Sales teams rarely fail because of lack of effort. They fail because of inconsistent execution, unclear priorities, and missed opportunities to develop skills in the moments that matter. That is exactly where sales coaching earns its place as one of the most powerful drivers of performance.
Sales coaching is not a nice-to-have it’s a competitive advantage. Organisations that build strong coaching cultures consistently outperform those that rely on motivation alone. Yet, despite widespread agreement that coaching matters, many sales leaders struggle to make it a consistent part of their week.
This article explores why sales coaching is critical to team success, how it fits within the broader responsibilities of sales leadership, and how leaders can apply a practical, repeatable approach using the Sandler Coach to Success Model. We focus here on tactical coaching, which delivers immediate, measurable impact.
The Multi-Faceted Role of a Sales Leader
Modern sales leaders wear multiple hats, often in a single day:
- Supervisor – Ensures accountability, tracks activity, and manages performance.
- Trainer – Builds skills, reinforces methodology, and supports onboarding.
- Mentor – Guides career growth, confidence, and long-term development.
- Coach – Unlocks performance by guiding behaviour rather than directing it.
These roles overlap but are distinct. Supervision tracks outcomes, training transfers knowledge, mentorship develops the individual, and coaching focuses on behaviour change in real time.
The challenge? Coaching is often squeezed out by targets, forecasts, meetings, and escalations.
A Gartner survey found that sales leaders believe 34% of their time should be spent coaching. But reality tells a different story: day-to-day firefighting, deal reviews, and reporting quickly fill the week.
When coaching is inconsistent:
- Teams plateau.
- Good performers rarely become great.
- Struggling reps remain stuck in patterns that don’t improve.
The solution is not more time it’s structured, purposeful coaching.
Strategic vs. Tactical Coaching
Strategic coaching focuses on long-term development career growth, mindset, and broader skills. It’s essential for retention and leadership pipelines.
Tactical coaching, the focus of this article, addresses real deals, real conversations, and real behaviours right now. Examples include:
- Handling an objection on a discovery call.
- Positioning a proposal effectively.
- Navigating a complex stakeholder conversation.
Tactical coaching happens in the flow of work after calls, during pipeline reviews, and in deal strategy sessions. Done consistently, it turns everyday moments into meaningful growth opportunities.
The Sandler Coach to Success Model
To make coaching practical and repeatable, use a framework. The Sandler Coach to Success Model provides a simple structure with four phases: Assess, Establish, Define, Execute.
Assess
This begins before the conversation, when a leader identifies a coaching opportunity and analyses the situation. During the conversation, the leader asks questions to learn the salesperson’s perspective:
- How do you feel that call went?
- Where did you feel confident or unsure?
- What would you do differently next time?
This phase builds trust and reflection, which are key to behaviour change.
Establish
Here, the leader and salesperson explore possible actions to improve performance. Instead of prescribing a solution, the conversation is collaborative:
- What could you try differently to handle that objection?
- How could you deepen discovery in future calls?
Collaboration creates ownership and increases the likelihood the salesperson will apply what they learn.
Define
Clarity replaces ambiguity. Both leader and rep agree on specific next steps:
- Prepare three new discovery questions for the next call.
- Pause after answers to explore impact.
- Review two call recordings together.
Clear commitments make coaching actionable and measurable.
Execute
This phase happens after the conversation. The salesperson applies the agreed steps, and the leader follows through. Execution turns coaching from theoretical to transformational and creates the next coaching opportunity.
Leveraging AI Tools for Efficient Coaching
Even with a framework, time is limited. This is where tools like the Sandler AI Role-play Coach become game-changers.
With AI role-play coach:
- Sales reps can practice calls in a safe, simulated environment.
- Leaders can observe performance and provide targeted feedback without requiring real-time intervention.
- Coaching becomes scalable and consistent, freeing leaders to focus on high-value conversations.
Incorporating AI doesn’t replace human coaching, it amplifies it, enabling leaders to coach more efficiently while still maintaining a personal touch.
The Ripple Effect of Strong Coaching
When tactical coaching becomes part of the culture:
- Salespeople feel supported rather than scrutinised.
- Skills improve faster because feedback is timely and relevant.
- Win rates increase as execution improves.
- Confidence grows as progress is visible.
Over time, coaching reduces the burden on the leader. High-performing, self-aware reps require less micromanagement, creating more bandwidth for strategy, growth, and leadership.
Making Coaching Real
Practical steps for integrating coaching into your week:
- Use pipeline reviews as coaching moments, not interrogation sessions.
- Turn call debriefs into Assess conversations instead of scorecards.
- Build 5–10 minutes of coaching into every one-to-one.
- Focus on one behaviour at a time for clarity and impact.
With intention, structure, and modern tools, coaching doesn’t need to be a time-consuming chore, it becomes the most effective lever for team performance.
Conclusion
Sales coaching is not optional, it’s central to effective sales leadership. While leaders balance many responsibilities, coaching amplifies all others: supervision, training, and mentorship.
Using frameworks like the Sandler Coach to Success Model and tools like AI role-play platforms, leaders can coach more consistently, efficiently, and effectively. By focusing on Assess, Establish, Define, and Execute, every interaction becomes a development opportunity.
In a world where products and pricing are easily copied, the differentiator is the quality of the sales team and the quality of the team is shaped by the coaching they receive every day.
