Disclaimer: The research behind this article was conducted in partnership with Hyperbound, an AI sales role-play and upskilling platform I’ve used as a customer to enable realistic, impactful practice at scale. This article contains affiliate links to support the blog, meaning I may earn a commission if you book a demo or make a purchase – at no extra cost to you. All insights and statistics have been personally identified and filtered to ensure as much objectivity and educational value as possible.
Introduction
In my research on sales enablement statistics and sales training statistics, I uncovered a wealth of sources – from research papers to business reports – which made me curious about what is available on the more specific topic of sales coaching.
In my experience, coaching has always felt less structured and measurable compared to training, with most sales organisations taking a more ad-hoc approach.
On the one hand, this is understandable since coaching is just one of the many responsibilities sales managers juggle, and it often requires a more personalised approach than training (see my sales coaching vs sales training article).
On the other hand, by treating sales coaching as a “nice-to-have,” I believe companies miss out on one of the most essential parts of sales enablement, regardless of what they call it.
As my research confirmed, I am not alone in thinking that coaching is both under-standardised and under-utilised.
As you will see in this article, almost all research and surveys on this subject confirm that coaching sales teams can be highly effective when done properly – though it is rarely approached this way.
Of course, these are not the only findings you will discover here. In fact, I am confident that at least some of them will make you raise an eyebrow.
As always, the sources used for this article can be found at the bottom.
How important is sales coaching?
When it comes to subjects associated with sales enablement, the opinions often vary from role to role, from organisation to organisation, and from person to person.
However, when it comes to the potential of sales coaching, there seems to be a clear consensus – everyone, from sales reps to executives, recognises its importance and benefits.
It is a sentiment that permeates both industry surveys and research papers.
#1 A 2013 article from HBR [1] and two research papers from the 2000s [2 and 3] show that salespeople see coaching skills as one of the top skills among “great sales managers”and that “It is what distinguishes high-performing (versus low-performing) sales managers”.
#2 Executives share the opinion… sales executives rate sales coaching as the most effective method to achieve sales goals. [4]
Other research papers go into more detail on which aspects of sales can be boosted through good sales coaching.
#3 Coaching can help salespeople develop empathetic listening skills. [5]
#4 Coaching can help salespeople cope with sales call anxiety. [6]
#5 Some researchers have found that sales coaching impacts motivation, role ambiguity, optimism, satisfaction with one’s job and manager, as well as improved performance. [7]
#6 Research from the Corporate Executive Board indicates that salespeople achieve an average of 19% more sales towards their goal when they have a “highly effective coach”. [8]
A huge survey of more than 1,600 salespeople, The State of Sales Coaching 2025, by My Sales Coach and Aircall[9] further reinforces this with a number of stats.
#7 Sales leaders – 96% said it influenced quota attainment of the team; 42% said it made a “significant” impact. [9]
#8 94% of sales representatives said coaching improved their performance [9]
#9 82% of them said coaching was critical to their success [9]
#10 57% of reps who rate their coaching as “excellent” or “very good” said it improved their performance significantly. [9]
#11 92% said coaching was important to their job satisfaction (57% said very important) [9]
Other surveys have found similar results.
#12 Three-fourths (74%) of top companies cite coaching or mentoring of sales reps as the frontline managers’ most important role. [10]
#13 79% of sales force say that upskilling, training, and coaching would help them move up in their careers [13]
#14 On-the-job coaching by managers was the top method of on-the-job learning for salespeople, used to a high or very high extent by 56% of respondents in one survey. [14]
#15 [2026 UPDATE] A recent study done by RAIN GROUP [25] that “sellers are 63% more likely to be a Top Performer (explained in the report) with an effective manager, regular coaching, and effective training”. The study emphasises the importance of direct manager involvement and coaching for creating an effective salesforce.
In short, everyone seems to agree – sales coaching is important, it can be extremely impactful for sales performance, and if you’re a sales manager, your coaching skills are essential for your role.
Turn sales call insights into revenue-driving action
This brings us to the second section of our sales coaching statistics.
Are companies doing sales coaching the right way?
As it turns out, while everyone agrees sales coaching is absolutely essential, there is far less consensus on how their companies are doing it.
According to the aforementioned The State of Sales Coaching 2025, there is a big difference between what sales reps think of the coaching they receive and what sales leaders think of the coaching that their company and themselves provide.
#16, #17, and #18
#19, #20, and #21
Perhaps the most illustrative of the statistics from the survey is the following one:
#22 43% of leaders are unaware their reps want more coaching.
