AI is accelerating change, customer expectations are rising, and growth is increasingly coming from existing accounts – not just new business.

These are the main takeaways from the 2026 Sales Leader Report from The Brooks Group. The report, 5 Strategies for Consultative Selling in the Age of AI, presents the priorities and challenges of hundreds of sales leaders.

Perhaps the most important insight is this: Performance gaps within sales teams are widening, and many organizations are still relying on a handful of top performers to carry results.

For sales leaders, this creates both urgency and opportunity. The path forward isn’t just about adopting new tools or refining strategy; it’s about building a more capable, consistent, and customer-focused sales force.

Here are the key takeaways from the report – and how you can apply them to improve training effectiveness and team performance.

1. Stop Relying on Top Performers – Scale What Works

Many organizations are hitting revenue targets, but often on the backs of a few high performers. This creates a fragile model that won’t scale as targets grow.

This means sales leaders need to shift from depending on top performers to replicating their success across the team.

Start by identifying what your “A” players do differently:

• How do they qualify opportunities?
• How do they prepare for customer conversations?
• How do they position value?

Then, embed those behaviors into your sales process, training, and coaching. AI tools can help analyze calls and identify patterns, but the real value comes from turning those insights into repeatable, coachable actions.

2. Treat AI as an Accelerator, Not a Fix

AI adoption is widespread, especially in training and coaching. 71% of sales leaders already use AI. But the report is clear: AI amplifies the seller’s existing skill level – it doesn’t replace it. If your team lacks strong consultative selling skills, then AI will only make those gaps more obvious.

Instead of relying on AI to “solve” performance issues, use it to:

• Reinforce training through practice and feedback
• Improve coaching consistency
• Enhance pre-call planning and research

The foundation must still be strong. Invest in developing critical thinking, questioning, and relationship-building skills, then use AI to scale and accelerate those capabilities.

3. Focus on Developing the Team You Have

Sales leaders in 2026 are prioritizing retention, development, and account growth over hiring. The goal is to do more with existing talent. Your biggest opportunity is unlocking the potential already on your team.

This requires a more intentional approach to talent development:

• Use assessments to understand each seller’s strengths and gaps
• Align sellers to roles and accounts where they can succeed
• Invest in coaching underperformers rather than replacing them too quickly

When you develop your current team effectively, you not only improve performance – you also increase engagement and retention.

4. Make Your Sales Process Truly Customer-Centric

Most organizations have a defined sales process – and most teams follow it. But is their sales process effective?

Many processes are still seller-centric, focused on activities and pipeline tracking rather than customer needs and decision-making. You need to evaluate whether your process drives the right behaviors.

A high-performing, customer-centric sales process should help sellers:

• Prioritize the right opportunities
• Understand what the customer values
• Differentiate beyond price and features
• Navigate complex buying decisions

If your process doesn’t guide these behaviors, then training alone won’t fix the problem. Your methodology and your training must be aligned around how customers buy, not just how sellers sell.

5. Build Seller Intentionality – Starting with Pre-Call Planning

One of the most striking findings in the report is the rise of pre-call planning as a top skill gap. Along with qualifying and differentiation, pre-call planning forms the foundation of consultative selling.

You need to instill a culture of intentional selling. High-performing sellers don’t “wing it.” They:

• Define clear objectives before every interaction
• Prepare thoughtful questions
• Anticipate customer needs and concerns

The good news? This is highly teachable. Equip your team with a simple, repeatable framework for pre-call planning. Reinforce the habit through coaching. Even a few minutes of preparation can dramatically improve the quality of customer conversations and outcomes.

6. Align Training with Customer-Centric Skill Gaps

One of the biggest disconnects in the report is between what sales teams struggle with and what organizations prioritize in training.

For example: Qualifying and consultative selling are top challenges. But product knowledge and presentation/demonstration skills still dominate training priorities.

If your training isn’t aligned with real performance gaps, then it won’t drive results. Take a more data-driven approach:

• Diagnose skill gaps through assessments and performance data
• Prioritize training that addresses customer-centric behaviors
• Avoid overinvesting in areas where your team is already strong

Effective training isn’t about covering more topics – it’s about focusing on what matters most.

7. Reinforce Training Through Coaching and Practice

Training alone doesn’t change behavior; reinforcement does. The report highlights the importance of ongoing coaching, practice, and feedback, often supported by AI tools.

You need to build a system that supports continuous development. This includes:

• Equipping managers to coach effectively and consistently
• Providing opportunities for sellers to practice skills
• Using tools that deliver real-time feedback

Think of training as the starting point, not the finish line. The real impact comes from what happens after the session ends.

8. Use Assessments to Drive Smarter Development

Sales assessments are a powerful but underutilized tool for improving performance. They provide insight into behavior, motivation, and selling style.

You can’t improve what you don’t understand. Use assessments to:

• Identify individual and team-wide skill gaps
• Personalize training and coaching
• Make better decisions about role alignment and account assignments

This ensures your development efforts are targeted, relevant, and effective.

9. Build a Team That Wins Consistently

The biggest takeaway from the 2026 Sales Leader Report is this: Success is no longer about isolated excellence – it’s about team-wide consistency.

As a sales leader, your role is to create an environment where every seller has the skills, tools, and support to succeed. That means:

• Scaling best practices across the team
• Aligning training with real-world needs
• Reinforcing behaviors through coaching and process
• Leveraging AI to enhance human capability, not to replace it

When you focus on building capability at scale, you don’t just hit your numbers – you build a resilient, high-performing sales organization that can thrive in any market.

Download your copy of 5 Strategies for Consultative Selling in the Age of AI.