In every sales organisation, there comes a point when leaders face this dilemma — should I coach my team or control them?
It’s a fine balance. Control gives you compliance, but coaching builds conviction.
Most sales managers, under pressure to deliver results, slide into a control mode — chasing daily numbers, micromanaging calls, and tightening reviews. But here’s the truth: control delivers temporary spikes, while coaching builds sustainable performance.
Sales leadership is not about “telling people what to do”. It’s about enabling them to understand why they do it, how to do it better, and what behaviours drive repeat success.
At GASP®, we call this the shift from Assuming Charge to Taking Charge — where the sales leader stops managing through fear or follow-ups, and starts inspiring through process, metrics, and mentoring.
Why Control Fails
Control assumes that activity equals performance. It pushes for results without diagnosing the process. But in sales, every deviation from the target usually traces back to a breakdown in process — not in effort. When leaders only enforce, they miss the opportunity to build capability.
Why Coaching Wins
Coaching, on the other hand, connects performance gaps with process gaps. It empowers salespeople to own their numbers. A coach sets standards, clarifies expectations, and uses facts from CRM and reviews — not opinions — to guide improvement. That’s how great sales cultures are built: one feedback session, one joint field call, one developmental conversation at a time.
Leadership in Action
A true sales leader:
✅ Uses Performance Management for course correction, not punishment.
✅ Integrates Performance Development Plans (PDPs) to enhance Willingness, Conviction, and Capability.
✅ Treats every review as a coaching moment, not an interrogation.
✅ Walks the field, observes, and feeds back with empathy and clarity.
Because you can’t build accountability without building ability first.
The Takeaway
Coaching creates commitment. Controlling breeds compliance. Sales leaders who learn to enable rather than enforce end up building teams that deliver not just for the quarter, but for years.
So, the next time you’re tempted to control, ask yourself — am I developing performance, or just demanding it?
💡 Build a Coaching Culture Before Control Becomes a Habit
At GASP® Sales Academy, we help organisations transform their sales leadership mindset — from controlling outcomes to coaching performance.
We work with Founders, CEOs, and Sales Leaders to:
✅ Develop structured coaching frameworks across 27 sales processes using the GASP® Audit & Enablement Model
✅ Build measurable PDP systems that strengthen Willingness, Conviction & Capability
✅ Establish review cultures where data replaces opinions, and leaders mentor through metrics
Let us move your sales organisation from managed compliance to inspired performance.
👉 Embed a Coaching Culture with GASP® — and watch your teams perform because they want to, not because they have to.
Contact us at : GASP Sales Academy or check out 🌐 www.gaspsalesacademy.com
Dinkar Suri I Founder & UnConsultant I dinkar@gaspsalesacademy.com
#SalesLeadership #SalesCoaching #SalesExecution #SalesEnablement #SalesTraining #SalesProductivity #LeadershipDevelopment #GASPSalesAcademy #MasteringSalesExecution