I was reminded recently of a great point Nathan Jamail makes in The Sales Leader Playbook:

“The best players do not necessarily win because they always execute the most difficult plays. They simply practice the basics, what’s tried and true, and get winning results. Focus on strengths and practice the basics until your players and sales teams are great at these basics.”

It’s such a simple truth, but one we often overlook. In sales leadership, there’s always the temptation to chase the “next big idea”—whether that’s a new sales tool, a methodology with a catchy acronym, or the latest LinkedIn tactic.

But here’s the reality: most underperforming sales teams aren’t losing because they lack advanced strategies. They’re losing because they haven’t mastered the fundamentals.

Think about top sports coaches. They don’t spend training sessions designing trick plays or “one-off” moves. They drill their players on the core skills—passing, movement, timing, discipline. Why? Because when the basics become automatic, performance holds up under pressure.

The same principle applies in sales. The basics are not glamorous, but they make the difference between average and outstanding performance. For example:

• Consistent prospecting — building pipeline steadily, not just when things are quiet.
• Strong discovery conversations — asking questions that uncover real business issues instead of defaulting to a product pitch.
• Following a structured sales process — so opportunities don’t get stuck halfway.
• Presenting value-based proposals — making a strong commercial case, not rushing to discount at the first objection.

When these are missing, deals stall, forecasting becomes guesswork, and teams resort to chasing discounts. But when they’re in place—and consistently practiced—salespeople feel more confident, and leaders can actually predict results.

I’ve seen this play out with clients more than once. A Sales Director I worked with recently had a team that was hungry but inconsistent. They were quick to improvise but struggled to keep opportunities moving.

Instead of layering on new techniques, we stripped things back: pipeline discipline, quality discovery, and deal reviews anchored in process.

Within a quarter, the team not only improved conversion rates but also stopped wasting time on unqualified deals. The turnaround didn’t come from something “new” — it came from becoming excellent at the basics.

As a leader, your job is to build an environment where those fundamentals aren’t just known but practiced until they become habits. Coaching isn’t about telling people once; it’s about reinforcing, challenging, and repeating. Just like an athlete repeating drills, salespeople need the same rhythm of practice and feedback.

So before asking, “What’s the latest sales tactic we should try?” maybe ask instead:

• Are my team excellent at the basics?
• Am I consistently reinforcing those basics in coaching and training?
• Do my salespeople have the structure and confidence to execute them under pressure?

Because in my experience, when teams double down on fundamentals, performance levels rise, pipelines strengthen, and results follow—without gimmicks.

It’s not about complexity. It’s about consistency. Excellence in sales comes from being brilliant at the basics.