When Performance Slips: What Smart Leaders Do Next with Stephanie Downs

2025-08-08

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In this episode, we’re talking about what really causes sales performance to decline and what leaders can do to help their reps bounce back with clarity and confidence. Stephanie Downs, SVP/Senior Consultant at The Center for Sales Strategy, joins Matt to help break it all down. She expands on key ideas from her article in the 2025 Talent Magazine, where she shares a framework for diagnosing underperformance and reigniting momentum through strength-based leadership. Stephanie delivers powerful takeaways, such as:...

In this episode, we’re talking about what really causes sales performance to decline and what leaders can do to help their reps bounce back with clarity and confidence.

Stephanie Downs, SVP/Senior Consultant at The Center for Sales Strategy, joins Matt to help break it all down. She expands on key ideas from her article in the 2025 Talent Magazine, where she shares a framework for diagnosing underperformance and reigniting momentum through strength-based leadership.

Stephanie delivers powerful takeaways, such as:

Why, too often, feedback from sales managers is too vague
How to distinguish between a skills gap and a motivation issue
And, finally, why you should focus on a rep’s strengths (even when results seem to be lagging)

LINKS:

2025 Talent Magazine

Stephanie Downs

Matt Sunshine

The Center for Sales Strategy

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