Use this after calls worth learning from: a first call, a lost deal, a new rep’s first week. Coaching works when it is specific, quoted and focused on one thing at a time.
- The transcript (or detailed notes).
- Call type (cold call, discovery, demo, negotiation) and its goal.
- The rep’s experience level.
The play
1. Measure the basics
Talk ratio (rep vs buyer), number of questions asked, longest rep monologue, whether a next step was booked. Talk ratio over 60% on a discovery call is a red flag on its own.
2. Score the dimensions (1-4)
| Dimension | What 4 looks like |
|---|
| Opening | Clear agenda, buyer adds to it, permission to ask questions |
| Discovery | Layered questions to impact and priority; follow-ups on answers |
| Listening | Paraphrases, uses the buyer’s words, does not interrupt |
| Value | Connects the product to the buyer’s stated problem, with proof |
| Objections | Clarifies before answering; calm; checks the answer landed |
| Next step | Specific, dated, agreed on the call, with the right people |
Read references/scorecard-rubric.md for the full rubric per call type and example quotes for each score.
3. Quote the moments
Two strengths and two misses, each with the exact quote and timestamp, and what a better line would have been.
4. Pick one focus
The single skill that would most change results on the next five calls. Usually the earliest weak stage: weak discovery causes weak value and weak next steps.
5. Give a drill
A 10-15 minute exercise for the focus skill: rewrite three questions, a role-play of the missed moment, or listen to a great call and note how the top rep handled the same moment.
Call: <type> | <rep> | <date> Goal: <...> Outcome: <next step or not>
Talk ratio: x% | Questions: N | Longest monologue: N min
Scores: Opening x | Discovery x | Listening x | Value x | Objections x | Next step x
Strengths: <quote - why it worked> x2
Misses: <quote - better line> x2
Focus for next calls: <one skill>
Drill: <exercise>
What good looks like
- Feedback quotes the call; no "be more consultative" without an example.
- One focus, not ten notes.
- Praise is as specific as criticism.
- The common mistake is scoring everything and changing nothing: a manager who gives seven pieces of feedback gets none of them applied.
Rules
- MUST quote the call for every strength and miss.
- MUST pick one focus skill.
- MUST respect call-recording consent and keep transcripts private to the rep and their manager.
- NEVER share a rep’s scores publicly or compare reps by name in team settings.
Example prompts
- "Score this discovery call transcript and give me one thing to work on."
- "Build a call scorecard our 4 managers can use consistently."
- "Review my cold calls from today; I keep losing them at ‘send me an email’."