Why 90 % of Reps Need Weekly Coaching

Stop letting your sales reps manage you. Most founders hear "just give me leads and leave me alone" and think they’ve found a self-starter. In reality, 90% of sales reps need consistent weekly coaching to reach full competency. If you don't verify their work, you will stay stuck in founder-led sales forever. The only way to step away from the daily sales grind is to build a team that can work without you. This requires a "trust but verify" system. Weekly coaching ensures your reps aren't just hoping for deals, but are actually driving them through a proven process. You must review their prospecting, their follow-ups, and their closing techniques to ensure your pipeline is based on data, not dreams. By investing in these weekly reviews, you move from being a babysitter to a CEO. You create a repeatable sales system that allows you to tend to other parts of your business. If you are a founder at $1M to $10M ARR, you don't need a VP of Sales yet. You need the systems and coaching rhythms that a fractional sales leader provides. Watch this video to learn the exact questions to ask during your weekly sales audits. 3 Biggest Takeaways 1. "Stay out of the way" is a Red Flag: When a rep asks for total autonomy without proven results, it’s usually a sign they lack a process and don't want their "hope-based" pipeline audited. 2. Trust but Verify: This is the golden rule of sales management. You trust your hires, but you verify their competencies in prospecting, follow-up, and closing every single week. 3. Coaching is the Exit Strategy: You cannot step away from sales until your team is competent. Competency is the result of consistent weekly reviews. Coaching is the work you do now so you don't have to do the sales work later. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Q. "Doesn't weekly coaching feel like micromanagement?" A. Not if it's done correctly. Micromanagement is telling them what to do every minute. Coaching is verifying they know how to do the job so you don't have to watch them. Q. "What should I look for in their pipeline during the audit?" A. Look for "prospect-driven" data. Did the prospect actually commit to a next step, or is the rep just "hoping" they will call back? If there’s no clear next step, the deal isn't real. Q. "What if my rep pushes back on these meetings?" A. Remind them that your goal is to "turn them loose." Explain that once they demonstrate competency in these areas, you will happily stay out of their way. Q. "I'm too busy to meet with every rep every week. What then?" A. This is why you hire a fractional sales leader. They run these weekly audits for you, ensuring the team is performing so you can focus on the rest of the business. Q. "How long does it take for a rep to become 'competent'?" A. It varies, but with consistent weekly coaching, you should see a significant shift in their accuracy and effectiveness within 30 to 60 days.