In this episode of Coach to Scale, sales trainer and former Olympic trials athlete Neil Wood joins Matt Bonelli to challenge one of the most pervasive mistakes CROs and sales leaders make: reserving coaching only for the bottom performers. Drawing from decades of real-world experience and high-performance athletics, Neil makes the case for why top sales reps need consistent, skill-based coaching just as much as, if not more than, struggling reps.

From tactical strategies to improve frontline manager execution to the psychological traps that stall rep development, Neil and Matt explore why most sales training fails to stick, what a real coaching culture looks like, and how reinforcement (not rah-rah) builds consistent revenue teams. If you’re serious about sales performance, this episode breaks down what separates good teams from elite ones and why your top talent should be the first to get coached.

Key Takeaways

1. Training without reinforcement is a waste of money.
Neil argues that without structured follow-up, most sales training is forgotten within days and never translates to behavior change

2. Coaching should start with your top performers, not your bottom 20%.
Investing in your best reps delivers the highest ROI and accelerates performance gains that actually move the revenue needle.

3. Frontline managers aren’t equipped — or supported — to coach well.
Most FLMs were great reps, not trained coaches, and they’re overwhelmed with data, admin tasks, and deal reviews that crowd out skill development
.

4. The sales profession suffers from a lack of real coaching.
Neil defines true coaching as helping reps develop long-term skills, not just managing pipelines or offering encouragement.

5. Consistency matters more than intensity.
Regular coaching conversations — even 30 minutes every two weeks — drive more lasting impact than sporadic bursts of inspiration or annual sales kickoffs.

6. Behavior change happens through accountability and shared success.
Neil’s approach includes peer story sharing post-training to reinforce skills and inspire adoption through social proof, not just instruction.

7. You can't improve what you don't inspect.
Many managers accept rep narratives at face value; Neil stresses the importance of inspecting behaviors, not just outcomes, to drive improvement.

8. Coaching isn't a sign of weakness — it's what elite performers seek.
From Olympic athletes to UFC champions, Neil reminds us that the best in the world all have coaches — and they invest in sharpening their edge.

9. A good 1:1 isn't a therapy session or a deal inspection — it's a coaching moment.
Neil reframes 1:1s as intentional moments for skill growth, not check-the-box meetings or emotional downloads.

10. Similarities don’t sell — differences do.
Sales reps must stand out with a differentiated value proposition, and so must sales organizations when it comes to coaching their teams.

Ways to Tune In:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Yb1wPzUxyrfR0Dx35ym1A
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coach2scale-how-modern-leaders-build-a-coaching-culture/id1699901434
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy50cmFuc2lzdG9yLmZtL2NvYWNoMnNjYWxlLWhvdy1tb2Rlcm4tbGVhZGVycy1idWlsZC1hLWNvYWNoaW5nLWN1bHR1cmU
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/fd188af6-7c17-4b2e-a0b2-196ecd6fdf77
Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/coach2scale-how-modern-leaders-5419703
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Coach2Scale
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