The Coach vs. The Player

TL;DR

Sales leaders are not meant to be the star players because they’re the coaches. A coach doesn’t win games by stepping onto the field to do all the work. Coaches win by guiding, training, and empowering their players to perform at their best. The same principle applies to sales leadership. True impact comes from coaching skills, setting clear expectations, holding people accountable, and building an environment where sales professionals can grow into top performers.

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Image by Collin Wigger from Unsplash

The Sports Analogy: Coach vs. Player

Think about the difference between a head coach and a quarterback. The coach isn’t on the field throwing passes, dodging defenders, or scoring touchdowns. Their role is fundamentally different:

• The player (sales professional) executes plays, takes the hits, and makes the moves in real time.

• The coach (sales leader) sets the strategy, observes performance, provides feedback, and develops the skills that help the player get better with every game.

If the coach tried to play the game themselves, the whole team would fall apart. The same goes for sales leaders who try to close deals for their reps instead of coaching them.

Where Sales Leaders Go Wrong

Too many sales leaders operate like players in disguise:

• They get stuck in the weeds of the pipeline instead of growing the skills of their reps.

• They “coach” by watching the CRM, not by truly understanding how each person sells.

• They rescue deals instead of building self-sufficient sellers.

The result is that you end up with a team that can’t perform without the leader stepping in, and a pipeline that stalls when the leader is stretched thin.

Read Blog: Real Sales Leadership Happens in the Field; Not from a CRM Screen

What Great Coaching Actually Looks Like

Winning sales coaches develop people instead of simply talking about numbers. That means:

1. Clarity of Expectations

   Great coaches set clear, unambiguous expectations for performance and behaviors. Everyone knows the plays and what “success” looks like.

   
   

2. Individualized Skill Building

   Every rep has strengths and gaps. Effective coaches invest time to understand how each person sells and tailor feedback to help them improve.

   
   

3. Real-Time Feedback & Support

   Just like a coach calls out adjustments mid-game, sales leaders provide immediate feedback, roleplay scenarios, and create space for learning.

   
   

4. Accountability to Commitments

   Players are accountable for running their routes. In sales, reps must be accountable to their activity, pipeline, and commitments. Great leaders enforce this without excuses.

   
   

5. Growth Path, Not Just Quotas

   Loyalty and long-term performance are built on development. Stretch assignments, mentorship, and celebrating learning matter as much as wins.

   
   

   Read Blog: 5 Accountability Habits of High-Performing Leaders

Why This Matters for Scaling Sales Teams

A team full of players without a coach is chaotic. A team with a coach who tries to be the player never scales. The organizations that grow consistently are those where leaders:

• Develop self-sufficient, confident sellers

• Create systems for repeatable success

• Shift from deal rescuing to skill building

When sales leaders coach instead of play, the scoreboard takes care of itself.

Final Thought

If you’re a sales leader and your calendar is packed with deal reviews but light on coaching conversations, it’s time to rethink your approach. Your job isn’t to play—it’s to coach. The best coaches don’t win games by themselves. They win by building players who can.

15-Minute Sales Coaching Cadence Checklist

1. Assess Outcomes (Minutes 1–4)

• Performance vs. Plan: Where are you against monthly & quarterly targets?

• Ranking Check: How do you stack up against peers? (Healthy competition creates awareness)

• Progress vs. Expectations: Are we ahead, on pace, or behind where we should be?

Pro Tip: If your sales leader is knocking it out of the park here and is achieving outcomes, then you may not need any other action. Leave them be to keep doing what they’re doing.

2. Review Pipeline Health (Minutes 5–9)

• Movement Check: What deals have advanced since last week?

• Adds: What new opportunities have been created?

•  Drops: What fell out of the pipeline? Why?

• Realism Test: Based on current stage and timing, what can realistically close this month/quarter?

3. Activity & Skill Coaching (Minutes 10–14)

If outcomes are off-track and the pipeline is thin:

• Activity Review: What prospecting, outreach, or meetings happened last week?

• Skill Development: Where did deals stall - discovery, objections, proposal?

• Next Steps: Identify 1–2 specific actions that will directly impact pipeline creation/advancement this week.

4. Wrap & Accountability (Minute 15)

• Acknowledge wins (no matter how small—reinforces momentum).

• Recommit to targets: Confirm what the rep will do before next check-in.

•  Next Session Set: Lock in the time for the next coaching touch.

Pro Tip: This cadence isn’t about micromanaging. This is about clarity, accountability, and skill growth. When done consistently, it compounds into better performance, stronger reps, and healthier pipelines.

Learn more about building out the delineation between coaches and players. Book a strategy session today

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