💡Want a Smarter Sales Team? Feed Their Curiosity!

You ever hold a lightbulb and feel like you’re this close to brilliance?

Until you screw that bulb in and flip the switch—it’s just potential.

That’s what unencouraged curiosity looks like in your inside sales team.

And yet—how often do we really encourage curiosity?

Most sales orgs say they want curious reps. They list it in job descriptions. They talk about “lifelong learners” in kickoff meetings. But then
 it’s back to hit your metrics and don’t go off track. đŸ€

You can’t coach initiative into someone who isn’t curious.
You can create the space for curiosity to thrive.

Start with a question:

“What do you wonder about our buyers that you’ve never had the time—or permission—to explore?”

Boom. That’s where the magic begins. 

Of course if this is the first time you’ve asked an open ended question like that, don’t expect everyone’s lights to go on. They need time to think, chat amongst themselves, then ask the question again.

Capture their ideas – get back with them about what the organization is going to do with what they’ve asked, explored, created.

You’ve got a team full of bright minds holding lightbulbs. Your job isn’t to screw them in and hope for the best—it’s to flip the switch.

Now spark their curiosity:

  1. Celebrate thoughtful questions, not just fast answers.
    Curiosity isn’t about being right—it’s about being interested. Give kudos when reps say, “I noticed something weird in that call. Can I test a theory?”
  2. Dedicate 15 minutes a week to “What If” time.
    No agenda. Just rep-led questions about buyers, competitors, process, anything. You’ll be shocked what surfaces when there’s no pressure to be right.
  3. Coach to uncover, not close.
    Every discovery call is a detective story. If your managers aren’t coaching reps to dig deeper—asking follow-ups based on what the buyer actually says—they’re reading a script, not reading the buyer.
  4. Ask your team: “What are we missing?”
    Let them help you think, not just do. The best insights don’t come from dashboards—they come from people talking to people, every single day.

Here’s the kicker:

Curious reps don’t just sell more—they learn faster, ramp faster, and STAY longer.

They feel trusted. Empowered. Seen as thinkers.

Metrics can tell you what happened. Curious reps will figure out what to do next

And as their leader? That’s your legacy.
A team that hits quota AND asks the kind of questions that change the game.

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