060: "Are You Coaching Your Team or Just Saving the Deal?" (lessons from Kim Willis)

🧠 Erik’s Take

In this post-interview reflection, Erik breaks down his conversation with Kim Willis, exploring what makes someone truly excellent at sales—and why that matters for leadership. Rather than glamorizing charisma or relying on old tropes, Erik digs into the deeper attributes: curiosity, storytelling, feedback loops, and the relentless pursuit of truth. This reaction feels part tactical, part philosophical, and wholly committed to real leadership growth—especially for those building teams, shaping offers, or selling visionary ideas.

🎯 Top Insights from the Interview

• Sales is a truth-finding process. The best salespeople aren’t manipulators—they’re curious investigators trying to discover if they can really help.
• Coaching matters more than charisma. One pivotal mentor changed the trajectory of Kim’s career by listening to his calls and offering real-time feedback.
• Storytelling is a differentiator. Facts alone won’t close the deal. A coherent, compelling narrative creates the bridge from “problem” to “possibility.”
• Failure is a leadership tool. You can’t develop top performers if you’re always rescuing them. Let people fail—then use feedback to help them rise.
• Great salespeople create markets. They don’t wait for demand—they name a problem, offer a path, and generate value out of thin air.

🧩 The Personal Layer

Erik doesn’t just admire Kim’s expertise—he relates to it. His own leadership journey has involved both leading sales teams and wrestling with the tension between delivering results and developing people. His reflection reveals a genuine respect for craft, a belief in the power of well-told stories, and a growing conviction that truth, not performance, is the real currency of leadership.

🧰 From Insight to Action

• Ask yourself: Are you performing... or being curious?
• Re-listen to a recent client/sales conversation—where did you follow a script, and where did you find truth?
• Create space for your team to fail. Then give them meaningful feedback—not a rescue.
• Audit your sales story. Is there a clear arc from pain to transformation?
• If you're in leadership, take one active step toward coaching someone this week—not just managing them.

🗣️ Notable Quotes

“Sales is about getting to the truth—not just getting the yes.”

 “The best salespeople are obsessed with the problem, not the product.”

 “You can’t develop someone if you won’t let them fail.”

 “Facts don’t sell. Stories do.”

 “The most exciting kind of entrepreneurship is creating value where there wasn’t any before.”