CST CST Sales Coaching & Mentoring 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which coaching model is most widely recommended for sales trainers conducting one-on-one rep development sessions?
- GROW (Goal, Reality, Options, Will) (Correct answer)
- SMART goal setting only
- SPIN Selling framework
- Challenger Sale model
Correct answer: GROW (Goal, Reality, Options, Will)
The GROW model provides a structured coaching conversation flow covering Goal, Reality, Options, and Will/Way Forward.
Question 2: When a sales coach observes a rep in a live call, the most effective immediate follow-up is to:
- Wait 24 hours then send a written review
- Deliver feedback within hours using a structured debrief (Correct answer)
- Only give positive feedback to avoid discouraging the rep
- Report observations directly to the sales manager
Correct answer: Deliver feedback within hours using a structured debrief
Timely, structured debriefs while the experience is fresh maximize learning transfer and behavior change.
Question 3: A new sales trainer is coaching a veteran rep who resists feedback. The BEST first step is to:
- Escalate resistance to HR immediately
- Establish psychological safety and agree on coaching ground rules (Correct answer)
- Skip coaching and rely on group training only
- Assign mandatory remedial training modules
Correct answer: Establish psychological safety and agree on coaching ground rules
Psychological safety allows experienced reps to be open to feedback without feeling threatened.
Question 4: In a peer mentoring program for sales teams, the PRIMARY benefit compared to manager-led coaching is:
- Reduced training budget
- Relatable real-world insights shared without hierarchy barriers (Correct answer)
- Faster product knowledge transfer
- Elimination of formal performance reviews
Correct answer: Relatable real-world insights shared without hierarchy barriers
Peers share experiences at the same level, removing the authority dynamic that can suppress candid discussion.
Question 5: Which metric BEST indicates whether sales coaching sessions are producing behavior change on calls?
- Number of coaching sessions completed
- Rep self-reported satisfaction scores
- Pre/post call observation scores on a skills rubric (Correct answer)
- Number of training hours logged in the LMS
Correct answer: Pre/post call observation scores on a skills rubric
A skills rubric applied before and after coaching objectively measures whether targeted behaviors have improved.
Question 6: A CST trainer wants to build a sustainable internal coaching culture on a sales floor. Which action is most impactful long-term?
- Mandating weekly 1:1s without a framework
- Training frontline managers to coach using a consistent methodology (Correct answer)
- Hiring external coaches for every rep
- Relying solely on online microlearning modules
Correct answer: Training frontline managers to coach using a consistent methodology
Enabling managers with a shared coaching methodology multiplies impact because coaching happens daily at the frontline level.
CST CST Sales Coaching & Mentoring 1
Which coaching model is most widely recommended for sales trainers conducting one-on-one rep development sessions?