From Rookie to Rainmaker: The Tools Behind Rapid Sales Success - Jim Koetting & Ed Kerr

Why Sales Leaders Are Rethinking Training—and Seeing Results

Why are most salespeople still struggling with basic conversations—and how is AI finally solving it? In this compelling episode, Jim Koetting sits down with Ed Kerr, a former Hollywood actor turned entrepreneur, to explore how Practice.ai is transforming sales coaching. Learn why traditional sales training fails, how AI-driven conversation training builds confidence and reduces turnover, and what every VP of Sales needs to know about leading high-performing teams. Packed with practical insights and a live demo of the AI coaching platform, this episode is a must-watch for sales leaders who want to improve performance and ROI.

Key Topics & Bullet Points:

70% of salespeople struggle with common objections—costing companies billions.

Why most sales training fails to translate into confident conversations.

The overlooked importance of conversation fluency in driving sales success.

Roleplay reimagined: How Practice.ai uses private, AI-powered reps to build confidence.

The impact of psychological safety on learning and retention.

How AI creates dynamic and adaptive cold call simulations.

Practice.ai’s dual-agent system: an AI buyer and AI coach.

The concept of actionable conversational strategies for common sales scenarios.

Why traditional roleplay is broken—and how AI fixes it.

Manager dashboards for tracking reps’ practice sessions, scores, and coaching feedback.

Measuring sales rep productivity beyond lagging indicators.

How Practice.ai reduces turnover by accelerating time to fluency.

Real-time feedback from AI coaches builds better objections handling.

Sales manager benefits: transparency, accountability, and ROI tracking.

Ed Kerr's journey from TV star to sales tech founder—blending performance and training.

Keywords

sales training, AI in sales, conversation training, sales coaching, sales leadership, sales objections, sales confidence, sales performance, sales technology, sales effectiveness

Summary

In this conversation, Ed Kerr discusses the challenges faced by sales teams and the importance of effective sales training. He emphasizes the need for conversation training and how AI can revolutionize the way salespeople practice and improve their skills. The discussion covers the psychological aspects of sales training, the role of AI in providing feedback, and the importance of building confidence in salespeople. Ed also shares insights on how sales leaders can better support their teams and improve overall sales performance.

Takeaways

70% of salespeople struggle with handling objections.

Sales training often fails due to lack of reinforcement.

AI can provide a safe environment for practice.

Role playing is essential but often poorly executed.

Salespeople need to be confident to succeed.

Most sales training does not stick without practice.

AI coaching offers objective feedback.

Sales leaders must focus on behavior, not just results.

Building rapport is crucial in sales conversations.

Understanding the 'why' behind sales conversations is key.

Titles

Revolutionizing Sales Training with AI

The Importance of Conversation in Sales

Sound bites

"70% of salespeople cannot handle objections."

"Sales runs the entire economy."

"The ROI was through the roof."

Chapters

00:00 The State of Sales Training

01:50 Challenges in Sales Conversations

08:22 The Role of AI in Sales Training

12:25 AI Coaching vs Traditional Training

19:32 Live Demo of AI Scrimmage

26:13 Real-World Applications of AI in Sales

28:19 Sales Leadership Challenges

38:39 Building Confidence in Salespeople

41:54 Key Takeaways for Sales Managers