Don’t Coach Effort — Coach Clarity
Most performance problems aren’t about effort. They’re about direction.
📍The Lesson
When someone on your team is struggling — not closing, not prospecting, not following through — the instinct is to motivate.
You encourage. You push. You say things like:
“Let’s pick up the energy.”
“I know you’ve got more in you.”
“You just need to stay on it.”
But here’s the thing:
Motivating effort without fixing direction is like stepping on the gas while the wheel’s turned the wrong way.
Most salespeople aren’t underperforming because they’re lazy.
They’re underperforming because they’re unclear.
They’re unclear on what “good” looks like.
They’re unclear on how to move a stuck deal forward.
They’re unclear on what to prioritize or what the buyer really wants.
That’s not an effort problem.
That’s a thinking problem.
And that’s where real coaching happens.
You don’t coach effort. You coach clarity.
Because once the path is clear, effort tends to follow.
🎧 Audio Story
The Top Rep Who Wasn’t Lazy — He Was Just Lost
🛠️ The Tool : Clarity Coaching Questions
Use these 6 questions in your next 1:1 or deal strategy session:
1. What outcome are you trying to drive right now?
2. What’s stopping that from happening?
3. What decision is the buyer still not ready to make?
4. What do you think they’re afraid of?
5. What would a win look like in the next 5 days?
6. What’s your next most helpful move?
This tool works with reps — but also with yourself.
Common Shift