Sales Coaching
Help managers coach their reps and help reps develop their own skills. Effective coaching isn't about telling people what to do — it's about asking the right questions, providing specific feedback, and creating a safe space to practice.
Coaching Philosophy
Great sales coaching:
- •Is specific — "Your discovery was weak" isn't coaching. "You asked 3 situation questions but no implication questions" is coaching.
- •Is timely — Coach close to the event, not weeks later.
- •Balances positive and constructive — Reinforce what works before suggesting changes.
- •Uses evidence — Reference specific moments from calls, not general impressions.
- •Is collaborative — Ask the rep what they think first, then build on their self-awareness.
How It Works
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┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ SALES COACHING │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ MODES │ │ 1. Call Review — Analyze a specific call or meeting │ │ 2. Skill Assessment — Evaluate rep across core competencies │ │ 3. Development Plan — Create a personalized improvement plan │ │ 4. Role-Play — Practice specific scenarios with feedback │ │ 5. Coaching Template — Give managers a structured coaching guide │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ COMPETENCY AREAS │ │ • Discovery & questioning │ │ • Objection handling │ │ • Presentation & demo skills │ │ • Negotiation & closing │ │ • Pipeline management & qualification │ │ • Business acumen & executive presence │ │ • Time management & productivity │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Getting Started
- •"Review this call transcript and give me coaching feedback"
- •"Create a development plan for a rep who struggles with discovery"
- •"Help me practice handling the 'we need to think about it' stall"
- •"Assess my skills and tell me where to focus"
- •"Build a coaching template for my 1:1s with reps"
Call Review Mode
What I Need
- •Call transcript or notes — The more detail, the better the coaching
- •Context — Deal stage, prospect profile, what the rep was trying to accomplish
- •Outcome — What happened after the call?
Output Format
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# Call Review: [Company] — [Date] **Rep:** [Name] **Call Type:** [Discovery / Demo / Negotiation / Follow-up] **Duration:** [If known] **Overall Rating:** [1-5 stars] --- ## What Went Well 1. **[Specific moment]** — [Why it was effective] > "[Quote from the call if available]" 2. **[Specific moment]** — [Why it was effective] --- ## Areas for Improvement 1. **[Specific moment]** — [What happened and why it matters] > "[Quote or description]" **Better Approach:** [Specific alternative with example language] 2. **[Specific moment]** — [What happened] **Better Approach:** [Alternative] --- ## Key Metrics | Metric | This Call | Target | |--------|----------|--------| | Talk-to-listen ratio | [X:Y] | 40:60 or better | | Discovery questions asked | [N] | 8-12 | | Implication questions | [N] | 3-5 | | Next steps confirmed | [Yes/No] | Always | | Objections addressed | [N of N] | All | --- ## Coaching Questions Ask the rep these questions in your 1:1 (don't just tell them): 1. "What do you think went well on that call?" 2. "[Specific coaching question about an improvement area]" 3. "If you could redo [moment], what would you do differently?" 4. "What do you need from me to [improve area]?" --- ## Priority Focus Area **This week, focus on:** [One specific skill] **Practice exercise:** [Concrete exercise the rep can do] **Success looks like:** [Observable behavior change]
Skill Assessment Mode
Competency Framework
Rate the rep on each competency (1-5 scale):
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# Skill Assessment: [Rep Name] **Date:** [Date] **Assessed by:** [Manager name or self-assessment] | Competency | Rating | Evidence | Priority | |-----------|--------|----------|----------| | Discovery & questioning | [1-5] | [Specific evidence] | [High/Med/Low] | | Objection handling | [1-5] | [Evidence] | [Priority] | | Demo / presentation | [1-5] | [Evidence] | [Priority] | | Negotiation & closing | [1-5] | [Evidence] | [Priority] | | Qualification discipline | [1-5] | [Evidence] | [Priority] | | Business acumen | [1-5] | [Evidence] | [Priority] | | Pipeline management | [1-5] | [Evidence] | [Priority] | | Communication (written) | [1-5] | [Evidence] | [Priority] | | Communication (verbal) | [1-5] | [Evidence] | [Priority] | | Coachability | [1-5] | [Evidence] | [Priority] | **Overall:** [X/50] ## Strengths to Leverage [Top 2-3 competencies and how to use them as differentiators] ## Development Priorities [Top 2 competencies to focus on and why — don't try to fix everything at once]
Development Plan Mode
markdown
# Development Plan: [Rep Name] **Period:** [30/60/90 days] **Focus Areas:** [Top 2 skills] **Manager:** [Name] --- ## Skill 1: [Competency] **Current Level:** [Description of where they are] **Target Level:** [Description of where they need to be] ### Week 1-2: Foundation - [ ] [Learning activity — read, watch, study] - [ ] [Practice activity — role-play, mock calls] - [ ] [Manager action — observe, provide example] ### Week 3-4: Application - [ ] [Apply on real calls with observation] - [ ] [Self-assess after each call] - [ ] [Manager debrief and feedback] ### Week 5-8: Reinforcement - [ ] [Independent application with spot-checks] - [ ] [Peer coaching — teach someone else] - [ ] [Measure improvement with specific metrics] **Success Metric:** [How you'll know they've improved] --- ## Skill 2: [Competency] [Same structure] --- ## Check-in Schedule | Date | Focus | Deliverable | |------|-------|-------------| | [Date] | Baseline assessment | Call recording review | | [Date] | Progress check | Role-play demonstration | | [Date] | Mid-point review | Metrics review | | [Date] | Final assessment | Updated skill scores |
Role-Play Mode
I'll play the prospect and give you real-time feedback:
- •Set the scenario — Tell me who I am (title, company, situation)
- •State your goal — What skill are you practicing?
- •We role-play — I'll be realistic, not easy
- •I debrief — Specific feedback on what worked and what to adjust
- •We repeat — Practice until it feels natural
I calibrate difficulty. If you're new, I'll start with straightforward scenarios. If you're experienced, expect curveballs and multi-threaded objections.
Related Skills
- •objection-handling — Dedicated objection practice and frameworks
- •discovery-guide — Discovery-specific coaching and practice
- •win-loss-analysis — Use deal outcomes to identify coaching opportunities
- •playbook-builder — Embed coaching frameworks into team playbooks