High-performing sales leaders don’t only respond to performance metrics — they diagnose the drivers behind them. “Imagine the doctor taking your measurement, your symptoms,” says Byron Sierra-Mattos, founder of Workava, “and that’s what we’re doing now: A rep’s low close rate isn’t the thing that’s the problem—it’s a symptom. Is that bad objection handling? GCurious Discovery Questions that are misaligned? Until you diagnose, you’re guessing. Workava trains managers to bring the same diagnostic rigor they’d apply in front of prospects. A rep who’s struggling with late-stage deals might require assistance navigating procurement processes rather than “pushing harder,” for instance.

Salesforce research found that 66% of leaders use AI to grasp customer needs — a capacity Sierra-Mattos believes should also apply to coaching. “Take a data-based approach to identify patterns,” he says. “Is the rep giving up deals at the proposal stage? Check their price position. Are discovery calls too short? Review their framework of question. This theory pushes personalized feedback instead of generic advice which makes coaching something you do for the sake of doing it to an actual catalyst for growth.

Rope Them Into Change: Convincing Your Team to Embrace Change

Sales pros are great at convincing prospects, but far too many of them don’t “sell” their reps on getting better. Sales coaching demands that same persuasive finesse, Sierra-Mattos adds: “You’re not dictating—you’re aligning habits with outcomes.” According to a study from the University of Tennessee, reps high in emotional intelligence outperform their colleagues by 351%, emphasizing that persuasion must be customized to individual motivators.

Workava encourages leaders to frame feedback as value propositions. Instead of requiring updates to the system, a manager might share, “10 minutes a day here saves 5 hours a month—getting you time to sell.” “A competitive rep wants to hear about rankings; a relationship-builder wants to hear about client trust,” adds Sierra-Mattos. Use their language as you would with a buyer.” This reframes coaching from compliance to collaboration, resulting in buy-in instead of resistance.

Problem-Solving As A Team: Approach Reps As Partners, Not Reportees

Top sellers tailor pitches in real time based on clues from prospects — why wouldn’t managers co-create solutions with reps? Sierra-Mattos warns against autocratic fixes: “Instructing a rep to ‘make more calls’ overlooks the actual problem, such as unqualified leads or ineffective messaging.” Workava’s approach emphasizes joint problem-solving, such as role-playing stagnant deals to identify gaps in closing techniques.

One question a manager might ask, “What objections are you hearing most? Let’s workshopped responses together.’ This reflects how sellers polish pitches after discovery. “Reps have insights frontline managers don’t think about,” says Sierra-Mattos. “Collaboration isn’t just a matter of respect — it’s a matter of strategy.” When teams work together to solve problems, new behaviors are adopted more quickly, and accountability is increased.

Leverage Emotional Intelligence to Drive Behavioral Shifts

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is not only important in managing clients but is also essential in coaching. Realistically, as Sierra-Mattos points out: “Reps won’t change habits without the desire to do so. Your EQ allows you to link coaching to their drivers.” With Workava, it trains leaders to understand what inspires each rep, whether that’s recognition, autonomy, mastery, etc.

An emotionally intelligent manager, for instance, might realize that a rep’s reticence to pitch premium packages is fear of rejection. Rather than criticizing, they could ask in a frame shift: “Sharing this as an investment changes the dialogue. Let’s practice language that minimizes resistance.” “Sierra-Mattos adds, “EQ transforms coaching from transactional to transformational. It’s not about fixing reps — it’s about enabling them to fix themselves.’

What Have You Done For Me Lately? Sales-Driven Coaching Drives Revenue

The proof is in the pipeline. Dynamic coaching strategies drive 16.7% more revenue growth for teams, which is a statistic cited by Sierra-Mattos as she points in on Workava’s approach to ROI. “Coaching is not a ‘soft skill’—it’s a revenue lever,” he says. Workava helps leaders measure metrics like rep ramp time, compressed deal cycles, and improved win rates to quantify the impact of coaching.

For example, a manager might diagnose a team’s poor qualification habits, implement targeted training and reduce wasted pipeline by 20%. “The data does not lie,” Sierra-Mattos says. “When you apply sales discipline to coaching—diagnosing, iterating, measuring—anecdotes become action.” By closing the loop, coaching becomes a living function that evolves with business goals.