# Running a Coaching Session That Actually Changes Behavior.

Most "coaching" is a deal review with a different name. Real coaching targets one behavior and comes back to it until it sticks.

## Most sessions coach the wrong thing

- The wrong session: a deal review wearing a coaching label, generic encouragement, a different topic every single week.
- The right session: one specific behavior named going in, evidence from an actual call, the same behavior revisited until it sticks.

## The session: four moves, one behavior, every time

- Name the one behavior before the session starts.
- Pull the evidence from an actual call, not a paraphrase.
- Ask the rep to diagnose it first, before telling them what to do differently.
- Assign one specific move for the next call.
- Follow up on the same behavior next time, not a new one.

## Frequently asked questions

### How is this different from a deal review?

A deal review is about the deal. This is about the rep's skill. The two need to run as distinct conversations.

### What if the rep doesn't accept the diagnosis?

That disagreement is itself useful data, either the evidence wasn't specific enough, or it's a coachability problem worth naming directly.

### How long should a coaching session actually take?

Twenty to thirty minutes focused on one behavior beats an hour covering five.