Why Most Sales Training Fails | James Barton, Mentor Group

In this first episode of The Outside Seat, James Barton, Chief Solutions Officer at Mentor Group, joins Mike Tumalty to unpack why most sales training fails within 90 days, what genuinely sustainable selling looks like, and where AI is changing GTM versus where it is just being oversold. James brings a rare perspective. He sits inside more revenue organisations than most CROs will in a career, designing the systems that turn training into measurable commercial outcomes. This conversation goes deep on enablement architecture, the gap between what clients ask for and what they actually need, and the buyer journey as a map rather than a process. What you will hear: Why most sales training evaporates within 90 days The systems thinker's view of GTM transformation Buyer journey as map, not process Where AI genuinely changes selling, and where it is being oversold Why the BDR function is the most at-risk role in B2B sales today About James Barton: James is Chief Solutions Officer at Mentor Group, a global sales performance consultancy. He is the co-author of Infinite Selling and one of the most credible voices on the architecture of commercial transformation. About the host: Mike Tumalty is the founder of InsideNow, a GTM diagnostic and commercial due diligence consultancy. He has 25 years of B2B SaaS experience across ServiceNow, Lokalise, Decibel/Medallia, and Panaya. Episode 1 is supported by Flourish, an early-career B2B sales recruitment and training business. If you are hiring sales talent, look at what they do: https://info.helloflourish.com/hire-a... Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday. Connect with James Barton: linkedin.com/in/jamesabarton/ Connect with Mike Tumalty: linkedin.com/in/miketumalty Follow The Outside Seat: linkedin.com/company/theoutsideseat The Outside Seat is produced by InsideNow. Find more at insidenow.co.uk #GTM #BuyersJourney #B2BSales #SalesLeadership #RevenueOperations