I still remember my first formal sales training.

I still remember my first formal sales training.

New frameworks. New language. A clear picture of what “good” looked like.
It felt like I had answers.

But when the real world showed up. Messy clients, executives who wouldn’t commit, deals that didn’t fit the textbook.

And I realised something important- knowledge alone doesn’t carry you through.

Then my boss started coaching me to uphold the highest standards (thanks Hugh).

His coaching felt different.
Not another set of slides, but a conversation.
Someone sitting across from me, asking better questions than I was asking myself.

He pushed me hard.
Make me sharpen my story before I walked into a room.
Held me to the commitments I’d made long after the buzz of training had faded.

And the impact was lasting.

Those real skills didn’t sit idle in a ring-binder they became part of how I worked.
The guidance wasn’t generic, it was tailored to the deal I was in.
And it wasn’t about sales process for the sake of it.

I ended up with the book of business I wanted, sales awards, and a career owned.

The trainers delivered generic, standardised skills at scale.
The coach worked deeply to transform my individual performance.

Funny how that works.
Have you felt the difference?