A lot of the time, your reps are stuck because, as the saying goes, “you don’t know what you don’t know.” That’s where the Four Stages of Competence Model comes into play. This framework is all about recognizing what stage someone is at when learning or developing a skill - whether they’re totally unaware of their gaps, just starting to figure them out, or getting close to mastering them.
In this post, I’ll break down how this model can help you level up your sales coaching. So if you're a sales manager looking to coach your reps to their full potential, this one's for you.
Contents
Understanding the Conscious Competence Model
Stage 1: Unconscious incompetence - The blind spot
Stage 2: Conscious incompetence - The learning curve
Stage 3: Conscious competence - The focused effort
Stage 4: Unconscious competence - Mastery in motion
Leveraging conversation intelligence in the coaching process
Understanding the Conscious Competence Model
The conscious competence model, also known as the Four Stages of Competence, outlines the phases people typically go through when acquiring new skills. In sales coaching, this framework can help you diagnose where each rep stands in their development and tailor your approach accordingly.
The model consists of four stages:
- Unconscious incompetence - The person doesn't know what they don’t know.
- Conscious incompetence - The person becomes aware of their lack of skill and knowledge.
- Conscious competence - The person can perform the skill but with significant, conscious concentration and effort.
- Unconscious competence - The person can perform the skill effortlessly, often without thinking about it.
Stage 1: Unconscious incompetence - The blind spot
In the unconscious incompetence stage, a rep is unaware of their shortcomings. This phase is most relevant to new reps that are ramping, but as there is no limit to sales skills, it applies to salespeople throughout their career too. Reps might believe they’re performing well when, in reality, they lack critical skills, knowledge of sales methodologies or relationship building techniques. In sales, this can manifest as reps missing crucial discovery questions, not reading the room during a pitch, or failing to handle objections effectively.
As a sales manager, this stage requires careful observation. Since reps don’t know what they don’t know, they often need an external source to bring blind spots to their attention. For you as a manager, this either means observing numerous calls or meeting your reps have with customers or using a conversation intelligence tool to identify patterns and gaps that might otherwise go unnoticed. For example, if a rep consistently skips asking about budget or fails to address key pain points, a conversation intelligence platform can flag these issues, offering a data-driven basis for coaching.
Coaching tips for Stage 1:
- Objective feedback: Use call recordings or transcriptions to show reps where they’re falling short. This minimizes defensiveness since it’s based on concrete evidence rather than opinion. Using a conversation intelligence tool means this can be automated, reducing the burden on you as a manager.
- Self-evaluation: Encourage the rep to discover their skills gaps on their own, instead of pointing them all out to them. If they lost a deal, ask open-ended questions to help them unpack why they lost.
- Reframe mistakes: Encourage reps to view feedback as an opportunity to grow, not as criticism.
Stage 2: Conscious incompetence - The learning curve
In this stage, the rep becomes aware of what they need to improve. They now realize the areas where they’re struggling but may feel overwhelmed about how to bridge the gap between knowing and doing.
This is where coaching becomes more strategic. Sales managers can use data from conversation intelligence to pinpoint specific skill gaps. Perhaps a rep knows they should ask open-ended questions but struggles with the timing or phrasing. By using real call examples, managers can illustrate how small adjustments lead to better outcomes.
The conscious incompetence phase is also the most critical for building resilience. Reps may feel frustrated or unsure of their abilities, so it’s important to maintain consistent encouragement.
Coaching tips for Stage 2:
- Set realistic goals: Help reps focus on mastering one skill at a time, such as improving discovery techniques before moving on to closing strategies.
- Role-playing exercises: Simulate common sales scenarios and provide feedback in real-time. This can help solidify the connection between theory and practice.
- Positive reinforcement: Celebrate small wins to keep reps motivated and reinforce the learning process.
Stage 3: Conscious competence - The focused effort
At this point, a rep can perform the skill but still has to think about every step. Their competence is present but fragile - if they lose focus, their performance can falter. For instance, a rep may be able to successfully handle objections, but only when they’re mentally preparing for each one in advance.
During the conscious competence stage, consistency becomes key. Conversation intelligence tools can help you monitor progress over time, highlighting where reps are succeeding and where they need further refinement. Since sales is dynamic, reps at this stage often benefit from feedback on more nuanced aspects, such as tone, pacing, or the emotional engagement of a conversation.
Coaching tips for Stage 3:
- Repetition: Reinforce key skills through practice and repetition. The more frequently a rep performs the task, the faster it will become second nature.
- Detailed feedback: Dive into the finer points of performance, such as how to fine-tune closing statements or manage objections with greater empathy. The more specific you can be with your coaching feedback here, the better.
- Encourage self-coaching: Have reps review their own call recordings to identify areas for improvement. This fosters accountability and helps them internalize their growth.
Stage 4: Unconscious competence - Mastery in motion
In the final stage, a rep no longer needs to consciously think about performing a skill. They can handle customer objections, ask discovery questions, and close deals almost on autopilot. This level of mastery allows them to navigate complex sales conversations fluidly, responding to cues and signals without hesitation.
At this stage, the role of the sales coach shifts from intensive guidance to more nuanced support. You’re no longer teaching the basics but helping reps refine their skills and prepare for more challenging situations.
Conversation intelligence tools play a role in this phase by identifying areas for fine-tuning and ensuring that reps continue to evolve. Even top performers benefit from regular feedback to avoid complacency, stay sharp and improve incrementally.
Coaching tips for Stage 4:
- Challenge top performers: Introduce new challenges or complex sales scenarios to keep top performers engaged and growing.
- Peer-to-peer coaching: Encourage high performers to share their knowledge and mentor less experienced reps.
- Avoid complacency: Regularly review calls to ensure that reps maintain their high standards and continue refining their approach.
Leveraging conversation intelligence in the coaching process
While the Conscious Competence Model provides a structured approach to sales coaching, conversation intelligence tools add a layer of precision and efficiency. By offering insights into real sales conversations, tools like Jiminny allow managers to give targeted feedback, spot patterns, and track progress over time. But perhaps most importantly, conversation intelligence takes the guesswork out of coaching, ensuring that you're addressing actual performance issues rather than perceived ones.
With AI-driven analysis, conversation intelligence platforms can:
- Identify the most common objections your reps face and suggest improvements.
- Track how frequently reps are applying new skills and whether they’re improving.
- Help managers spot inconsistencies between top performers and struggling reps, offering a blueprint for development.
However, the key to successful sales coaching is finding a balance. While conversation intelligence provides valuable data, the human element of empathy, encouragement, and personalized feedback is irreplaceable. Data-driven insights should serve as a complement to, not a replacement for, your hands-on coaching efforts.
Sales coaching is a journey, not a destination. And as your reps move through the stages of competence, your role is to provide the right support at the right time, empowering them to reach their full potential.
Ready to implement conversation intelligence to up your sales coaching game? Book a demo here.
Tom Lavery is the CEO and Co-Founder of Jiminny, the leading conversation intelligence and sales coaching platform that helps companies maximize their revenue. With over 15 years of experience in high-growth VC/PE-backed SaaS companies, Tom was previously SVP at Reward Gateway, now sharing his wealth of knowledge as a speaker in the conversation intelligence space.
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