Break the Sales Plateau: Develop People, Drive Growth

Coaching with Purpose. Win Big. Newsletter #4.

Welcome back to Coaching with Purpose. Win Big., where we dive into the real-world playbook for sales leaders who want to build high-performing teams without losing sight of the people who make it happen.

I am a firm believer that training and ongoing development for frontline employees and leaders is one of the most overlooked opportunities in corporate America. Too often, companies see training as a cost instead of the growth engine it truly is. Strong development programs are not optional; they are a competitive advantage. I have seen the difference they make, and I am passionate about helping leaders build them into their culture.

The Reality Every Sales Leader Faces

You know the feeling.

The numbers look good, your team is hitting targets, and then it happens: momentum stalls. You push harder, track more metrics, hold more meetings, but the results do not move.

You cannot grind your way past a plateau. You have to grow your way past it. That starts with how you develop your people and your leaders.

Executive Summary (30-Second Read)

Continuous development is not a one-time training event. It is a culture of learning that delivers measurable business outcomes:

Onboard with purpose: Role-specific onboarding tied to performance milestones shortens ramp time and builds confidence.
Coach consistently: Regular refreshers and one-on-one coaching keep skills sharp and relevant.
Develop frontline managers: Leaders trained to coach and inspire amplify results across entire teams.
Train for tool adoption: When reps fully leverage CRM and sales tech, execution improves and more time is spent selling.

Bottom line: Teams that invest in development improve performance, retain talent, and build a culture that thrives through change.

Why Continuous Development Is a Business Imperative

A strong product and clear strategy will only take you so far. Teams plateau, or worse decline, when skills and behaviors stop evolving.

Companies with strong training programs consistently outperform their peers in win rates and goal attainment (CSO Insights, 2023). And teams that invest in ongoing training are 57 percent more effective than competitors (ATD, 2022).

I have seen it firsthand. Leading 450 employees across 61 stores, we prioritized coaching and development and delivered double-digit growth while improving retention and engagement.

Why it works:

Better consultative selling builds deeper customer relationships.
A learning culture keeps top performers engaged and loyal.
Continuous coaching drives consistent execution across the team.

The Manager Multiplier Effect

Frontline managers determine whether training sticks or disappears. They coach daily, influence culture, and set the tone for the entire sales organization. They are the face of your organization. This is one of the most important roles any any organization, but so many organizations don’t invest in this role with ongoing development and training.

Companies with strong coaching cultures generate significantly higher revenue (ICF, 2023). That is why investing in manager development is critical.

When I inherited a struggling sales region, we focused on leadership development instead of increasing quotas. We trained managers on coaching, pipeline management, and leading through change. The results were immediate: revenue grew, morale improved, and top performers stayed.

Lesson: develop your leaders and you multiply your impact across the entire team.

The Four Building Blocks of Continuous Development

Onboarding That Accelerates Ramp Time

Onboarding should never just cover policies. It should accelerate performance. It should help the new-hire be an expert in their craft. It must focus on the behaviors that drive the results needed for their success. Role-specific onboarding with clear milestones and early coaching check-ins builds confidence and shortens ramp time.

Focus on early wins that build momentum.
Pair new hires with mentors for their first 60 days.

Skills Refreshers and Ongoing Coaching

Training fades fast. Eighty-four percent of knowledge is lost within three months without reinforcement (Sales Readiness Group, 2023). Regular coaching and skill refreshers keep performance sharp. This is why ongoing training is a must have and worth the investment.

Select one key skill each month and practice it in huddles.
Use quick weekly coaching sessions to reinforce what matters most.

Leadership Development for Frontline Managers

Managers are your culture carriers. Training them to coach effectively, lead with emotional intelligence, and make data-driven decisions pays off across every metric.

Hold quarterly leadership workshops focused on coaching and diagnosing performance gaps.
Create peer learning groups for managers to share best practices and problem-solve together.

Technology and Tools Training

Sales technology is only as valuable as its adoption. Yet only 37 percent of sellers fully leverage their CRM (Gartner, 2022).

Run short sessions showing one way to save time or improve customer experience with existing tools.
Reinforce tool adoption by connecting it to real sales outcomes like forecast accuracy and deal velocity.

Leadership in Action: My Experience

One of my most impactful leadership experiences came when I inherited a region of underperforming stores. Sales were flat, turnover was climbing, and morale was low.

Instead of adding pressure, we focused on developing people, starting with frontline leaders. We held coaching workshops, implemented daily huddles to share best practices, and gave managers tools to lead more effectively.

The results were undeniable:

Engagement improved because managers knew how to support their teams.
Top performers stayed because they saw growth opportunities.
Sales growth accelerated year over year, building momentum that lasted beyond the initial turnaround.

Takeaway: when you invest in people first, performance follows and it lasts.

The Long-Term Payoff

Continuous development does more than fix today’s problems. It builds teams that thrive through change and growth:

Higher customer satisfaction and loyalty
Stronger talent retention and engagement
More accurate forecasting and scalable processes
A resilient, adaptable culture ready for what comes next

Organizations with strong learning cultures are faster to respond to changing customer needs and far more likely to innovate successfully.

Training is a Growth Engine

Continuous development is not a cost center. It is a growth engine.

Ask yourself:

Are we investing enough in our team’s growth to drive tomorrow’s success?
Is training part of our culture or just a check-the-box event?

Start small. Launch a coaching program, host a monthly learning session, or revamp onboarding. These investments compound, and one year from now you will have a stronger team and a healthier business.

Choose growth. Invest in your people. Win big.

Eric Boettner

Sales Leader & Strategic Operator | 20+ Yrs Leading & Supporting Large Teams | Building Growth Engines via People, Process, & Performance | Husband & Father x3