What happens when your strongest reps stop getting better? In this episode of Coach2Scale, Julie Fox, Global Director of Customer Success at Cin7, shares how she transformed “steady but stuck” team members into high-impact players. From busting the myth of one-size-fits-all sales training to implementing a radical feedback culture, Julie unpacks how coaching isn’t just for underperformers. It’s a strategic growth engine for the whole team.
She explains how her approach to structured, personalized coaching drives not just rep development but cross-functional alignment and executive trust. Julie also dives into the frontline manager dilemma: they’re overwhelmed, under-supported, and often promoted without the tools to coach effectively. She offers actionable frameworks for feedback that sticks, one-on-ones that matter, and why even your top performers still need direction. Whether you’re a CRO trying to stabilize performance or a new manager navigating the leap from IC to leader, this episode delivers tactical guidance grounded in experience, not theory.
If you’re a CRO trying to squeeze more productivity from your sales team, here’s the uncomfortable truth: your reps aren’t your biggest blocker. Your frontline managers are.
On the latest episode of Coach2Scale, I sat down with Julie Fox, Global Director of Customer Success at Cin7, to discuss the differences between running a team and developing one. Julie isn’t theorizing from a TED stage; she’s leading a global team, building managers, and turning coasters into closers.
The conversation hit hard because Julie called out what most leadership teams don’t want to admit: many of our top reps are coasting. They’ve been told “great job” for months or even years, but no one is coaching them up. And when you stop growing your top reps, they don’t stay. They disengage. They leave.
Here’s what stuck with me and what every CRO should take seriously.
1. Stop Saving Coaching for the Bottom 20%
Julie doesn’t reserve feedback for performance problems. She uses it to amplify strengths and push reps who are doing well to be exceptional. “Good job” might make someone feel safe, but it won’t sharpen their skills. Her managers are trained to say, “That was solid, now here’s how to make it exceptional.”
For top performers, that kind of challenge is a signal. It tells them: you matter here. You’re seen. And yes, you still have room to grow.
2. Generic Training Doesn’t Cut It Anymore
Julie’s seen companies spend a fortune on sales training only to watch it flop because it wasn’t relevant. The reality? A rep selling a $15K SaaS tool in two calls doesn’t need the same discovery methodology as one selling a regulated product with a 12-month cycle. That should be obvious, but too many teams still treat enablement like it’s plug-and-play.
If you’re investing in training, ask yourself: Is it designed for your sales motion or just a version of sales that looks good in a deck?
3. Coaching Isn’t a 1:1. It’s a System
Julie’s framework turns coaching into a consistent, repeatable motion. Managers don’t wing it. They come prepared. They ask reps for feedback before giving it. They even train their teams how to receive feedback because not everyone hears it the same way.
That’s not a soft skill; it’s a revenue skill. And it’s one thing that too few managers are taught. When her managers shifted from “check-the-box” 1:1s to focused, feedback-forward sessions, rep accountability shot up. Growth followed.
4. Team Number One > Department First
Julie’s adopted the “Team Number One” mindset from Patrick Lencioni meaning her primary loyalty is to the executive team, not just to CS. That shift changed everything.
When she walked into leadership meetings pitching CS metrics like NPS or support tickets, her peers tuned out. But when she started showing how CS drove expansion revenue, protected margins, and reduced burn, people leaned in. It wasn’t fluff anymore. It was business.
If your department leads are still protecting their own turf over playing for the company, you’re not aligned. And that misalignment is costing you.
5. Don’t Ignore the Plateaued B+ Players
Every org has them. They’re not struggling, but they’re not improving. They’ve hit a ceiling, and no one’s told them. Julie shared how she turned one of those B+ players someone she didn’t nominate for a performance award into a standout senior leader.
How? She told him why he didn’t get the nod, gave him specific feedback, and worked side-by-side to help him level up. He later told her, “You woke me up.”
That’s the power of coaching done right. It’s not just about KPIs. It’s about giving people the clarity and challenge to stretch.
6. You’re Not Just Losing Deals, You’re Losing Talent
Reps don’t leave because of compensation structures. They leave because no one’s developing them. No one’s showing them a path.
Julie’s approach turns coaching into a retention strategy. When you create a feedback culture where reps feel like they’re growing every week, they stay. And they get better.
When your managers are trained to deliver that kind of coaching built on data, not gut, you don’t just retain reps; you multiply performance.
Final Word
Julie said it best: “Even your top performers still need direction.” As a CRO, you’re likely obsessed with performance. That’s your job. But the biggest lever you’re not pulling hard enough is manager development.
If your FLMs are untrained, overwhelmed, or running 12 hours a day chasing pipeline, don’t expect coaching to happen. And don’t expect rep productivity to move.
Coach the coaches. Make it part of your operating cadence. Or risk letting your good reps quietly stall and then leave.
🎧 Listen to the full episode: “Why Good Reps Plateau and What Great Managers Do About It”
