George Kossl
Vice President of Sales
As VP of Sales at Volume x Profit Technologies (VXP), George has been a long-time partner to beverage distributors across the U.S., helping turn big ideas into what actually happens on the street. He’s worked alongside owners, managers, and reps to simplify processes, make technology easier to use, and focus effort on what truly moves the needle. With deep experience across sales and operations, George understands the full process flow—from the back door to the balance sheet.
George is known for a pragmatic style that resonates with teams. He focuses on the intersection of people, process, and technology, highlighting where complexity creeps in and how to simplify without losing impact. Drawing from behavioral psychology and motivational theory, he helps leaders reframe communication away from features and processes and toward outcomes that drive real action.
Current Speaking Topics
People, Process, Technology: Are You Solving the Real Problem?
When performance stalls, most distributors assume they have a technology problem. Nine times out of ten, they don’t. They have a people problem or a process problem disguised as a software decision — and adding more technology only makes the cracks deeper.
This session explores one of the most common operational traps in beverage distribution: believing new tools will fix execution. Drawing from real distributor examples, George breaks down the three-legged stool of People, Process, and Technology — and why all three must be aligned for performance to improve.
Key Takeaways:
- Understand why most “technology problems” are actually people or process issues upstream
- Learn how misaligned incentives and over-engineered processes quietly erode execution and accountability
- Discover how WIIFM and behavioral psychology drive adoption and daily decision-making
- Gain a practical framework to diagnose whether people, process, or technology is the real constraint — before investing more time or money
Prospect Theory in Sales & Incentives: Why “Good” Plans Drive the Wrong Behavior
If incentives drive behavior, why do so many well-designed sales compensation plans still produce the wrong results?
Reps sandbag.
Volume gets chased at the expense of profit.
Behavior spikes late in the month.
And even small plan changes are met with outsized resistance.
The problem isn’t the math — it’s psychology.
This session introduces Prospect Theory, a core principle of behavioral economics, and explains why sales reps don’t optimize for maximum payout. Instead, they optimize to avoid perceived loss. Income protection, reference points, and fear of giving something up consistently outweigh upside opportunity — even when the upside is objectively larger.
Through real-world sales and incentive examples, this talk breaks down how loss aversion, reference points, and risk behavior shape day-to-day selling decisions. Attendees will learn why volume-heavy plans unintentionally protect the wrong behaviors, and how incentive design — especially GP-based models — can shift focus from activity to decision-making without increasing risk or volatility.
The session closes with practical guidance on designing incentive structures that align with how people actually behave, resulting in more consistent execution, better mix management, and stronger GP/CE outcomes.
Key Takeaways:
- Understand how loss aversion and reference points influence sales behavior more than payout math
- Learn why “upside-only” incentive framing often backfires and increases resistance to change
- Discover how GP-based incentives shift behavior from end-of-month heroics to daily decision-making
- Gain practical principles for designing incentives that drive consistent execution, protect margins, and reduce panic behavior
WIIFM: Turning Strategy Into Action That Actually Sticks
Leaders often spend time explaining what needs to change, only to watch execution drift once plans hit the field. The missing link is rarely effort or buy-in — it’s relevance. When people don’t clearly see how a strategy connects to their own priorities, even smart plans stall out.
This session introduces WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) as a simple, practical lens for improving communication, alignment, and follow-through. We’ll explore how framing clear, personal outcomes changes how teams listen and act. Attendees will leave with a new way to think about influence, allowing them to become better, more strategic leaders.
Key Takeaways:
- Learn why well-intended strategies often lose traction at the execution level
- Understand how to apply the WIIFM framework to sales strategies, compensation plans, and internal change initiatives
- Discover how different distributor roles (owners, CFOs, managers, reps) interpret value — and how to tailor messaging accordingly
- Gain practical tools to turn strategy into clear daily focus, improving GP/CE, execution, and coaching