In today’s high-growth sales environments, onboarding is no longer just about teaching reps the product and hoping they figure it out. It’s about building repeatable systems that empower reps to succeed faster, and that starts with frontline managers. But what happens when your sales leaders are stretched thin? The answer lies in better coaching standards, smarter feedback, and scalable leadership habits.

In this post, we unpack a recent conversation on the Hit Your Numbers podcast with Michael Schirrmacher, SVP of Enterprise at QA,  who’s building high-performance sales teams.
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Here’s what sales leaders can learn from his approach.

1. Set Clear, Consistent Coaching Standards

One of the biggest problems in sales teams isn’t a lack of coaching, it’s inconsistency. Some managers are natural coaches; others wing it. When every rep gets a different level of feedback, development slows.

The solution? Start with benchmarks. Define what “good” looks like at each stage of the sales process. For example:

• What does a high-quality discovery call sound like?
• How should a rep handle a price objection?
• What should be covered before handing off to a CSM?

Once these standards are in place, you can create scorecards, simulations, or certifications. Reps can self-assess, peers can roleplay, and managers have a clear rubric to coach from. That’s how you turn gut-feel feedback into consistent development.

Consistency is what separates coaching from random feedback. It also helps newer managers develop faster, because they now have a blueprint.

2. Give Feedback That Actually Changes Behaviour

Telling someone they “need to be more confident” or “ask better questions” doesn’t help. Great feedback is specific, contextual, and connected to outcomes.

The advice? Break feedback into two tracks:

1. Tactical coaching — e.g. how to handle a specific objection, close a trial, or navigate a stakeholder.
2. Strategic coaching — e.g. improving qualification, managing pipeline risk, or tailoring the narrative for the buyer’s journey.

Use frameworks to anchor your feedback. Instead of saying, “your call was flat,” you might say, “you missed a consequence of no change, which weakens urgency. Try adding that before you transition to the solution.”

And always connect feedback to growth. Reps need to know not just what to change, but why it matters for their development and revenue goals.

3. Scale Yourself with Systems, Not Just Time

The best sales leaders don’t rely on memory, motivation, or working longer hours. They build systems that let them scale, especially when they’re stretched.

Here are three ways to do that:

a. Document Once, Use Often

Using AI tools, turn raw sales knowledge into enablement docs, battlecards, and onboarding flows in minutes. That content lives in a shared hub, so reps can self-serve, and managers don’t waste time repeating the same explanation for the fifth time.

b. Certify Before You Go Live

Before reps pitch a deal or run a demo, they get certified. They might roleplay with a peer, use a scorecard, or submit a recorded pitch for review. This way, feedback happens before real pipeline is on the line.

You can’t afford to burn live opportunities. If a rep can’t pass the internal test, they’re not ready for the customer yet.

c. Use AI to Extend Your Coaching Capacity

Explore AI roleplay tools to let reps practice objection handling or pitch fluency without needing a live manager every time. Whether it’s AI Sales Assistants, or a voice-based coach that simulates customer scenarios, this kind of technology doesn’t replace human coaching, but it fills in the gaps between sessions.

Final Thought: Don’t Wait for Perfect

You don’t need a full LMS, a dedicated enablement team, or a perfect playbook to start coaching better. You just need to:

• Define what good looks like
• Give feedback that drives action
• Build repeatable systems that scale your impact

The fastest-growing sales teams aren’t just hiring faster, they’re coaching smarter. And the best sales leaders know how to create clarity, consistency and confidence, even when time is short.

Want help building scalable sales coaching systems for your team? Get in touch and we’ll show you how to do more with less, without sacrificing quality.

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