Ever tried to drive a new behaviour across your sales team . . . for it to lose momentum within weeks? In sales, change often seems easy on paper:
- “Triple pipeline.”
- “Shift to this new vertical.”
- “Adopt this new sales play.”
- “Use the new process.”
Even the most rational, well-explained change falls flat if people are overwhelmed, unclear, or unconvinced. Every year brings another wave of change for sales teams and pipeline continues to be the biggest challenge.
So the real question is: How do you embed change that lasts beyond the kick-off meeting and actually shapes how your team sells in 2026?
This is where the Switch framework becomes a game-changer.
We first discovered it thanks to Darren Thayre (CEO Advisory, Professor of AI & Digital Innovation, and Advisor to G20) who recommended the book, and we loved it so much we invited him back on to the Get Amplified podcast to talk about it.
It mirrors so much of what we believe: that lasting change only happens when you make it simple, human, and easy for teams to follow.
Switch isn’t about telling people how to do their job. Think of it as a framework, a practical way to help you activate the brilliant plans you already have.
What is the Switch Framework?
In Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard, the Heath brothers offer a simple, powerful model for change. At its heart is a brilliant analogy:
- The Rider represents our rational brain
- The Elephant represents our emotional brain: strong, instinctive, and often in control
- The Path is the environment or route we’re navigating
To make change stick, we need to:
1. Direct the Rider
Learn from what’s already working. Give clear guidance and reduce ambiguity. Often it appears people are resistant, when the real issue is they don’t know how to change.
2. Motivate the Elephant
Inspire emotion, purpose, and belief to keep people on the journey, especially when it gets tough.
3. Shape the Path
Make the journey easier by removing friction. When the environment is set up well, there’s no room for excuses.
Each of these principles is backed by practical tools, like finding the bright spots (what’s already working well) or scripting the critical moves to give people clarity and confidence. For simplicity and ease of use, it is represented in a 9 box grid (see below).
We love that the Switch framework focuses on what is working already and encourages you to do more of it. It’s a refreshing approached compared to the traditional “fix what’s broken”.
Click here for the worksheet
Why the “People Bit” Matters More Than We Realise
Science tells us that the emotional part of our brain is five times faster and more powerful than the rational part.
That means even the most logical, well-planned change effort is likely to fail if people don’t emotionally buy into it.
Think about chocolate: rationally, we know it’s not ideal to inhale half a bar in one go. We even set rules like “No stealing chocolate from the cupboard!”
But when we’re tired, hungry, or stressed, our emotional brain takes over, the rulebook goes out the window . . . and the chocolate wins.
Business change is no different. You can present the most logical case for a new sales motion, a new focus sector, or a new process. But if people aren’t emotionally engaged, or excited about the shift, the emotional brain kicks in. Resistance rises. Behaviour doesn’t change. And the plan quietly falls apart.
This is exactly why the Switch framework is so powerful: it recognises that people don’t change because of logic alone. They change when head + heart + environment all work together.
So, What Does This Mean for Your 2026 Sales Plan?
Many sales organisations are heading into 2026 with crystal-clear targets but blurry execution plans.
Here’s how the three Switch elements come to life in a sales pipeline context:
1. Direct the Rider → Be crystal clear on the behaviours that build pipeline
It’s rarely motivation that blocks sales teams. It’s not knowing how to do what’s being asked.
This is where Switch invites leaders to find the bright spots, the pockets of success already happening inside your own business.
Ask yourself (and your managers):
- Where is pipeline already being created consistently?
- Who is doing it well?
- What exactly are they doing differently?
This isn’t about turning everyone into “Top Rep Tom.” It’s about uncovering the specific, repeatable behaviours that others can copy. Because small, clear steps beat big, fuzzy goals every single time.
So instead of setting a broad instruction like “create more pipeline,” Switch pushes you to define the critical moves that matter, with your team.
For example:
- “Engage 3 new stakeholders per opportunity by day 14.”
- “Run one diagnostic discovery session per Tier 1 account each month.”
- “Record next steps in CRM at the end of every customer meeting.”
These are behaviours the Rider can act on immediately with no interpretation needed.
When the Rider knows exactly what to do, your team stops guessing, starts moving, and pipeline momentum builds fast.
2. Motivate the Elephant → Make the ‘why’ real and human
Logic gets people thinking. Emotion gets people moving.
Pipeline behaviours stick when team members feel genuinely connected to why the change matters, not just to the business, but to them.
Before asking anyone to work differently, shine a spotlight on the destination:
- What does ‘good’ look like for pipeline in 2026?
- Why does it matter to the business?
- Why should it matter to them personally?
- Where are the early bright spots we can celebrate to build energy?
The Elephant loves purpose, encouragement, and proof. It feeds its energy.
Share bright spots early. Celebrate momentum loudly. Tell stories that show the change is already working.
Change accelerates when team members can say:
- “This is doable.”
- “This will help me win.”
- “People like me are already succeeding with this.”
When people feel progress, they lean in and they stay with you.
3. Shape the Path → Make it easier to do the right thing
Even the most motivated team member will fall back into old habits if the environment works against them.
Switch encourages leaders to eliminate friction so it becomes easier to follow the new behaviour than the old one.
Ask questions (for example):
- Is it easy for sales reps to get the presales support they need?
- Is the marketing content aligned to actual customer pain?
- Are tools, templates, or systems slowing them down?
- Are the new processes genuinely simpler, or just more work?
When you streamline the environment, you create no-excuse conditions. Shape the Path well and people naturally adopt the new behaviour because it simply makes sense.
Want to Apply Switch to Your 2026 Plan?
We know how tough it’s been this year. Targets are high. Budgets are tight. Everyone is under pressure to deliver more with less.
Whether you’re gearing up for a pipeline push, shifting your operating model, rolling out a sales transformation, or embedding a new CRM rhythm, Switch helps you bring:
✔ Hearts and minds, fully engaged
✔ Crystal-clear actions your team can follow
✔ Sustainable behaviour change
✔ Real impact on the KPIs that matter
If you want help embedding Switch or aligning your leaders on the behaviours that matter, we’d love to chat.
A Bit About Us
We are an award winning team coaching company dedicated to accelerating organisational performance. We partner with leaders to navigate complex change and operational challenges to unlock the full potential of their teams. Despite the ever-increasing use of technology, organisations are powered by people.
How fast you go is determined by how you work together. We are passionate about the difference we can make in partnership with our clients.