While our initial reaction to stats like these may be to scoff and shake our heads in recognition, we must remember that sales enablement is uniquely positioned to bridge this gap in perception.
As sales enablers, we have to proactively work on discovering such discrepancies and addressing them so that everyone in our sales organisation is at least aware of where sales coaching stands and to work from there (as I discussed in detail in my sales coaching roadmap piece).
The following statistic from the same survey shows that sales leaders are willing to see this change:
#23 48% of leaders are asking for more training to become better coaches themselves, highlighting that even leaders see room for improvement in their own coaching skills.
And this is not a new sentiment among leadership, either.
Back in 2016, research by Globoforce (now Workhuman) discovered the following:
#24 93% of managers believed they needed more training on how to coach their employees. [11]
Another issue that makes it more difficult for sales managers to provide effective coaching seems to be the lack of time.
#25
The graphic above is from the 2015 Research Report Supporting Sales Coaching by The Sales Management Association [12] and it is pretty much the same in 2025:
#26 44% of leaders are calling for more time to be allocated for coaching [9]
The only conclusion we can draw from sales coaching statistics like this is that there is a lot of room and will for improvement.
In the next section, we’ll explore key statistics that offer insights into improving coaching programmes – not just by allocating more time, but by making them more effective.
How to improve sales coaching programmes
Before diving into statistics that highlight ways to improve sales coaching, it’s crucial to first understand what most sales organisations are currently doing. In other words, we need to grasp the landscape before we can begin reshaping it.
The current state
#27 The responsibility for leading sales coaching falls mostly on sales managers (49.5%), followed by dedicated sales coaches and trainers (26.1%), and only then the sales enablement function (12.3%). In a relatively high percentage of organisations (13.7%), there is no dedicated owner for sales coaching efforts. [15]
#28 The following areas are seen as essential in the respondents’ organisations’ sales training and coaching [16]:
#29 The most commonly included components in the companies’ sales coaching programmes include [17]:
#30 [2026 UPDATE] One of the most drastic changes that has happened in 2025 is that 47% of teams use AI for call coaching (a significant jump from 8%), according to the sixth edition of Salesforce’s State of Sales Report [23]. This is corroborated in Highspot’s The State of Sales Enablement Report 2025 [24], where Effective sales coaching is named as one of the top business challenges being solved by AI.
#31 The following topics have been found to be the most commonly tackled during sales coaching sessions:
#32 The most commonly used data for tracking coaching includes [18]:
While we are on the subject of data tracking:
#33 56% of leaders want better software and other tools to keep track of the coaching progress and outcomes [9]
#34 Sales coaching methods most effective with a remote sales force include [19]:
Weekly check-ins – 68%
Call listening – 34%
Call shadowing – 31%
Email reviews – 31%
#35 According to one report, there is a huge difference between the average and maximum reported time spent on manager-to-rep individual time, but regardless, the coaching time remains only one-fourth of those sessions [12]:
#36 In most sales organisations (47.1%), one sales coach works with one to five account executives. In 35.8% of organisations, there is one sales coach for every 6 to 10 AEs, and more than 11 AEs in 17.2% of organisations [15].
Now that we have explored what the average sales coaching situation looks like, it is time to identify the most impactful ways to improve it.
Avenues for improvement
The State of Sales Coaching 2025 by My Sales Coach and Aircall [9] provides us with some great insights into what sales professionals think about their existing coaching programmes and how they would like to see them evolve.
#37 39% of sales reps feel their coaching is too generic.
#38 34% find their coaching sessions repetitive.
#39 29% say their coaching lacks practical, actionable advice – it’s just another task.
#40 50% of reps want coaching to focus more on skills development, suggesting that current coaching is too fixated on KPIs instead of real, tactical skill-building.
Two other statistics (#41and #42) from the same survey illustrate the need for role-based personalisation of coaching:
#43 The need for personalisation and just-in-time coaching is echoed by 2015 research by Aberdeen Group [20]:
In addition to this, another way to make sales coaching more effective is to increase the number of coaching sessions per sales rep.
#44 Top sales performers (as defined in the study involving more than 400 companies) reported receiving an average of 15 coaching sessions per month, compared to the overall average of just 2.
While this number may seem high – equating to nearly four coaching sessions per week – it likely includes a mix of formal 1:1 coaching, deal and call reviews, as well as more informal coaching touchpoints.
