Improving Sales Performance

In this episode, we’re uncovering what high-performing sales organizations do in the first 90 days to turn new hires into confident, capable contributors. 

Matt is joined by Alina McComas, VP/Senior Consultant at The Center for Sales Strategy, who expands on the strategies she outlined in her article for the 2025 Talent Magazine. Alina shares what new hires really need to succeed and what leaders can do to support them from day one.

Alina offers practical, actionable advice, including: 

• How too many sales leaders think their job is done once they’ve hired a talented seller 
• Why you should make adjustments to your onboarding plan based on the individual’s innate talents 
• And, finally, why you should set clear expectations for what success looks like in their role on day one.

LINKS:

2025 Talent Magazine

Alina McComas

Matt Sunshine

The Center for Sales Strategy

In this episode, we’re taking a closer look at how executive coaching helps leaders evolve so their teams can truly thrive. 

And joining Matt is Donna Hall, SVP/General Manager at Robertson Lowstuter, whose piece in the 2025 Talent Magazine explores how executive coaching creates a ripple effect across teams and culture.

Whether you’re new to leadership or deep into your career, this conversation will help you rethink what great executive development looks like. 

Donna shares such rich insights, like: 

• How, if you want to be the best leader you can be, it takes the recognition that everyone has areas for growth 
• Why the cornerstone of great leadership begins with authenticity 
• And, finally, how Michael Jordan didn’t have a coach because he was weak. He had a coach because he was committed to staying at the top of his game 

LINKS:

2025 Talent Magazine

Donna Hall

Matt Sunshine

The Center for Sales Strategy

In this episode, we’re talking about what really causes sales performance to decline and what leaders can do to help their reps bounce back with clarity and confidence. 

Stephanie Downs, SVP/Senior Consultant at The Center for Sales Strategy, joins Matt to help break it all down. She expands on key ideas from her article in the 2025 Talent Magazine, where she shares a framework for diagnosing underperformance and reigniting momentum through strength-based leadership. 

Stephanie delivers powerful takeaways, such as: 

• Why, too often, feedback from sales managers is too vague 
• How to distinguish between a skills gap and a motivation issue 
• And, finally, why you should focus on a rep’s strengths (even when results seem to be lagging)

LINKS:

2025 Talent Magazine

Stephanie Downs

Matt Sunshine

The Center for Sales Strategy

In this episode, we’re exploring what smart sales leaders do before their top performers resign. 

And joining Matt is Beth Sunshine, SVP/Talent Services at The Center for Sales Strategy. 

Her contribution to the 2025 Talent Magazine highlights the importance of being ready long before turnover happens. And, here, she shares actionable ways to build that readiness into your talent strategy. 

Beth brings so much wisdom to the table, including: 

• Why it’s essential to protect the relationships with your people who leave, because “boomerang” employees are all too common 
• How, when it comes to referrals, vague requests get vague results  
• And, finally, why the only thing more expensive than making the wrong hire, is waiting too long to make the right one 

LINKS:

2025 Talent Magazine

Beth Sunshine

Matt Sunshine

The Center for Sales Strategy

In this episode, we’re diving into how identifying and leveraging innate talent (rather than just experience) can help leaders build stronger, higher-performing sales teams. 

And helping Matt unpack it all is Trey Morris, VP/Senior Consultant/Director of Training Innovation at The Center for Sales Strategy. Trey’s article in the 2025 Talent Magazine explores how smart hiring decisions can transform team performance, and, here, he brings those insights to life with practical strategies and real-world examples. 

Trey shares so many eye-opening tips, like: 

• Why hiring for raw potential often yields better results than hiring for polish or experience alone 
• How to spot innate talent during the interview process using tools like structured assessments 
• And, finally, why, every time you interact with anyone, you should ask yourself: “Is this someone that I could I add to my Talent Bank?” 

 LINKS:

2025 Talent Magazine

Trey Morris

Matt Sunshine

The Center for Sales Strategy

In this Quick Take episode, we’re taking a few minutes to think about the day in the life of a salesperson before and after having AI tools at our fingertips.  

By the end of this short episode, you’ll have a solid bird’s-eye-view of how significantly AI has altered the daily routines and approaches of salespeople, making their strategies more efficient and effective.

LINKS:

Matt Sunshine

Sales Accelerator AI

Practice Coach AI

The Center for Sales Strategy

In this episode, we’re discussing the key differences between “closed” and “open” AI tools. We’ll also break down how Sales Accelerator AI, CSS’ own closed AI system, is designed to address the unique challenges salespeople regularly face. 

And helping Matt explore it all is Stephanie Downs, SVP/Senior Consultant at The Center for Sales Strategy.  

Stephanie offers so many awesome things to think about, like: 

• How closed AI tools can offer more tailored responses by working solely from the information that you teach it 
• How, when open AI tools don’t know an answer, they often produce “hallucinations,” filling in the gaps with inaccurate information 
• And, finally, why sellers who are leery about embracing these tools need to understand that AI is not the future, it's the present

LINKS:

Stephanie Downs

Sales Accelerator AI

Matt Sunshine

The Center for Sales Strategy

In this episode, we’re discussing the benefits of having an AI Task Force at your company and how such a brain trust can be an invaluable resource to ensure that your organization stays ahead of the curve. 

Joining Matt to explore it all is Brent Tripp, Digital Marketing Coordinator & Podcast Producer here at CSS.  

Brent offers some solid points to think about, like: 

• Why it’s essential for everyone at your organization to have a firm grasp on how AI tools function and what they can help you accomplish. 
• How having an AI Task Force at your company can help you make decisions and provide recommendations as new tech innovations become available 
• And, finally, why if you or your organization is reluctant to embrace AI tools, you just might be missing out on an opportunity to compete with larger teams. 

LINKS:

Brent Tripp 

Matt Sunshine

Sales Accelerator AI

The Center for Sales Strategy

In this episode, we’re taking a look at how AI is supercharging CRMs and, specifically, exploring how HubSpot is transforming the way businesses manage customer relationships, sales processes, and marketing campaigns. 

Helping me break it all down are Maryanne McWhirter and Emily Hartzell, both VP/Senior Directors at LeadG2.  

Maryanne and Emily offer so many awesome points to think about, like: 

• How HubSpot is NOT just a CRM, but a robust marketing tool that allows you to see every step that a customer has taken in their buying journey 
• How HubSpot’s AI uses CRM data to craft tailored messages for personalized sales pitches 
• And, finally, why if you’re not automating repeatable processes in your CRM, you’re falling behind 

LINKS:

Maryanne McWhirter

Emily Hartzell

LeadG2

Matt Sunshine

The Center for Sales Strategy

Previously this season, we explored how AI is transforming the world of sales coaching. Today, in this episode, we’re diving a bit deeper into that topic by chatting with two incredible guests from the AI coaching platform, Yoodli. 

Varun Puri, Co-Founder of Yoodli, and Ajay Jain, Head of Training and Enablement at Yoodli are here to break down exactly how their platform is revolutionizing the way sales professionals refine their communication skills. 

Both bring such great points to the table, like: 

• How AI coaching can be a really great “batting cage” for sellers 
• Why AI tools like Yoodli are making the idea of practice fun versus it feeling like homework 
• And, finally, how AI can take someone from a zero to an 8, but to get from an 8 to a 10? You need a human in the loop. 

LINKS:

Varun Puri

Ajay Jain

Yoodli

Matt Sunshine

Practice Coach AI

The Center for Sales Strategy