Jan. 7, 2026

Why Sales Training Fails: The Science of Attention & Practice w/ Tom Kiernan

In this episode of Thoughts on Selling, Lee Levitt sits down with veteran enablement leader Tom Kiernan to debate the forbidden "T-Word"—Training. Tom argues that effective enablement isn't a one-time event but a continuous process akin to the "Toyota Way," and challenges the industry's "Practice Deficit" where sales reps, unlike professional athletes, often treat live calls as their practice fields. We dive into the neuroscience of the Reticular Activating System (RAS) to explain how buyers filter out noise, and why removing "Commission Breath" is the only way to hack their attention and build genuine trust.

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Season 4 Sales Enablement

Episode Summary

Is your organization guilty of the "T-Word"? In this episode of Thoughts on Selling, Lee Levitt sits down with Tom Kiernan, a veteran sales enablement practitioner (formerly of APC and Schneider Electric), to debate the critical difference between "Sales Training" (an event) and Sales Enablement (a process).

We dive into the neuroscience of selling, exploring how the Reticular Activating System (RAS) filters information and how you can trigger it to cut through the noise. Tom also challenges leaders on the "Practice Deficit"—asking why professional athletes spend 90% of their time practicing, while sales reps practice only when they are live in front of a customer.

Memorable Quotes:

  • "Motive is transparent. It's written right up on that yellow sticky note on your forehead." — Tom Kiernan

  • "The best swing is the one that I didn't think about... I practiced to get there, but I just hit the ball."

  • "If you don't have a defined process, there's nothing to practice." — Lee Levitt

3 Actionable Takeaways for Leaders:

  1. Kill the "Event" Mindset: Stop treating enablement as a one-time "bootcamp." Adopt the Toyota Way (Kaizen) approach: small, continuous process improvements integrated into the daily workflow.

  2. Hack the Buyer's RAS: Your buyer's brain is designed to ignore you. To trigger their Reticular Activating System, you must shift to "Other Centered Selling." Stop pitching "our solution" and start speaking "their problem."

  3. Schedule "Safe Failure": If your reps are only practicing on live calls, you are burning leads. Create safe, internal role-play environments where failure is free. As Tom notes, amateurs play the game; professionals practice the drill.

Key Topics & Timestamps:

  • (00:00) – Introduction: The forbidden "T-Word" (Training).

  • (04:15) – Process vs. Event: Lessons from APC and Schneider Electric on building global enablement engines.

  • (11:30) – The Neuroscience of Attention: What is the RAS and why does it block your sales pitch?

  • (19:45) – The Practice Deficit: Comparing the NFL/Broadway preparation model to corporate sales.

  • (27:00) – The "Toyota Way": Applying manufacturing rigor to the sales process.

  • (33:20) – Commission Breath: Why motive is transparent and how to align with the buyer's success.

  • (41:00) – Lumpy Bones: Tom’s "Books as a Service" non-profit for children facing difficult life challenges.

About Our Guest:Tom Kiernan is a seasoned Sales Enablement leader with a career spanning major global enterprises like American Power Conversion (APC) and Schneider Electric. Known for his process-driven approach to performance, Tom is also the founder of Lumpy Bones, a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Through "Books as a Service," Lumpy Bones creates and distributes humorous, inspiring books to help children navigate difficult topics like cancer and illness.

About the Host:Lee Levitt is a seasoned sales performance consultant, sales coach and the Principal of The Acelera Group. With decades of experience in Sales, Sales Leadership, Sales Enablement, Revenue Operations, and Sales Performance Management, Lee helps enterprise organizations build disciplined, replicable sales operating systems.

He is the voice behind the Thoughts on Selling™ brand, covering the intersection of deal mechanics and the "Inner Game" of selling.

Related Episodes:

  • Ep 74: Listen, Don’t Think w/ Kevin Hubschmann: Using improv rules to practice active listening.

  • Ep 43: The Inner Game of Selling w/ Jeff Lipsius: How internal coaching drives results.

Resources & Links:

Keywords for Search:Sales Enablement, Sales Training, Neuroscience of Selling, Reticular Activating System, RAS, Sales Coaching, Practice Drills, Toyota Way, Kaizen, Process Management, Buyer Psychology, Trust Based Selling, Commission Breath, Lumpy Bones, CSR, Corporate Social Responsibility, B2B Sales Strategy

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Tom Kiernan Profile Photo
Tom Kiernan

Author

With a career rooted in global enablement and large-scale organizational leadership, our guest today spent years mastering the art of empowering teams and driving success across borders. However, it was a personal mission of healing that sparked his transition into the world of storytelling and philanthropy.

Today, he is the author of The Mad Dash—a sci-fi adventure trilogy designed for middle-grade readers—and the founder of the Lumpy Bones Company, a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Drawing from his professional expertise in "enablement," he now focuses on enabling children and families to navigate the journey of illness with hope. Through his "Live like Bones" philosophy, he combines high-stakes adventure and humor to prove that optimism is the ultimate tool for resilience.