Almost all performance gains come from individualized skills development plans.

Don’t believe me?  Have you ever tried to follow a random workout plan on YouTube? Or tried to fix your golf swing by following the advice someone else got? I have… 

How’s that typically worked out? Not great right?

Teams perform best when they’re aligned around a shared playbook, but individuals need their own plans as well. Getting the right balance of team structure and individualized development plans unlocks potential and drives sales performance.

Here’s a tried and true approach to building and leveraging a sales coaching playbook and individual skill plans:

🔑 1. Build the Foundation with a Sales Coaching Playbook
A well-designed playbook clarifies what good looks like across core sales skills and processes. From first meeting agendas to advanced value discovery, the playbook serves as a north star, ensuring consistency while fostering alignment.
But it’s not just about tactics—it’s about creating a shared language for managers and reps to define priorities and pinpoint opportunities for growth.

🔑 2. Use the Playbook to Inform Individualized Skills Plans
Every rep is different, and a playbook is just the starting point. By assessing each rep against the core skills matrix, managers can identify areas for improvement and craft coaching plans tailored to their unique needs.
For example, one rep may excel at discovery but struggle with personalized follow-ups. Another may need help crafting close plans that address buying committee priorities. Individualized skills plans, or ISPs,  help the manager and the rep focus on the right skill at the right time. 

🔑 3. Prioritize Individualized Coaching
Research shows that the best skill development happens through consistent, spaced practice. 

To use the golf analogy again, I have swung a golf club thousands of times, but if I haven’t done it in a couple weeks, the likelihood of slicing one into the trees off the first tee is pretty high. 

Whether it’s a 1:1 feedback session, peer-led role plays, or deal desk reviews, every coaching interaction should tie back to an individualized plan.
The goal? Create a cadence of 3+ hours per rep, per month. Revisit and refresh plans quarterly to track progress, sustain momentum and stay sharp with all of your tools. 

The result: a sales team where everyone knows the playbook—and can adapt it to their strengths. By blending the structure of a shared framework with the flexibility of individualized skills development plans, teams not only close more deals but also grow together.