Mastering Sales Leadership: Strategies for Building High-Performing Sales Teams
Effective sales leadership isn’t just about closing deals. It’s about understanding human behavior, building authentic relationships, and leading with integrity. It's also about managing your sales team effectively, understanding the psychology of your customers, and optimizing your sales efforts and process.
In a recent episode of All Things LOCS, sales expert Josh Brunson shared his journey from childhood entrepreneurship to training corporate sales teams for major brands like American Express, Costco, and Vitamix. His insights on sales psychology, customer service, and leadership shed light on how to excel in sales without resorting to manipulation or desperation.
How Early Sales Experience Builds High-Performing Sales Leaders
What are the lessons that we learn when we are children that can carry us later in life? While it is very easy to look back and want to sometimes blame people for what they 'didn't give us' or 'help us with,' the top individuals look for the lessons they learned and what they took away from them. In Josh's case, he noted that his father was very tough on him and his siblings. However, instead of blaming him for not being the 'perfect father,' he focused on the positives that he received.
For example, Josh’s love for sales started at an early age, which later shaped his expertise in sales team management strategies and developing satisfied customers. When he began selling candy bars in front of a grocery store in a small Oregon town. His father, a serial entrepreneur who built 13 businesses, and his grandfather, a top liquor sales representative, were his first mentors. Observing them taught him the importance of human connection, problem-solving, and persistence.
His early experiences in sales weren’t just about making money. They were about building relationships. Whether selling candy bars or watching his grandfather interact with bar owners, he learned the power of engaging conversations and genuine curiosity.
Sales Psychology: Understanding Customer Behavior for Better Sales Results
One of Josh’s biggest takeaways from his upbringing was the ability to read human behavior. He recalls watching his grandfather masterfully navigate conversations by picking up on subtle cues; how people stood, their tone, their facial expressions. He emphasizes that sales professionals must become students of human behavior.
“Some people think crossed arms mean they’re shutting down, but in reality, they just want more information,” Josh explains. “People don’t walk away if they’re completely uninterested. They’re still engaged, even if they seem resistant.”
Sales isn’t about scripts or rigid strategies. It’s about refining the sales process, understanding customer behavior, and ensuring your sales team manager can guide a team toward success. In reality, it’s about understanding how people react, adapt, and make decisions. This skill allows sales professionals to respond appropriately instead of using pushy, outdated tactics.
Sales Shouldn’t Feel ‘Icky’
When you think of the words sales or salespeople, what thought comes to your mind? I can imagine that for most of you, they weren't positive. Josh acknowledges that many people have a negative perception of sales, associating it with manipulation and pressure tactics. But he argues that when done with integrity, sales is simply about helping people solve problems.
“If you truly believe in what you’re selling and you know it can help someone, your job is to communicate that. Desperation, on the other hand, leads to bad sales tactics, such as making promises you can’t keep, offering unnecessary discounts, or using high-pressure closing techniques.”
Instead of pushing, he encourages salespeople to lean into the conversation naturally. One of his favorite techniques? Simply saying, “Okay.”
“When someone gives you an objection, don’t fight it. Just say, ‘Okay.’ It disarms them. They expect resistance, but when you stay calm, it shifts the energy of the conversation.”
Why Salespeople Fail: The Desperation Trap
We all want success, no matter what that looks like for you. However, for some people in business, they are so emotionally driven for financial success that it causes you to make decisions that don't serve the business or them well.
According to Josh, the biggest mistake in sales is desperation. When salespeople focus more on making the sale than understanding the customer’s needs, they lose credibility.
“You can tell when someone’s desperate. Their tone changes, their pitch gets rushed, and they start making empty promises,” he says. “If you truly believe in your product and its value, you don’t need to resort to these tactics.”
Another red flag? Overuse of price-slashing strategies. “If your product is worth $14,000 but you’re suddenly offering it for $8,000 with no justification, you just told the customer your offer was garbage. Confidence in pricing shows confidence in value.”
Modern Sales Strategies: Adapting to a Changing Marketplace
Sales and marketing teams have changed dramatically over the years, requiring new sales management approaches to improve sales performance and meet evolving sales goals. Gone are the days of the pushy car salesman or the hard-sell infomercial. Buyers today are more educated and skeptical. They can fact-check claims instantly and recognize manipulative tactics.
“People can Google what you’re saying in real time,” Josh explains. “That means your words matter more than ever. Your tonality and body language are important, but transparency, honesty, and authenticity are what really sell.”
He believes the modern salesperson must be adaptable, conversational, and focused on problem-solving rather than just selling a product. Josh also discussed the challenges with young hires who tend to struggle with conversations.
In addition, he noted that they struggle with the emotional intelligence that makes great sales professionals who they are. However, instead of wanting to do what many businesses have done, which is not to hire Gen Z employees, Josh noted that he enjoys working with them because they don't have any bad habits to break and they can be taught.
The Role of Leadership in Sales Success
Leadership plays a critical role in building a high-performing sales team by implementing strong sales team management strategies and ensuring smooth collaboration between sales and marketing teams. Josh highlights three key principles for sales leaders:
Lead by Example – A great sales manager must have firsthand experience selling the product. Bringing in someone from the outside and immediately giving them authority over a team without hands-on experience is a mistake.
Fire Fast – A bad hire can drag down an entire sales team. Josh stresses the importance of removing underperformers quickly to maintain a strong team culture.
Train Continuously – Salespeople need regular training, not just on scripts but on real-world scenarios. Weekly role-playing exercises and ongoing coaching are essential for keeping skills sharp.
Josh warns against promoting top-performing sales reps into management roles without first evaluating their ability to lead a sales team effectively and build strong customer relationships into management roles without first testing their leadership skills. “Just because someone can sell doesn’t mean they can manage a team. Some top performers lack the patience and coaching ability needed for leadership.”
The Future of Sales: Leveraging AI for Authenticity
So what is next for Josh? Well, he is currently working on a groundbreaking AI tool called OWL.I ai, designed to help businesses create authentic marketing content without relying on expensive ad spend.
“Too many companies are dumping hundreds of thousands of dollars into Facebook ads without real engagement,” he says. “Our tool extracts the unique expertise of business owners and builds marketing content around their authentic voice.”
Unlike other AI-driven marketing tools, OWL.I ai won’t scrape generic internet content—it tailors messaging to an individual’s personal brand, ensuring integrity and authenticity.
Key Sales Leadership Lessons to Build a Winning Team
Josh’s final piece of advice? Stay curious and be real.
“The best salespeople aren’t the ones with the best scripts or the most aggressive tactics. They’re the ones who listen, ask the right questions, and genuinely care about the people they’re helping.”
For sales professionals and business owners alike, the path to success is clear: understand human behavior, stay authentic, and always operate from a place of integrity.
Whether you’re leading a sales team, launching a business, or simply trying to improve your communication skills, these principles will help you not only close more deals but also build lasting relationships with your clients.
For more insights on sales, leadership, and business growth, stay tuned to All Things LOCS.
If you’re interested in learning more about Josh's upcoming AI tool, keep an eye out for its official launch later this year on LinkedIn and Instagram!
