You Call It Coaching, But It’s Just Managing Deals
In this episode of SalesTV, we speak with Steve Radford, Founder of the Greater Sales Company and author of How to Sell. Steve brings 25+ years of experience training frontline salespeople and developing the managers who lead them. Through his Four Hats Model - Instructor, Teacher, Mentor, Coach - he explains why most leaders wear the wrong hat at the wrong time, and how to choose the hat that truly develops performance.
Sales coaching is among the most misunderstood skills in sales leadership. Many managers believe they’re coaching when they are actually performing sales management, deal review, or problem solving. In this conversation, we explore the connection between mindsets, knowledge, skills, behaviors, and KPIs, and how leaders can develop stronger, more self-sufficient salespeople. If you’re searching for guidance on coaching vs managing, developing sales capability, how to coach a sales team, or how to create a coaching culture, this episode provides the frameworks and examples sales leaders need to elevate team performance.
Chapters
00:00 – Intro - You Call It Coaching…
00:47 – What looks like coaching but isn’t
02:07 – The Four Hats Framework
03:47 – Instructor: tell + nurture
04:52 – Teacher: interactive tell
05:40 – Mentor: ask + guide
05:55 – Coach: ask + challenge
06:40 – How to know when you’re wearing the wrong hat
07:35 – Turning one-on-ones into coaching conversations
08:34 – When to coach vs teach vs mentor vs instruct
11:19 – Balancing targets with development
17:47 – Creating a coaching culture
18:54 – The ONE Thing – Take a beat
In this episode, we asked…
* What’s happening in conversations that makes them feel like coaching but actually isn’t?
* What is the Four Hats Model - and how does it help sales managers develop people?
* How do I know when I’m wearing the wrong hat?
* How do I turn my one-on-ones from pipeline updates into real coaching conversations?
* When should a sales leader coach, and when should they teach, mentor, or instruct?
* How do I measure whether coaching is actually improving performance?
* What’s the right balance between hitting a target and developing people?
* What does a genuine coaching conversation sound like?
* How do I know when my team is ready for more challenge - or still needs support?
* How do you create a coaching culture across a sales organization?
* What’s the first small change I can make tomorrow to start coaching better?
Key Takeaways
* Most “coaching” is really managing deals, not developing capability.
* True coaching is ask-focused and challenge-focused, not tell-focused.
* The Four Hats Model helps leaders choose the right development approach.
* Capability building follows a pathway: Instruct → Teach → Mentor → Coach.
* You can’t coach someone out of a skill gap - you must teach first.
* Coaching conversations mirror great sales conversations: explore before advising.
* Leaders must balance short-term numbers with long-term capability.
* A coaching culture starts with a shared model and consistent language.
The ONE THING Steve Wants You to Take Away
Take a beat before every coaching conversation. Diagnose where the rep is, decide which hat to wear, and approach the conversation intentionally - not reactively.
About SalesTV
SalesTV.live is a weekly talk show created by salespeople, for salespeople. Each episode explores sales, sales training, networking, and social selling, bringing together sales leaders, enablement professionals, and practitioners from across the globe.
About the Institute of Sales Professionals
The Institute of Sales Professionals (ISP) is the world’s only body dedicated to raising standards in sales. Through its Sales Capability Framework, certifications, and global member community, the ISP works to elevate sales to the level of a recognized profession.
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