What separates a good sales rep from a great one? Some might say it’s skill, others attribute it to pure luck. But there’s one factor that consistently drives performance across high-impact sales teams: intentional, consistent coaching.
Sales coaching isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a core driver of revenue, retention, and rep development. In fact, data shows that high-performing sales teams often spend more time coaching than low-performing sales organizations.
The good news? Better coaching doesn’t necessarily mean you have to spend more time coaching — you just have to fine-tune your approach. Keep reading to learn how to maximize your coaching ROI with a clear understanding of what coaching is and is not.
Before we get into the specifics, it’s important to understand that coaching is not one-size-fits-all. Each sales rep has their own personality, strengths, weaknesses, and motivation that shapes how they sell and what they need to succeed in the field. To maximize your coaching ROI, you should tailor your approach based on each unique rep in your sales org.
At LevelEleven, we’ve identified seven different types of coaching that can be used individually or in tandem:
Each format works for different reasons. The key is knowing when and how to apply them.
Additionally, take into consideration where your reps are in the selling cycle. Coaching during the prospecting stage is different from how you would coach during the qualification or closing stage. By tailoring your coaching approach and cadence, you can help your reps focus on the right things and drive better results.
How do you know if your coaching is making an impact? Be on the lookout for these telltale signs of ineffective sales coaching.
If a rep continues to make the same mistakes. Repeated errors usually means your guidance isn’t landing or isn’t actionable.
If a rep is performing against KPIs. Still not seeing performance improvement after consistent coaching? There might be a deeper disconnect.
If a manager only focuses on feedback. A soccer coach doesn’t just tell her team what to do; she gives them a playbook and runs through it with her team. Similarly, make sure you’re giving your reps a clear walkthrough of expectations and improvement areas — and help them practice.
If a manager coaches every rep in the same way. Reps need personalized support and guidance, not uniform coaching sessions.
If the manager is talking more than the rep. It should be the other way around! As Catie Ivey, Chief Revenue Officer at Walnut, says “If a rep is doing most of the talking, it means that the manager is asking good questions and the rep is solutioning and problem solving on their own.”
If a rep does not realize they are being coached. This last one might seem like common sense, but you’d be surprised. According to research, ninety-three percent of sales managers reported that they spent at least three hours per month coaching. Their reps, however, felt a unanimous lack of coaching.
“When you’re coaching someone, please tell them you’re going to give them some coaching,” says Tom Edmonds, Senior Sales Director at Autodesk. Without that clarity, your coaching efforts are likely to go unnoticed — or unappreciated.
Sales coaching can be an invaluable tool for shaping performance and accelerating revenue, but only when done intentionally and consistently. You get out of coaching what you put in.
LevelEleven makes it easy to run structured, high-impact coaching conversations with visibility into performance metrics, custom scorecards, and built-in coaching tools. Instead of relying on a gut feeling or disorganized spreadsheets, sales managers can guide reps with data-driven insights and ensure their team leaves each session with a clear playbook for success.
TLDR: sales coaching isn’t just a checkbox. It’s a performance lever. And, with the right tools, you can pull it with confidence. Ready to coach with purpose? Get in touch to learn how LevelEleven can help you make every conversation count and maximize your coaching ROI.
