In this replay episode of Coach to Scale, host Matt Bonelli sits down with Josh Allen, a veteran sales leader from LogMeIn, CarGurus, Drift, and other notable companies, to unpack what it truly takes to elevate sales performance. Together, they explore the myths of sales leadership, why “what worked for you” won’t always work for your team, and how curiosity, drive, and resilience shape top performers. Josh shares hard-earned lessons from building high-performing teams, along with strategies for identifying intrinsic traits during hiring and coaching salespeople with diverse motivations.
Listeners will walk away with practical insights on connecting personal and professional goals, developing consistent coaching rhythms, and sustaining quota attainment without falling into the trap of “growth at all costs.” From nurturing top performers who are often overlooked, to coaching through adversity and building cultures of accountability, this conversation is packed with actionable takeaways for frontline managers, VPs, and anyone passionate about building resilient sales teams.
Top Takeaways
1. What worked for you won’t work for everyone.
Great sales leaders learn quickly that their personal playbook can’t simply be copied and pasted onto their team.
2. Hire for intrinsic traits, train for skills.
Curiosity, drive, and resilience are largely unteachable, whereas sales processes and methodologies can always be refined and developed.
3. Connect personal goals to professional performance.
Helping reps tie career milestones to life goals (like paying off debt or buying a home) builds deeper motivation and accountability.
4. Don’t overlook your top performers.
High achievers also need coaching and career development, not just attention to struggling representatives.
5. Toxic performance is never worth it.
Even the highest producers can’t be allowed to undermine team trust or culture.
6. Coaching is non-negotiable.
Leaders who claim they “don’t have time to coach” are missing the very activity that drives quota attainment.
7. Focus on one change at a time.
Like a golf swing, coaching is most effective when managers help reps improve one skill consistently before moving to the next.
8. Long-term consistency beats short-term intensity.
Sustainable sales success stems from steady development and efficient growth, rather than hiring sprees and short-lived pushes.