Sales Can't Be Taught in a Vacuum

Josh Haymond
Jun 24
3 min read

You can’t coach what you can’t see.

Over the last two weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to host sales professionals from other Vaco offices here in Raleigh. They spent full days shadowing me—listening in on calls, watching how I move through the day, and soaking up as much as they could in real time.

It wasn’t a workshop. It wasn’t a formal training. It was immersion. Intentional, unscripted, real-time exposure to the pace and rhythm of the job.

And it reminded me of something I believe deeply:

Sales isn’t best taught in theory. It’s best absorbed through observation.

The Limits of 1-on-1 Coaching

Don’t get me wrong—1-on-1s are important. Reviewing deals, walking through challenges, role-playing tough conversations… all of that has value.

But the truth is, much of what makes someone great at sales is hard to teach in isolation. It’s not just what they say. It’s how they say it. When they pause. What they choose not to say. How they listen. Where they document and follow up.

These are the micro-skills that don’t always show up in a pipeline review. And they’re rarely covered in onboarding decks or training modules.

You only catch them when you’re close enough to notice the nuance. That’s why shadowing still matters.

The Power of Observation

When someone sits next to a seasoned rep and watches them navigate a day, something different happens. They hear the rhythm. They see the tools in action. They get a feel for the small adjustments that add up to big outcomes.

Here’s what people picked up in the shadowing sessions that wouldn’t have come through in a meeting:

How to open a call in a way that disarms, not overwhelms
The flow of a call that builds toward a natural next step—not a forced close
Real-time CRM use, where notes aren’t just documentation but strategy
How to handle objections without defensiveness, and pushback without pressure
The value of a well-timed pause—letting silence do some of the work

These aren’t just “tactics.” They’re the habits of someone who’s put in reps, refined their process, and kept people at the center of it.

The Unexpected Benefit: It Sharpened Me, Too

One of the best parts of being shadowed? It kept me on my toes.

Knowing someone was watching didn’t make me nervous—it made me better. I became more intentional with my words. More structured with my follow-ups. More focused on modeling the kind of professionalism and presence I expect from others.

In some ways, the act of being observed forced me to coach myself in real time.

It's easy to talk about high standards. It’s another thing to live them when someone’s watching. It’s a subtle but powerful reminder: when we lead by example, we lead more effectively.

Sales Is Still a Craft

There’s a reason we use the word “craft” when we talk about sales. It’s part science, part art. And like any craft, you don’t learn it by just reading about it. You learn it by watching someone who’s good at it, doing it in real time.

This approach takes time, sure. But it accelerates development in a way that slides, scripts, and scorecards simply can’t.

If we want to develop great salespeople, we have to create proximity. Proximity breeds insight. Insight creates confidence. Confidence drives performance.

Final Thought: Make the Ask

If you’re in sales—and you’re serious about getting better—here’s my advice:

📌 Find someone great. Someone consistent. Someone who’s been there.

📌 Ask if you can shadow them for a day. In person, if possible.

📌 Clear your calendar. Bring a notebook. And just observe.

Watch how they open a call.

Watch how they handle friction.

Watch how they carry themselves between meetings.

Because the details matter, and you won’t catch them from across a Zoom screen—or through a coaching dashboard.

This is how we develop craft: through presence, observation, and humility.