This suggests that top performers are either actively seeking feedback more frequently or working in environments where coaching is more deeply embedded into their daily workflows. [21].
#45Another survey showed the same beneficial effects of more coaching per rep, only in terms of time as opposed to number of sessions [15]:
These statistics highlight several ways to enhance sales coaching programmes, ensuring they are more structured, effective, and impactful:
Increase the frequency of coaching sessions – More frequent coaching interactions correlate with stronger performance improvements, particularly when tailored to the needs of each rep.
Help sales managers carve out more time for coaching – Given that lack of time is a common barrier, organisations must find ways to integrate coaching into the daily workflow rather than treating it as an add-on.
Provide structured training for managers to refine their coaching skills – Many sales leaders acknowledge the need for better training to enhance their ability to guide and develop their teams effectively.
Personalise coaching based on individual needs and roles – A one-size-fits-all approach is ineffective; coaching should adapt to different experience levels, sales motions, and industry demands.
Shift coaching from being KPI-driven to skill-driven – While metrics matter, effective coaching should go beyond performance reviews and instead focus on tactical skill-building, situational awareness, and strategic problem-solving.
Leverage interactive and real-world practice methods – Coaching is most effective when reps can actively apply what they learn in a realistic environment. This could include structured roleplays, real-world scenario practice, or even AI-assisted simulations that help reps refine their skills in a low-pressure yet highly realistic setting.
Turn sales call insights into revenue-driving action
Additional coaching statistics and facts
While researching for this article, I came across several interesting statistics and facts that didn’t quite fit into my broader narrative but were too valuable to ignore.
Though some may seem like mere curiosities at first glance, a closer look reveals useful insights into how salespeople respond to coaching – and how these insights can shape more effective coaching programmes.
A couple of these facts come from a 2009 paper called The effects of coaching on salespeople’s attitudes and behaviors [22] by Vincent Onyemah, currently the professor of sales and marketing at Boston’s Babson College. (I’d urge you to check out the paper – it is packed with interesting insights.)
#46 The number of years of formal education appears to reduce the impact of coaching on affective commitment to the organisation, job satisfaction, and satisfaction with the supervisor.
This suggests that salespeople with more formal education may either have a lower receptiveness to coaching or a degree of apathy toward it, leading them to respond less to coaching compared to those with fewer years of formal education.
However, while formal education influences these specific outcomes, the study notes that it does not significantly affect intrinsic motivation for selling or role ambiguity, meaning its impact on coaching effectiveness may be limited to certain aspects of job satisfaction and organisational commitment.
#47 Salespeople’s confidence in their company’s product superiority over competitors’ brands reduces the effectiveness of coaching.
According to this, salespeople who are not that confident in the product offered by their company get more out of sales coaching.
#48 Salespeople’s organisational tenure has no impact on the effectiveness of coaching.
I found this one particularly interesting because there’s a common notion – almost a caricature – of long-tenured salespeople as grizzled veterans who have no interest in coaching and want nothing to do with it.
It’s refreshing when a serious piece of research challenges and dispels such harmful misconceptions.
I want to leave you with a statistic that I still don’t quite know how to feel about:
#49Less than 5% of reps trust sales enablement professionals as their coach of choice. [9]
On the one hand, I understand it.
Sales enablement often operates at a step removed from the daily grind of front-line selling, which can create a perception gap.
Reps might feel that enablement professionals lack the direct, in-the-trenches experience of a sales manager or peer.
On the other hand, it makes me reflect on our role.
We’re uniquely positioned to provide guidance that isn’t just reactive or situational – we can help develop holistic skills, share a broader perspective, and enable reps to think beyond their immediate goals.
If only 5% see us as their coach of choice, it means we still have work to do.
We need to build trust, demonstrate our value, and embed ourselves as true partners in a rep’s development journey.
That said, it’s also important to recognise that this number isn’t necessarily a problem.
Enablement’s role isn’t always to be the direct coach of choice.
In many cases, our real value lies in designing the systems, processes, and frameworks that allow coaching to happen in a structured and consistent way – whether that’s through managers, experienced reps, or dedicated coaches.
Of course, this is just one data point, and it may not fully reflect the reality across all organisations.
But even if the number isn’t universally accurate, the sentiment behind it is worth considering.
It’s a statistic that stings a bit, but it’s also an opportunity to evolve how we approach coaching within sales enablement.
Conclusion
After reviewing dozens of sources for this article (the references listed below are just a selection), I’ve reached a few conclusions that leave me both optimistic and perplexed:
Everyone recognises the value of effective sales coaching – whether they’re sales reps, managers, or leadership.
