The problem with inconsistent sales leadership models didn’t start in a weak market. It started near the end of a strong one.  

When the slowdown first appeared in Colorado around mid-2022, demand was still relatively healthy, even though there were cracks in the armor of the housing market. Even when buyers backed out of contracts, homes often resold quickly, and our teams had no issue replacing backlog. Heck, many times we would even go so far as to just give buyers their earnest money back to move the process more quickly with the next buyer. Missed goals didn’t always feel urgent because the market had a way of masking our onsite sales experience.

In that environment, many leadership teams understandably softened accountability. Not because standards disappeared, but because momentum filled the gaps.

Fast forward to early 2026, and that cover is gone.

When the Market Stops Carrying the Load

Today, many executive sales strategies are still recalibrating. Onsite performance is uneven, and sales goals are no longer achieved by momentum alone.

The data tells the story. From the work I’ve done with builders over the last six months, many onsite sales teams finished 2025 roughly ten to twenty percent short of their goals. That reality puts sales leadership in a difficult position in 2026, especially for organizations without strong, repeatable sales structures.

When results slip, leaders are forced to act. The real issue now is whether those actions create clarity and stability or add more friction to an already challenging market.

The Leadership Predicament

When teams miss goals, leadership often feels pushed toward two extremes, especially as net profits tighten and performance becomes less forgiving. They lean heavily on performance plans or shorten the runway for results.

The risk is that without strong sales systems in place, these become the primary accountability levers, yet onsite performance still fails to stabilize or improve in a consistent, sustainable way.

You can see this play out in real time. Scroll LinkedIn and you’ll often see photos of new home sales reps gathered in a corporate training room, introduced as the next class or new wave of talent. In many cases, those faces represent replacements for reps who were recently placed on plans and moved out of the organization.

This model can work for large national builders with mature training engines, clear playbooks, and the volume to absorb turnover while keeping deals flowing. For smaller and mid-sized organizations, it is far harder to sustain.

On paper, both approaches look decisive. In practice, they often produce the same outcome: instability.

Where Burn and Turn Takes Hold

Many organizations are simply not built to develop sales talent in a changing market. They lack structured onboarding and training programs, coaching models designed for today’s buyers, and realistic timelines for new hires to gain confidence and consistency. As a result, turnover, not development, quietly becomes the strategy.

New reps are often hired into pressure-filled environments with limited time to adapt. They are evaluated against goals that no longer reflect how buyers actually behave. When results lag, the cycle repeats.

The Vicious Cycle No One Intended

Burn and turn leadership models create predictable outcomes. Constant onboarding leads to inconsistent onsite experiences which eventually erodes confidence across the sales team.

Pressure increases. Performance does not.

The Leadership Shift This Market Demands

The answer is not soft accountability. And it is not ruthless turnover.

If we truly want to develop our onsite teams and guide them through this market, the answer requires a disciplined middle ground, one that balances support with challenge.

That middle ground includes clear expectations, weekly one-on-one coaching where performance metrics are reviewed and developed, and ongoing support that reflects today’s buyer reality. Most importantly, it requires leaders to actively guide their managers through this market, not simply measure them inside it.

The organizations that win in 2026 will not be the ones that demand more without support or replace faster without development. They will be the ones that intentionally build stability where it matters most: onsite.

Shinn Group is here to help. In addition to our robust management training curriculum, we offer customized consulting and coaching packages designed to help home builders implement strategies to maximize performance and profitability under any market conditions. Contact us a 720-509-8000 or info@theshinngroup.com for details.

If you’re ready to rise above the rest, compete smarter, and lead stronger, join us March 11-13 in Breckenridge, Colorado, for the 2026 Executive Summit. We offer a discount for multiple attendees so teams can attend together to maximize the return on investment: shared insight, shared accountability, and shared execution. And even if you didn't attend the International Builders' Show this year, you can still take advantage of our buy one, get one free special through February 28.

Mike Welty is a consultant at Shinn Group. He specializes in helping builders develop effective sales and marketing teams and create organizational efficiencies to maximize profit and alignment.