Why Smart Teams Invest in Coaching, Not Just Talent
NOTES FROM NORTHWOOD
You know the difference between teams that win championships and teams that stay mediocre?
It’s not the salary cap.
Every NFL team has the same amount to spend on players.
The difference is where they spend their money.
Mediocre teams blow their budget on big-name free agents and hope talent alone will win games.
Championship teams?
They invest heavily in their coaching staff. They hire the best offensive coordinators, defensive specialists, and position coaches they can find.
They know something most people don’t: Great coaching multiplies talent.
A good coach can turn a third-round draft pick into a Pro Bowler. A great system can make average players look elite.
The same principle applies to sales teams.
Most companies are spending their budget in the wrong place.
The $50 Million Lesson
A few years ago, an affiliate marketing company reached out to me.
They were getting destroyed in a competitive market. Their sales team was young and, in the CEO’s words, “lacked toughness.”
Here’s where it gets interesting.
The general manager wanted to invest in sales training.
The CEO? Not so much.
“This seems expensive. Are we sure this is worth it?”
I’ve heard this a thousand times. CEOs will spend $200K on a “proven” sales rep without blinking, but hesitate to invest $30K in developing their existing team.
Finally, the CEO said something that changed everything:
“I don’t care what it costs, just pay him. If it doesn’t work, we’ll just stop doing it.”
That mindset shift? It led to a $50 million acquisition.
What We Actually Did
Here’s the thing about sales training: most of it doesn’t work because it’s generic.
We didn’t run them through some off the shelf program.
We built a custom system for their specific market:
First, we assessed each team member individually. Not personality tests. Sales-specific assessments to identify what would actually keep them from performing.
Second, we trained the general manager on sales management. Managing salespeople isn’t the same as managing other employees. Different motivations, different coaching needs, different accountability measures.
Third, we developed a sales process tailored to their industry. Affiliate marketing is brutal – everyone’s pitching the same thing. We had to find ways to differentiate based on how they sold, not just what they sold.
Fourth, we coached them deal by deal. Real opportunities, real feedback, real improvement.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Six months later:
→ Revenue increased 50% (they started winning bigger accounts)
→ Customer retention improved 30% (better qualification upfront)
→ Team confidence was completely transformed (they went from avoiding tough prospects to seeking them out)
Eighteen months later: A major industry player acquired them for $50 million.
The ROI calculation: They invested roughly $50K in training and development. The acquisition was $50 million.
That’s a 1,000x return.
Why Most Training Fails
Here’s what I’ve learned after working with 150+ sales organizations:
Most sales training fails because it treats symptoms, not causes.
Companies send their reps to generic “closing” seminars, hoping to fix their conversion problems.
But closing isn’t the problem. Discovery is the problem. Process is the problem. Management is the problem.
It’s like hiring a kicking coach when your offensive line can’t block.
You’re solving the wrong thing.
The Championship Formula
Great NFL teams follow a formula:
- Invest in great coaching (not just great players)
- Develop players within their system (don’t just plug and play)
- Focus on fundamentals (blocking and tackling win games)
- Measure what matters (stats that correlate to wins)
The same formula works in sales:
- Invest in sales training and management development
- Build processes that multiply individual talent
- Focus on fundamentals (discovery, qualification, follow-up)
- Track leading indicators (not just revenue)
The Real Case Study
Let me tell you about another client who got this right.
Professional services firm. The owner said: “I need to raise my closing percentage by ten points. If I can do that, I double my cash flow.”
He’d done the math. He knew exactly what those improvements were worth.
We didn’t change their team. We changed their process.
→ Stopped the pitch fest. Taught them to ask questions first.
→ Built real discovery with 50+ questions to understand what was at stake.
→ Role-played until great conversations became natural.
Results after 2 months:
✓ Close rate went from 18% to 31%
✓ Raised prices by 15% without losing a client
✓ Cash flow doubled
The lesson: When you invest in the right coaching, average players become elite performers.