Everyone agrees that more coaching is needed.
Yet, most organisations fail to provide their leaders and sales teams with the time necessary to focus on coaching.
Sales coaching must evolve – it needs to become more personalised, practical, skill-based, and delivered just-in-time.
Sales managers, who are the primary coaches in most organisations, are actively asking for more training to develop their coaching skills.
I feel optimistic because no one disputes that sales coaching improves results.
It’s rare to find such universal agreement in sales, and when something is widely recognised as valuable, change in the right direction is almost inevitable over time.
At the same time, I’m perplexed.
The solutions to these challenges aren’t overly complex.
The focus should be on turning coaching into a structured, consistent part of the sales workflow.
Too often, coaching is treated as an afterthought, something that happens sporadically “when there’s time.”
That mindset needs to change.
Coaching should be embedded into daily, weekly, and monthly rhythms.
To make this shift, organisations need to:
Equip managers with better coaching training and frameworks.
Give reps more tailored, role-specific coaching.
Leverage technology to scale coaching efforts without losing effectiveness.
The key is moving from a reactive to a proactive coaching model.
Instead of scrambling to fit in coaching when possible, sales organisations should design systems that make it an automatic, built-in process that supports more formal sales training.
If you’ve tackled these challenges or have ideas on how to approach them, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn, and let’s start a conversation.
References
1. [Martin, Steve W. 2015. “What Separates the Strongest Salespeople from the Weakest.” Harvard Business Review. www.hbr.org/2015/03/whatseparates-the-strongest-salespeople-from-the-weakest.]
2. [Deeter-Schmelz, Dawn R., Daniel J. Goebel, and Karen N. Kennedy. 2008. “What Are the Characteristics of an Effective Sales Manager? an Exploratory Study Comparing Salesperson and Sales Manager Perspectives.” Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management 28 (1):7–20.]
3. [Marshall, Greg W., Daniel J. Goebel, and William C. Moncrief. 2003. “Hiring for Success at the Buyer–Seller Interface.” Journal of Business Research 56 (4):247–55]
4. [Sales Management Association. 2014. Research Brief: Measuring Sales Management’s Coaching Impact. Atlanta, GA: Sales Management Association.]
5. [Comer, Lucette B., and Tanya Drollinger. 1999. “Active Empathetic Listening and Selling Success: A Conceptual Framework.” Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management 19 (1):15–29]
6. [Verbeke, Willem, and Richard P. Bagozzi. 2000. “Sales Call Anxiety: Exploring What It Means When Fear Rules a Sales Encounter.” Journal of Marketing 64 (3):88–101]
7. [Onyemah, Vincent. 2009. “The Effects of Coaching on Salespeople’s Attitudes and Behaviors: A Contingency Approach.” European Journal of Marketing 43] and [Rich, Gregory A. 1998. “The Constructs of Sales Coaching: Supervisory Feedback, Role Modeling and Trust.” Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management 18 (1):53–63]
8. Dixon, Matthew, and Brent Adamson. 2011. “The Dirty Secret of Effective Sales Coaching.” Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2011/01/the-dirty-secret-of-effective
9. The State of Sales Coaching 2025, My Sales Coach and Aircall
10. Forbes + Brainshark – The Power of Enablement: Bridging the Sales Productivity Gap
11. Globoforce. 2016. “Employee Experience as a Business Driver.”
12. Research Report Supporting Sales Coaching, November 2015 [The Sales Management Association]
13. Seismic’s 2023 Value of Enablement Report
14. 2023 ATD State of Sales Training Whitepaper
15. Revenue.io – 2021 The State of Sales Coaching
16. Seismic + LXA – State of Sales Enablement: Sales Operations and Salestech Report 2022/23
17. Highspot’s State of Sales Enablement 2024
18. SalesEnablementPRO – Sales Enablement Analytics Report – 2022/2023
19. HubSpot’s Research Global Sales Enablement Survey 2020
20. Aberdeen Group, March, 2015
21. Mindtickle’s State of Revenue Productivity 2024
22. Vincent Onyemah, (2009), “The effects of coaching on salespeople’s attitudes and behaviors”, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 43 Iss 7/8 pp. 938 – 960
23. Salesforce’s State of Sales Report Sixth Edition
24. Highspot’s The State of Sales Enablement Report 2025
25. RAIN GROUP’s The Top-Performing Seller Report
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