Sales coaching is one of those things almost every company says it values, yet many managers are never really taught how to do it well. They are told to coach more, build confidence, improve performance, and hold people accountable, but they are often given little guidance on how to turn those expectations into an effective coaching practice. That gap is one of the reasons I believe sales leaders need a clear way to diagnose performance, structure coaching conversations, and follow through on commitments.
A good sales coaching model starts with diagnosis. That sounds obvious, but it is where many leaders go wrong. A rep may be missing target, struggling with pipeline, failing to convert opportunities, or falling behind on activity. Those are visible outcomes, but they do not always tell you what the real problem is. In Carry the Weight: The Sales Leader’s Guide to Coaching, Trust, and Building People Who Win, I use the EKS framework to look at Effort, Knowledge, and Strategy. The idea is simple: before I decide what someone needs, I want to understand what kind of gap I am dealing with.
A knowledge problem needs teaching. A strategy problem needs coaching and adjustment. An effort problem needs accountability. If I confuse one for another, my coaching can become frustrating even when my intentions are good. Telling someone to work harder when they do not understand the process will not help. Sending someone to more training when they already know what to do but are not doing it consistently will not help either. Good coaching begins when I stop assuming and start looking for evidence.
A strong coaching model should also create clarity. People should not leave a conversation wondering what the issue was, why it mattered, or what they are expected to do next. This is where the OIRC model in the book becomes useful: Observation, Impact, Recommendation, and Commitment. The structure helps me move away from vague statements such as “You need to improve” and toward something more specific and useful. What did I observe? Why does it matter? What needs to change? What are we committing to next? When a conversation is grounded in evidence and direction, it becomes easier to understand the problem without making the person feel as though they are simply being judged.
The best coaching models also build ownership. Poor coaching can create dependence if I constantly identify every issue and give every answer. That may solve a problem in the moment, but it does not necessarily make the person better. Development happens when the person begins thinking for themselves.
Questions such as “What are you seeing?” “What do you think is getting in the way?” and “What would you do differently next time?” invite the person into the process. I still have to protect the standard, but the employee is not just receiving instructions. They are learning how to think, adjust, and take responsibility.
A good model also has to fit the person. Not everyone needs the same kind of coaching. A strong performer who has lost confidence may need something very different from a new rep who lacks knowledge. Someone working hard with the wrong strategy needs a different response than someone who knows what to do but is not doing it. That is why I believe a framework should guide judgment, not replace it. People are not categories. They are people, and the model should help me understand them more clearly.
Finally, coaching has to continue after the conversation. A meeting can feel productive and still change nothing if there is no follow-up. What did we agree to? What happened? What improved? What still needs work? These simple questions keep coaching connected to real behavior and make accountability feel consistent rather than random.
The best sales coaching model is not the one with the most steps. It is the one that helps me understand the real issue, create clarity, build ownership, respond to the individual, and stay close enough to see whether the person is actually growing.
If I want to build a team that can perform when I am not in the room, I have to do more than tell people what to do. I have to help them develop the judgment and capability to make better decisions on their own. That is the kind of leadership and coaching I explore in Carry the Weight: The Sales Leader’s Guide to Coaching, Trust, and Building People Who Win.
Learn more about the book at carrytheweightbook.com.
Also Available On Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HLL9GQL7
