Sales Leadership Is Stuck in the Past - And It’s Costing You | EP18 | Phil Putnam

I Used To Be Crap At Sales

How do you truly motivate a sales team? Most sales leaders struggle to keep their teams engaged and performing at their best - especially with 53% of the workforce being made up of Millennials and Gen Z.

In this episode, our host Mark Ackers sits down with Phil Putnam, the author of Desire-Based Leadership, to uncover the secrets behind scaling high-performing sales teams and retaining top talent. Phil shares a game-changing leadership framework that shifts the focus from company goals to what employees truly want - because when salespeople believe their job helps them achieve their life goals, performance skyrockets.

We dive into real-world leadership mistakes, how to avoid costly attrition, and why traditional motivational tactics no longer work.

You’ll hear powerful insights on:

• Why most leaders fail to motivate their teams (and how to fix it)
• How to retain top-performing sales reps and stop bleeding money on replacements
• The harsh reality of ignoring the wants and needs of Millennial and Gen Z salespeople
• A simple discovery model for understanding what drives your team, which you can utilise to drive top performance

You'll learn:

1. Why do most sales leaders struggle to keep Millennials and Gen Z salespeople engaged—and what actually works?
2. What’s the #1 mistake leaders make that causes top performers to leave, and how can you stop it?
3. How can you predict whether a salesperson will stay or leave - and what can you do to keep them longer?
4. What’s the real cost of replacing a salesperson, and how can you avoid wasting millions on unnecessary turnover?
5. What’s the simplest way to uncover what truly motivates your sales team (beyond just “money”)?

If you’re serious about scaling your sales team, retaining your top talent, and mastering modern sales leadership, this episode is a must-listen.