they learn how to:
- Lead with clarity instead of urgency
- Model the behaviours they want to see
- Create accountability without fear
- Inspire performance rather than chase it
The result? Salespeople perform better because the environment supports success.
Coaching Beats Managing Every Time
One of the biggest shifts leadership training creates is the move from managing to coaching.
Untrained sales managers often jump in to “fix” deals, take over difficult conversations, focus on numbers instead of behaviour or give reactive feedback only when things go wrong.
Leadership training helps sales leaders develop real coaching skills:
- Asking better questions
- Identifying skill gaps early
- Giving constructive, confidence-building feedback
- Helping salespeople think, not just do
When salespeople are coached and not controlled, they grow faster, perform better, and stay longer.
Confidence Flows Downhill
Sales is emotional. Rejection, pressure, and constant targets can wear even strong performers down.
If leaders lack confidence, clarity, or emotional intelligence, it shows.
Teams pick up on it immediately.
Leadership training builds skills including: emotional intelligence, self-awareness, communication skills and decision-making confidence to name a few.
Confident leaders create confident sales teams and confident sales teams close more deals.
Leadership Training Creates Consistency
One of the biggest frustrations in sales organisations is inconsistency. One month is great, the next is flat. One salesperson performs, another struggles.
Leadership training helps leaders:
- Apply consistent expectations
- Hold fair and clear accountability
- Reinforce behaviours, not just outcomes
- Align sales activity with business goals
Consistency in leadership creates consistency in results.
Better Leadership = Higher Retention
High turnover kills sales momentum. Salespeople don’t usually leave companies, they leave leaders.
When leadership training is prioritised, sales leaders learn how to:
- Build trust and rapport
- Recognise effort and improvement
- Communicate clearly during change
- Support growth and development
Stronger leadership means higher engagement, better retention, and a more experienced, stable sales team, all of which directly impact sales performance.
Sales Training Works Better When Leadership Is Strong
Here’s the kicker: sales training actually works better after leadership training. Why?
Because leaders know how to reinforce new skills, coach behaviours post-training, keep momentum going and hold people accountable to what was learned.
Without trained leaders, sales training often becomes a one-off event. With trained leaders, it becomes a system.
Leadership Training Isn’t a “Nice to Have”
Leadership training isn’t soft. It’s strategic.
When sales leaders are trained to lead effectively, you see:
- Stronger performance
- Higher morale
- Better communication
- Increased accountability
- Sustainable sales growth
Sales results improve when leadership is intentional.
Ready to Strengthen Your Sales Leadership?
If you want better sales results, start where it matters most, your sales leaders. KONA Training delivers tailored Leadership Training for Sales Leaders designed to build confident, capable leaders who know how to coach, motivate, and drive performance.
To learn more about Leadership Training before taking the next step, click here.
Contact KONA Training today to discuss leadership training tailored specifically for your sales leaders and your business goals.
Call 1300 611 288 or Email info@kona.com.au
Author – Garret Norris – https://www.linkedin.com/in/garretnorris/
