Your sales training might not be working. And it’s probably not the training’s fault.
Within one hour of any training, we forget up to 50% of what we’ve learned.
Within 24 hours? Up to 70%.
That’s the forgetting curve.
And it’s quietly swallowing your training investment whole.
So what’s missing? It’s not more training.
It’s coaching.
Not the chit chat over coffee kind. Not the quick KPI check-in kind.
The deeper kind – where leaders ask great questions, get curious about what’s driving behaviour, and create conversations that create real, lasting change.
Consider this: 80% of people who receive coaching report an increase in self-confidence. Over 70% benefit from improved work performance, relationships and communication skills.*
When coaching is done well, the impact is significant and measurable.
And yet most leaders aren’t doing it.
The Follow-Up Problem
When was the last time your team did some training? And when and how did you – or your leaders – follow up on it?
Most follow-up conversations sound like this: “How was it? Any feedback?”
That’s broad. That’s general. And it doesn’t move the needle.
Compare that to: “What was your key takeaway? What have you implemented or done differently since?”
Now you’re prompting reflection. You’re asking them to think about application. You’re holding them to account – and they’re doing it themselves.
That’s a coaching question. And that’s where the training investment starts to pay off.
Why Leaders Avoid It
There are a few common barriers I see repeatedly:
They think they’re already doing it. Having a coffee catch-up or a KPI conversation is not the same as coaching.
They’re worried they won’t have the answers. This is a big one. Coaching is about asking the right questions – not having all the answers.
They don’t have time. Or they feel like they don’t. Coaching gets pushed to the bottom of the priority list.
The team pushes back. If coaching culture is new, there can be resistance. You have to bring people along, show the value, and upskill gradually.
Here’s the thing though. When coaching becomes a cornerstone of your culture, the spoon-feeding stops. Your team becomes more autonomous. They stop coming to you with the same question on repeat – and your time as a leader opens up.
Are You Coaching or Just Chatting? A Quick 5-Question Check
Think about a recent conversation with a team member. Give yourself a yes or no on each:
- Are you asking more than telling?
- Are you talking the least? In a great coaching conversation, the coach talks around 30% of the time.
- Are you coming from genuine curiosity – interested in their perspective, not just waiting to give advice?
- Is your team retaining more information over time?
- Are they not coming to you with the same question over and over?
How many yeses did you get? That’s your indicator of where you’re sitting right now.
The One Action to Start With
Before you give someone an answer today – ask a question first.
Something like:
- “Where do you think you might find the answer to that?”
- “What have you tried so far?”
- “What do you think?”
Simple. Uncomfortable at first if you’re not used to it. But that discomfort is the signal that you’re building a new habit.
Ask before you tell. That’s where the real coaching starts.